Charles River Associates Honored for Investigative Work in Support of Survivors

Naina Rasheed

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary is honoring an incredible team at Charles River Associates for their investigative and forensic accounting work on behalf of Sanctuary’s clients. 

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary for Families is honoring an incredible team at Charles River Associates for their investigative and forensic accounting work on behalf of Sanctuary’s clients. The team includes CRA vice presidents Lisa Dane and Alexandra Knatchbull, principal Niall Murphy, associate principal Victor Epstein, associates Brenden Ebertz and Trishla Jain, and consulting associate Noah Genovesi.

Charles River Associates (“CRA”) has brought their investigative and forensic accounting expertise to fight for survivors and support Sanctuary’s clients. CRA has supported legal teams on countless cases—cases involving the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (“DVSJA”), divorce matters, international child abduction cases, sex trafficking cases, and incarcerated clients. The team at CRA leverages their resources and skills to combine forces with Sanctuary attorneys and pro bono attorneys to achieve significant and tangible results.

Just some of CRA’s investigative contributions to these matters include:

  • Providing intelligence and conducting source work to locate a kidnapped child who was being hidden outside of the U.S.
  • Forensically examining the financials of a former partner in a custody case.
  • For purposes of serving papers in divorce matters, locating countless opposing party’s addresses or businesses, and for purposes of alternative service, locating opposing party’s social media accounts, phone numbers, relatives, or associates.
  • Locating medical records, criminal records, and even archived police records.
  • Locating former neighbors and friends to serve as witnesses to support survivors in DVSJA re-sentencing matters.
  • Identifying a former partner’s undisclosed assets and companies through corporate registry research.

Reflecting on CRA’s work, Nicole Fidler, Senior Project Director of the Pro Bono Project and the Narkis Golan International Child Abduction Initiative at Sanctuary for Families explained their importance to Sanctuary’s work:

“Our partners at CRA always try to find us something we can use to help our clients in their cases. They are incredibly quick to respond and always eager to help. If there is not an obvious answer to a request, they think outside the box to figure out how they can find useful information or provide helpful analysis. We are lucky to have CRA as an ever-reliable resource. Everyone in Sanctuary’s Legal Department loves working them!”

– Nicole Fidler, Sanctuary for Families

As to CRA’s work with Sanctuary, Lisa Dane, Vice President in CRA’s Risk, Investigations & Analytics Group said, “being able to pivot our investigative skillsets to collaborate with Sanctuary and other pro bono lawyers to help improve people’s lives is deeply meaningful and important to our firm. We are honored and grateful for the recognition and congratulate the other honorees and Sanctuary’s team for their exceptional work.”

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Join us at our Above & Beyond Awards Ceremony on October 8, 2024, as we honor CRA’s outstanding pro bono work.

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Alston & Bird Team Honored for Obtaining a Settlement in a Highly Contested Custody Case

Paige A. Geier

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary will honor a team from Alston & Bird for their devoted pro bono representation of “Amber” to obtain a favorable settlement in a complex and highly contested custody case.

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary for Families is honoring a team from Alston & Bird, including partner Elizabeth Buckel, and associates Chris Williams, Morgan Meyer, and Ashton Andrews for their compassionate and devoted pro bono representation of “Amber” to obtain a favorable settlement in a complex and highly contested custody case.

“Amber” had previously left an abusive relationship, and the parties agreed to joint custody of their daughter.  Several years later, the arrangement was no longer working and came to Sanctuary for Families as a fraught and difficult custody modification case with a savvy, manipulative pro se respondent.  The hard-working team from Alston & Bird joined the case in 2023.  In addition to filing multiple violation petitions and orders to show cause, the team diligently prepared for trial and had weekslong settlement negotiations with the client’s abuser to work out a custody arrangement that was beneficial to both Amber and her daughter.  Ultimately, the team secured a favorable settlement that gave Amber sole legal custody and primary physical custody of her daughter with limited visitation with the father.

The Alston & Bird team juggled difficult aspects of the case with skill and compassion.  At times, they were simultaneously preparing for trial, engaging in settlement negotiations with an aggressive pro se respondent, and providing ongoing emotional support to their client.  The case was scheduled for trial, so the team started to prepare witnesses, draft direct examination questions, and engage in pretrial discovery.  Settlement negotiations were extremely complicated and, at times, hostile.  The team sent myriad emails, had dozens of phone calls, and – in a three-week span – engaged in five separate settlement talks with the abuser in an attempt to negotiate a custody arrangement.  Associate Chris Williams emphasized the challenge of balancing the various aspects of the case, especially while managing client expectations and ensuring the court system was not being used to work out personal grievances.

