TRANSACTIONAL

In 2021, Jenner & Block lawyers provided essential transactional and corporate legal assistance to not-for-profit organizations and small businesses across the country. Our lawyers work, including advice on governance, finance, real estate, and employment law issues, has helped uplift and strengthen individuals and groups that continue to give back to our communities.

Providing Corporate Governance Advice and Litigation Support for Ethical UK Companies

Since 2020, Partner Charlie Lightfoot and Associate Nazifa Chowdhury have been representing Ms. Safia Minney, a founder of ethical clothing and chocolate companies grouped under the name “People Tree.” Ms. Minney initially approached the firm seeking advice on corporate governance issues within the People Tree group, including the unfair prejudice she has suffered from key members of the group. Despite protracted efforts to improve the internal structure and corporate governance of the group, the firm has since taken on a new role in supporting Ms. Minney through litigation proceedings in the English High Court, which have been brought on the basis of unfair prejudice.

Discharging Student Loan Debt for Teacher in Need

After years of financial hardship resulting from $112,000 in student loan debt, a Jenner & Block team, alongside firm alum and retired Chicago Bankruptcy Judge Eugene Wedoff, was able to help a debtor discharge her student loan debt after a trial, two appeals, and extensive remand proceedings.

The debtor, a high school teacher and mother of two, took on the student loans while pursuing four degrees, including a PhD in special education. She filed a chapter 7 petition in 2012 and received a general discharge. The following year, she filed a pro se complaint to discharge her student loans under section 523(a)(8) of the Bankruptcy Code. In 2015, the Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Alabama issued a decision discharging the student loans because they imposed an “undue hardship.” The matter was appealed pro se to the US District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, where the court reversed.

Partner Catherine Steege and Special Counsel Carl Wedoff along with Eugene Wedoff represented the debtor in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Carl argued the appeal and the 11th Circuit reversed the district court’s ruling and remanded to the bankruptcy court. Carl and Catherine represented the debtor in post-remand proceedings and the bankruptcy court issued a decision discharging the debtor’s student loan debt. Although the government initially appealed, they withdrew their appeal with prejudice in December, 2021.  

The bankruptcy court’s decision was featured in Rochelle’s Daily Wire, a publication of the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the case was previously discussed in the Wall Street Journal.  

Helping Communities with United Way of Metro Chicago

Through our partnership with United Way of Metro Chicago and UWMC’s Pro Bono Counsel Andrew Vail, several Jenner & Block lawyers including Associate Nicholas Luther have helped UWMC deploy millions of dollars to communities throughout the city and region:

  • Kids First Chicago: This effort is spearheaded by UWMC to eliminate broadband accessibility as a barrier to digital learning for low-income families and students of color, an acute issue during remote learning.

  • Institute for Family Stability: This is a grant program between the Siemer Institute and UWMC to support and work with neighborhood-focused organizations to improve academic outcomes for disadvantaged students in Chicago.

  • Choose Healthy Life: This is part of a nationwide partnership with the Black Clergy Action Plan to improve health outcomes in majority-minority neighborhoods.

  • B.U.I.L.D., Inc campus expansion: This involves UWMC catalytic capital projects for B.U.I.L.D., Inc, an organization that pairs 3,500 youth per year from the Austin, East Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Hermosa, Logan Square, and Fuller Park neighborhoods. B.U.I.L.D. has mental health programming, as well as mentors in the arts, athletics, college and career preparation, entrepreneurship, leadership development, and technology. 

This unique partnership provides Jenner & Block lawyers the opportunity to leverage our legal knowledge to help UWMC fulfill its mission to build stronger neighborhoods for a stronger, more equitable Chicago region.

Establishing Tax-Exempt Status for Non Profit focused on Support for the Burmese People

In 2021, Ambassador Keith Harper and Partner Gail Morse counseled and assisted U Htin Linn Aung, International Relations Representative of the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), and his support team. The CRPH is a Burma-based entity that includes some of the leading figures who were elected to Burma’s parliament but were denied seats by the junta, and arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and others.

The firm team provided crucial legal support in establishing a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization, which will provide a platform to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Burma (Myanmar) through fundraising, supporting the activities of the Burmese community in the United States, and engaging with the United States and the international community to support Burma’s democracy and human rights objectives. The Global Fund for Burma was formed in Maryland and is proceeding through the steps to secure tax exemption from the IRS.