Perkins Coie Assists United Way With Reorganization

PORTLAND, ORE. (September 22, 2006) – Perkins Coie attorneys dedicated more than 140 pro bono hours to assist United Way organizations located in five counties and two states in a reorganization that closed today in Hood River, Ore. In an effort to reduce administrative expenses and better focus donated dollars, United Way organizations active in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat and Skamania counties, which serve rural areas in Oregon and Southwest Washington, were reorganized today to form a single 503(c) corporation now known as the United Way of the Columbia Gorge.

"This reorganization enables each local group to better focus on fundraising and distributing community resources where they are needed," said Erick Haynie, an associate in the firm's Portland, Ore. office who spearheaded the pro bono effort. He added that although the United Way of the Columbia Gorge is now a single organization, each community still maintains a level of autonomy so that funds raised are reinvested back into the local communities. "The local money still stays local."

Legal services provided by Perkins Coie for the consolidation included:

• Drafting corporate governance documents for the new organization.
• Drafting donation transfer agreements to facilitate the transfer of assets to United Way of the Columbia Gorge.
• Ensuring that the old non-profit corporations are properly dissolved in accordance with requirements of Oregon and Washington laws.
• Ensuring that the new organization is registered to do business in the entire Columbia Gorge region.

Perkins Coie has a long-standing commitment to sharing its experience and resources to improve the communities in which the firm has offices. In the past four years, lawyers across the firm have devoted more than 100,000 hours toward pro bono matters.