Paul Weiss Obtain Favorable Decision in Highly Contested Order of Protection Case

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary will honor a team from Paul Weiss for their compassionate and devoted pro bono representation of “Gloria” to obtain a favorable decision in a complex and highly contested order of protection case.

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary is honoring a team from Paul, Weiss, including partners Audra J. Soloway and William B. Michael, counsel Robert N. Kravitz, and former associates Arianna Markel, Paige Geier, Michael Bass, Randall Bryer and Melika Hadziomerovic for their compassionate and devoted pro bono representation of “Gloria” to obtain a favorable decision in a complex and highly contested order of protection (OP) case.

In 2019, “Gloria,” a mother of two young children, fled her abusive husband to live in a domestic violence shelter, filed for custody, and obtained a temporary order of protection (TOP) against her husband. Despite the sustained violence that Gloria and her two children lived through, Gloria’s strength carried her through lengthy and challenging legal actions and made her an inspiration for the team that represented her.

In April 2021, a pro bono team from Paul Weiss began working with Gloria on her representation in a highly contested trial to seek a final OP based on the history of violence as well as multiple violations of the TOP. The trial team was primarily led by Audra Soloway, Arianna Markel, and Paige Geier, with Arianna serving as lead counsel for the trial. In April 2022, Gloria and the team successfully obtained a 5-year OP, as well as findings that the abuser had violated the TOP and committed several family offenses. In October 2022, the abuser appealed the decision to the First Department. Bob Kravitz, Bill Michael, Paige Geier, and Michael Bass successfully handled the appeal, with the First Department affirming the family court’s decision.

The Paul, Weiss team demonstrated great dedication to the case and to Gloria. Their excellent legal skills, strategic thinking, and continuous time commitment were essential to supporting Gloria and obtaining a favorable outcome. The team worked tirelessly with Gloria to prepare for trial, conducting numerous practice and strategy sessions. The OP trial involved a challenging direct examination of Gloria on the history of domestic violence and sexual abuse, conducted by Arianna, as well as a difficult cross-examination. The team’s advocacy was instrumental in enabling Gloria to tell her story over the objections of extremely aggressive opposing counsel. In his decision, the judge specifically noted Gloria’s credibility and composure, in contrast to the respondent. Importantly, the team’s consistent support of Gloria through the emotional challenge and the frustration that result from having to navigate the uncertainty of these processes was key for the outcome.

“This case has involved a massive amount of time and dedication, both in the legal work conducted and in the intensive work with the client. Arianna’s preparation work for the OP trial, and her ability to withstand intensive objections by opposing counsel was remarkable. Paige has been extraordinarily client-centered, patient, collaborative and sensitive.”

-Jennifer Friedman, Director of Family Law and Policy for Sanctuary for Families’ practices in the Bronx    and Manhattan Family Justice Centers

Paige Geier, who was a junior associate when she began working on the case, emphasized how valuable this experience was for her as a young lawyer. Paige said that “it was pretty incredible” for her to learn from the knowledgeable members of the team, including from Jennifer. In October 2021, Paige successfully argued against a fourth substitution of counsel for the respondent father.

“Not only was I able to learn so much about family law from talking to Jennifer, but her way of working, which makes her thought-process visible, was extremely valuable to me. I also appreciated that she put a lot of trust in me as a young associate and was totally supportive. Watching her work with the client and showing so much empathy has made me a better lawyer.”

-Paige Geier

From her new firm Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C., Paige is now leading the custody and visitation trial, which began in January of this year, an illustration of her extraordinary dedication to the case.

Gloria’s resilience is an inspiration for the team.

“I watched Gloria have her life on hold, but she kept her head up and that has given so much energy to the team. Gloria is one of the strongest people I have ever met. It is so amazing getting to work with her and to represent her. She is an amazing mom: hearing her talk about her children and everything she does for them is incredible. She recently went back to school to get a degree and is crushing it! She has been student of the month, and her hard work has been recognized by her teachers and peers.”

-Paige Geier

Sanctuary is incredibly grateful for the invaluable pro bono work of this amazing and supportive team.