This was Chris’ first case with Sanctuary for Families, and he is excited to continue partnering with Sanctuary in the future.  Chris learned a great deal from this case, including key litigation skills like preparing for trial, negotiating settlements, and connecting with clients through empathy and patience.  Chris said this case taught him to be a zealous advocate for his clients, especially after witnessing the systems and institutions survivors interact with.  In this case, the team was able to use their “alternative dispute resolution tools to gain the best outcome for our client, but also for [her] family and future going forward.”

Erin Mears, Senior Staff Attorney at Sanctuary for Families, praised Chris for his continued empathy, compassion, and patience when working with Amber.  She remarked on how empowering it is for survivors to have “a team of fantastic, dedicated, conscientious lawyers” behind them.  It was especially important for Amber and had the crucial effect of shifting the power dynamic in the case – once the Alston & Bird team was brought on, it was no longer a David and Goliath scenario where the abuser could continue to exert control through the litigation process.  Erin commended the team’s dedication throughout the difficult process of preparing for trial: “Elizabeth and the team were responsive, detail-oriented, and hard-working throughout the case.  They were thorough and well-prepared in each document drafting, filing, and court appearance, and they were particularly attentive to the client and her daughter, taking special care of their mental health and well-being.”

Amber expressed her gratitude to the team after they secured her a favorable outcome.  She wrote: “There are no real words that can encompass how grateful and fortunate N and I are to have such an incredible team on our side.  I know that at times I have been one to overreact emotionally and perhaps illogical at times.  My intentions were never to be difficult but know it was always from a place of fear and desperation.  I truly have struggled in the last year the most and lived in a strange dark place where I felt almost not human.  You all have been so kind and generous with your humanity towards me and forever I will be grateful and appreciative.”

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

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Join us at our Above & Beyond Awards Ceremony on October 8, 2024, as we honor Alston & Bird’s outstanding pro bono work.

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Milbank LLP Secures Divorce for Survivor After 4-Year Litigation Battle

Anastasia Regne

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary will honor will honor SA’s dedicated team of Milbank attorneys who have repeatedly achieved remarkable outcomes over the course of their 4 years representing SA in his initially uncontested divorce.

At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary for Families will honor SA’s dedicated team of Milbank attorneys who have repeatedly achieved remarkable outcomes over their 4 years representing SA in his initially uncontested divorce.

SA’s Milbank team consists of associates Ashley A. Satterlee, Elizabeth Hamilton, Morgan M. Williams, Alisha Gupta, and Leslie Irwin and partner Stacey J. Rappaport.

While living in Nigeria, where it is unlawful to be gay, SA’s abuser engaged in many methods of abuse, including forcing SA to engage in polyamory despite SA’s protests and to be on heavy medication which dulled SA’s senses.  The abuser constantly threatened to tell SA’s family and friends in Nigeria about SA’s sexuality, which would have put SA’s life at great risk. Subsequent to their marriage, the abuser also attempted to use the United States’ immigration system to control SA.

Lauren Patel of Sanctuary filed for the uncontested divorce in 2020 which turned into a complicated case as a result of the abuser’s litigation tactics.  After the abuser filed multiple interlocutory appeals in 2022, Milbank then offered to co-counsel to help SA.   Over the last two years, Milbank and SA have had to bat away constant filings – including extraordinarily lengthy requests to file counterclaims alleging fraud and demands for punitive payment, and multiple motions and appeals – all part of the abuser’s attempts to abuse the justice system to continue to assert power and control over SA.  These verbose filings (many over 100 pages long) are riddled with insulting jabs at the court and SA’s attorneys and contain slanderous allegations designed to humiliate SA.

However, as Milbank associates Morgan and Elizabeth explained, “The courts have seen straight through the abuser and that he is using the courts to abuse” SA.  SA and his Milbank team have succeeded in opposing a significant amount of relief sought by the abuser, and in February 2024, obtained a judgment of divorce for SA.

Milbank’s team was initially engaged to assist with an interlocutory appeal, but ultimately helped complete the divorce in chief and has remained on to represent SA in multiple subsequent filings including three appeals.  Because the abuser is pro se, the papers and arguments are difficult to understand.  As described by Lauren, Milbank’s pro bono team “constantly goes above and beyond to respond to each and every argument, motion, and paper to zealously advocate and protect SA against this abuse.  It has required a significant amount of legal research, time, and drafting to be able to continue to knock down each attempt, and they continue to be dedicated to doing so.”

