Clinton Global Initiative

Objective:
To support CGI's mission by helping to identify pro bono legal support for CGI Commitments that require legal advice and work.

Commitment Announcement:
The planning and implementation of a number of CGI's Commitments will entail some kind of legal support, being it simple advice or actual legal work. These Commitments currently have to use outside law firms, or possibly their own in-house counsel, which adds significant cost to their respective budgets.  Mestel & Company will help eliminate these costs and concentrate the expenditures of CGI Commitments in actual substantive work through introducing committing entities in need of legal support to the pro bono department of an appropriate law firm.

In order to successfully implement this commitment, Mestel & Company will:

1. Work with the committing entities to find the right firm for them, until a satisfactory match is made.
2. Follow up with each of the committers to make sure that the firm that was introduced to them is right in terms of their respective expertise, and their ability to provide pro bono legal work.

Mestel & Company Commitment will provide assistance in securing pro bono legal representation directly to CGI Commitments.  Mestel & Company understands that CGI and the Clinton Foundation are not endorsing or retaining Mestel & Company or any law firm providing services through this Commitment.  Mestel & Company will communicate to the law firms providing pro bono legal services that they will be providing these services directly to the Commitment organization, and not to CGI or the Clinton Foundation.

Background:
Mestel & Company provides permanent legal staff, including attorneys and paralegals, and its clients are hundreds of law firms around the world. As founder and president of Mestel & Company, Lynn Mestel is in the unique position to know the world's leading law firms, internationally, nationally, regionally and locally.

Today, law firms of all sizes are looking for unique ways to offer their respective legal services pro bono, and CGI Commitments represent many projects in a wide variety of areas.  Mestel & Company knows each law firm's practice areas and have key relationships with managers, decision makers, and heads of pro bono departments.

Point of Contact:
Lynn Mestel, President, Mestel & Company, lmestel@mestel.com

Geographic Scope:
Global

Anticipated Launch:
2/1/2007

Milestones and Key Actions:
March 2007
Providing current legal counsel to two CGI commitments
Negotiating partnership with two law firms for coordinated pro bono work for CGI commitments
Planning outreach to other CGI commitments to promote pro bono services