Join us at our Above & Beyond Awards Ceremony on October 25, 2023, as we honor Paul Weiss’s outstanding pro bono work.

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Silvia Marroquin is an associate in the international arbitration practice of Chaffetz Lindsey in New York and a member of Sanctuary’s Pro Bono Council.

Simpson Thacher Obtains Favorable Settlement in Complex Custody and Order of Protection Case

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary is honoring Jonathan Kaplan from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett for his compassionate and devoted pro bono representation of “Mary” to obtain a favorable settlement in a complex custody and order of protection case.

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary for Families is honoring Jonathan Kaplan from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett for his compassionate and devoted pro bono representation of “Mary” to obtain a favorable settlement in a complex custody and order of protection case.

In December 2019, Mary, a mother of three children, one of whom was also the child of her abuser, sought an order of protection against her former partner and to obtain full custody of her children. For multiple years, Mary had experienced severe physical and emotional abuse at his hands, but her incomparable strength eventually pushed her to pursue legal action.

In March 2020, Jonathan began representing Mary in a complex Order of Protection trial with a custody trial to follow. Midway through, Jonathan obtained a favorable settlement to both custody and protection whereby Mary was awarded physical custody of her child and final decision-making authority. Additionally, her former partner was prohibited from having any contact with her other than through a monitored platform and only to the extent strictly necessary to address the care and custody of their shared child.

Jonathan demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to the case and to Mary, and his excellent legal skills throughout the case were key to securing a positive outcome. He drafted motions, dealt patiently with repeated adjournments, and handled thorough preparations for trial on no less than five occasions. Jonathan’s advocacy was instrumental in overcoming the challenges of having little documentary evidence to support Mary’s testimony, and in helping her be heard by a judge who was at first skeptical based on her initial pro se petition, which only described the most recent incident of domestic violence rather than the years of abuse she had endured. Jonathan drafted an amended family offense petition that shed light on the abuse that Mary had experienced and set the stage for her compelling testimony at trial. In Jonathan’s words, her testimony was “a big catalyst” for the settlement to happen. Jonathan supported Mary through the emotional challenges of preparing for her testimony and navigating the frustration caused by a lengthy and uncertain legal process during the pandemic.

Throughout this multi-year process, Jonathan was always available to address the continued issues Mary had with her former partner, who continued to harass her and attempt to use his visitation with their son as a means to control and manipulate her. Providing both legal advocacy and an empathetic ear, he was truly committed to helping Mary make her wish “to be safe” come true, and was ecstatic when she received the final favorable settlement.

Mary’s strength was imperturbable and an inspiration for Jonathan. He reflects, “I was incredibly inspired by my client. Her strength in the face of so much adversity and her ability to always put her children first was uplifting. The result was such a good one, because she is a good person.”

After the case settled, Mary told Jonathan, “You saved my life. I feel so free, like I just got out of prison.” Mary is now working helping other victims of domestic violence. Reflecting on the case, Jonathan said that this experience had been truly rewarding and “the most meaningful thing [he has] done as a lawyer.”

“The unique relationship of trust built between Mary and Jonathan was amazing to see. It was so rewarding to witness, and I was honored to be a part of it. For example, the way Jonathan dealt with opposing counsel, who was not always very responsive, was masterful — Jonathan was always assertive but polite in how he transmitted his client’s frustrations. He had a truly client-centered approach.”

Betsy Tsai
Director, Courtroom Advocates Project


Join us at our Above & Beyond Awards Ceremony on November 2, 2022, as we honor Simpson Thacher & Bartlett’s outstanding pro bono work.

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If you can’t join us, but would like to support Sanctuary’s work, please consider making an Above & Beyond donation here.


Silvia Marroquin is an associate in the international arbitration practice of Chaffetz Lindsey in New York and a member of Sanctuary’s Pro Bono Council.

Cahill Attorneys Advocate on Behalf of Domestic Violence Survivor and Her Daughter

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary is honoring a team of attorneys from Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP for their compassionate and devoted pro bono representation of “Alison” to obtain an order of protection and a judgment of divorce.

Silvia Marroquin is an associate in the international arbitration practice of Chaffetz Lindsey in New York and a member of Sanctuary’s Pro Bono Council.

