News Article

Pro Bono at Womble Carlyle

Womble Carlyle’s pro bono project to help Hurricane Katrina victims is off to a smooth start, as the first team of Womble Carlyle attorneys is on the ground and working with clients.

Attorneys Craig Cannon, Tripp Greason, Chris Kreiner, Will Latham, Cris Windham and practice support coordinator Alecia Moore arrived Sunday, July 9, and returned home Monday. Each of these lawyers will return to New Orleans periodically until the end of August to lead subsequent teams of attorneys in week-long shifts. Greason, the firm’s Pro Bono Director, said the attorneys participating this week are establishing procedures and gaining experience to share with future attorney teams.

"It will help to have someone on the team who knows, point-for-point, what needs to be done," he said.

The teams are helping low-income families file succession papers proving that they inherited ownership of their homes, which will allow them to access FEMA assistance, state aid and insurance to rebuild their hurricane-damaged homes.

Many families have simply passed property down through the generations with no formal change in the title. Many others have had relatives who died during and after Katrina. This lack of a proper filing has left many low-income families in legal limbo.

Womble Carlyle attorneys are conducting title and lien searches, checking tax documents and filing the necessary paperwork to establish an up-to-date title. So far, attorneys have screened about 30 potential clients and Greason estimates they will be able to assist 20 to 25 clients per week.

Latham said the work is progressing with no unexpected complications, but each case will require a significant investment of time. In all, the firm expects to provide several thousand lawyer hours.

Windham, one of the organizers of the project, said the attorneys are receiving tremendous assistance from New Orleans law firms Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann LLC and Sessions Fishman Nathan, LLP. These firms are providing expert guidance and training, as well as office space.

The pro bono participants also had the chance to tour some of the flood-ravaged areas of New Orleans. Although nearly one year has passed since Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, the effects of the costliest hurricane in U.S. history remain. The storm caused an estimated $75 billion in damages to the region. In New Orleans, homes remain vacant and abandoned cars still litter many streets.

"It’s not just a neighborhood, the entire Gulf Coast is still affected," Greason said. "No description can fully communicate the extent of the damage."