The diversity of experience across Milbank’s incredible pro bono team allowed them to jump right in on SA’s case.  Each member of the team is passionate about working with SA: as Elizabeth noted, “everyone puts their whole hearts into it.” Morgan added “Sanctuary has been so amazing, Lauren is such an amazing resource in helping understand this case.”

Though the constant litigation has been arduous for SA and his lawyers, Morgan explained that she has learned a lot about drafting and client advocacy along the way.  She explained it recently occurred to her how much professional growth she’s had while working on SA’s case.  While drafting an outline, Morgan realized “when I was first added to the case, it would have taken me months to draft this,” and now she is able to put papers together much more quickly.  Morgan also said that working on SA’s case has strengthened her understanding of the importance of advocacy for Sanctuary clients.  Elizabeth explained that the team has continued to not only work with SA to defeat the abuser’s constant frivolous filings, but to help work with SA to stay safe by ensuring that SA’s whereabouts and contact information are kept away from the abuser, consistent with the confidentiality order in place in the case.

The Milbank team and SA continue to fight SA’s abuser and plan to defeat him in his third appeal.  Morgan explained that the abuser “might file something wild or crazy, but we are ready to fight it vigorously.” She further provided, “Our firm is committed to pro bono work – the firm recognized us for this case last month.”   Elizabeth added, Milbank knows it’s important to “fight for a righteous cause and take care of other people who need someone to stand up for them.”   Now that the team secured the judgment of divorce this February, Milbank and SA continue to work together on the third appeal, and expect oral argument to be held in October.

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Join us at our Above & Beyond Awards Ceremony on October 8, 2024, as we honor Milbank’s outstanding pro bono work.

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Anastasia Regne is a member of Sanctuary’s Pro Bono Council.

Karen King, 2024 Abely Awards Honoree

Sanctuary for Families

Established 27 years ago by Davis Polk, Sanctuary for Families, and Columbia Law School, the Abely Awards honor individuals who have made a difference in the lives of survivors of gender violence.

Established 27 years ago by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Sanctuary for Families, and Columbia Law School, the Abely Awards honor individuals who have made a difference in the lives of survivors of gender violence and who embody Maryellen Abely’s compassion, zeal, energy, and dedication.

This year, we are thrilled to present the 2024 Abely Pro Bono Award to Karen King.

INTRODUCING KAREN

A Partner at Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC, Karen King is a skilled trial attorney and advocate who has represented both institutional and individual clients in federal and state courts across the country.  Karen has been practicing for over 24 years, and began her legal career as an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, and later as Counsel at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.  Her regular practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, compliance and regulatory enforcement matters, securities litigation and regulation, internal investigations, and strategic advice.  Karen was named a “Distinguished Leader” by New York Law Journal in September 2022 and a “Notable Woman in Law” by Crain’s New York Business in June 2023. 

Throughout her legal career, Karen has prioritized pro bono service. She was the recipient of the American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico award in 2023, the Federal Bar Council’s Thurgood Marshall Award for Exceptional Pro Bono Service in 2019, as well as the Pro Bono award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.  She is a member of the Second Circuit Pro Bono Panel and the Asian American Bar Association of New York’s Anti-Asian Violence Task Force.  She is a co-editor of two papers on the rise of hate and violence against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.  She also successfully litigated a decade-long Title VII case on behalf of Asian-American police officers at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  Her pro bono clients include victims of domestic violence, students with learning disabilities, victims of gun violence, and prisoners on civil rights issues.

Over the past six years, Karen provided dedicated, strategic, and trauma-informed legal representation in an exceptionally complex case under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction involving a young Orthodox Jewish mother fleeing domestic violence in Italy with her two-year-old son.  The case moved from federal court in the Eastern District of New York to the United States Supreme Court and back to the Eastern District. Not only did Karen argue and secure a unanimous decision before the Supreme Court in favor of her client—a ruling that will benefit numerous other survivors around the country—but her critical work on the case helped ensure the child was ultimately able to remain safely in the care of his aunt, even after the tragic, premature death of the mother during the protracted litigation. Karen now co-chairs the Narkis Golan Initiative, named in honor of her late client, which provides resources to advance the rights of domestic violence survivors in child abduction cases around the country.

Karen holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School.