Giving back.

One year aster Hurricane Katrina, some local firms are still knee-deep in recovery work.

Latham & Watkins LLP began its efforts shortly after the devastating hurricane by giving $200,000 to the Red Cross and then offering to match any employee donations. To date, they have given an additional $600,000 in employee donations and matching funds.

Amos E. Hartston, pro bono counsel for the firm, visited the region shortly after the hurricane.

"One of the striking things to me, because I was focusing on the delivery of legal services, was that the infrastructure for providing legal services was not developed before the storm," Hartston said. "So after the storm, delivery of legal services to those most in need was even harder."

Hartson said he was also struck by just how much good an attorney could do in the region. Latham subsequently funded two attorneys, each for two years. One works with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights on fair housing and redevelopment matters. The second is an Equal Justice Works fellow working with New Orleans Legal Assistance, focusing on public benefits and healthcare issues for victims.

The firm also sponsored a conference on children's mental health matters. About 50 professionals who work with children affected by the storm attended the May conference in New Orleans.

Latham professionals additionally partnered with the Advancement Project in a suit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure that New Orleans tenants that had evacuated would receive proper notice before being evicted or having their possessions removed by a landlord. FEMA originally proposed three days notice, and the parties later settled on 45 days notice.