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary is honoring a team of attorneys from Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP for their compassionate and devoted pro bono representation of “Alison” to obtain an order of protection and a judgment of divorce.  The team consisted of associates Tobin Raju, Andrea Abarca, and George Harris.

In November 2018, Alison—a full-time health worker and mother of two—sought an order of protection against her then-husband from whom she had separated.  For over five years, Alison endured verbal, emotional, and physical abuse towards herself and her young daughter.  Her strength and warm-hearted personality never dimmed.  But, the continuous stalking, messaging, and verbal threats from her abuser that followed her separation, frightened and upset Alison and eventually led her to pursue legal action.

In December 2018, the team from Cahill, consisting of Tobin Raju, Andrea Abarca and George Harris, took on Alison’s representation and successfully secured a final one-year order of protection on consent for Alison and her young daughter, who had been a witness to repeated physical and verbal abuse by Alison’s then-husband.

The entire team showed an unparalleled commitment to the case and were always available to Alison.  Their desire to develop a supportive and sincere relationship with Alison bore fruit, as she became more comfortable talking about difficult issues which allowed the team to develop a deeper knowledge of her case.  Throughout their representation of Alison, the team met with Alison, and diligently collected and organized the numerous police reports, screenshots, photographs, and other potential evidence to be used at trial.  The team’s precision and care in preparing Alison alleviated her anxiety about the trial. Moments before trial, opposing counsel initiated settlement discussions.  The team’s hard work paid off and culminated in their successful advocacy during settlement negotiations and the hearing, eventually obtaining a satisfactory outcome for Alison.  In fact, the court referee was at first reluctant to include Alison’s daughter in the order of protection, because she is not the abuser’s child, but Tobin’s advocacy convinced the court referee that it was appropriate and necessary.

Not surprisingly, in June 2019, the team immediately volunteered to represent Alison in her divorce, and successfully obtained a final uncontested judgment of divorce from the abuser in November 2019.

Tobin and the team were some of the most responsive and communicative pro bono attorneys I have worked with. Tobin proactively reached out to the client on a regular basis, sending me updates on the case, as well as other issues arising in the client’s life. Tobin and the team were totally eager and happy to help the client with the uncontested divorce as well, which the client was thrilled to receive,” said Sanctuary Senior Staff Attorney Lindsey M. Song.

“When I asked the client for feedback for Tobin and the team, she said, ‘I could not have asked for any better [team]! You helped me through this time from beginning to finish. I am grateful to you all.’”  — Lindsey Song.

Despite facing so many challenges, Alison’s unflappable strength was truly impressive and key to the outcome of the case.  Tobin said, “We could not have asked for a better client to work with. She is an incredibly courageous person, and I was honored to work with her.”  The relationship is such that months after the case was resolved, Alison and the team continue to be in touch.

Reflecting on their work, the team expressed that they were especially grateful for having the opportunity to work with Lindsey M. Song, Senior Staff Attorney at Sanctuary for Families, and to have been put in the position to advocate on Alison’s behalf.

It was important to have someone with Lindsey’s experience with survivors–not only in terms of strategy but also to understand the nuances of how trauma can affect memory and how we, as attorneys, should ask questions to help our client remember the details that make her case. All this, while navigating the client-relationship to be both effective and compassionate,” said Andrea Abarca.

Lindsey gave us enough autonomy while walking us through every requirement and working with us on the best strategy for the case.  She trusted our instincts and our abilities.” — Tobin Raju.

It was extremely helpful to be able to have guidance from someone that would speak to the nature of how the court would react and that helped us prepare Alison to be ready for a tough referee,” said George Harris.

 The team described this as a unique experience that was extremely rewarding, personally and professionally, because it allowed them to grow as attorneys by developing essential skills and taking on more responsibilities while supporting a client moving on with her life and family.

Join us at our virtual Above & Beyond virtual celebration on October 29, 2020, as we honor the outstanding pro bono work of Tobin, Andrea, and George. Click here to RSVP for free.

If you can’t join us, but would like to support Sanctuary for Family’s work, please consider making an Above & Beyond donation here.