February 13, 2008
February 13, 2008 - (San Diego, CA) McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP (MLA) international law firm recently formed the MLA Foundation to provide a more efficient and effective way for the firm to achieve greater philanthropic impact in the communities where it has offices.
"The creation of the MLA Foundation is an important milestone for our firm," said Jeffrey K. Haidet, Chairman of McKenna Long & Aldridge. Haidet noted that the firm’s intention is to be able to give more sizeable donations that reflect the interests of employees, clients and the communities where the firm conducts business”.
For its first significant grant, the Board of Directors of the Foundation voted to establish the MLA Southern California Wildfires Relief Fund to help people affected by the October 2007 wildfires in two of its ten U.S. communities -- San Diego and Los Angeles. In addition to donating a base gift of $25,000, the MLA Foundation matched dollar-for-dollar all employee contributions. Over 130 partners and employees donated more than $12,500, resulting in a total contribution of $50,000. The funds have been divided equally between the San Diego and Los Angeles chapters of the American Red Cross.
“We are committed to giving back to the communities in which our employees and clients live and work, ” said MLA Foundation Chair Phillip Bradley. “After the fires destroyed so many homes and disrupted the lives of so many people, we wanted to help our neighbors in San Diego and Los Angeles get back on their feet. Our donations to the San Diego and Los Angeles chapters of the American Red Cross reflect our desire to effect real change and improve the living conditions of our neighbors in need.”
The Southern California Wildfires affected hundreds of thousands of people, burning over 500,000 acres and displacing at least half a million residents. This is the largest such evacuation in California's history. It is estimated that San Diego County alone has experienced more than $1 billion in property damages.
"In the blink of an eye, our neighbors' homes were destroyed and their lives were changed forever," said Chris Marek, Director of Development and Communication for the San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross. "The contributions made by the MLA Foundation and MLA employees helped the Red Cross provide immediate assistance to hundreds of families who lost everything."
MLA Foundation Board of Directors includes Foundation Chair and Partner Phillip Bradley, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta; Firm Chair and Partner Jeff Haidet, Atlanta; and Partners Bill Sayers, Los Angeles; Bob Brewer, San Diego; Maggie Joslin, Atlanta; Mark Meagher, Denver; Tom Papson, Washington, D.C.; and Chris Volz, San Francisco.
For more information regarding the MLA Foundation, please contact Phillip Bradley at pbradley@mckennalong.com or 202-496-7139.