Hunton & Williams LLP Charlotte Office Commemorates One-Year Partnership with the Council for Children's Rights

Charlotte, N.C. — April 7, 2011 — Hunton & Williams LLP is proud to commemorate its one-year partnership with the Council for Children's Rights for making a difference in the lives of children in the Charlotte area. The Council serves children in crisis through individual advocacy and legal representation.

In 2010, Hunton & Williams created a special pro bono program for the Council for Children's Rights. The firm established a custody advocacy team model by pairing a Hunton & Williams attorney, a Hunton & Williams volunteer custody advocate and a Council for Children's Rights staff attorney to the custody cases assigned by the Mecklenburg County Family Court. This innovative program helps reduce the administrative workload for the staff at the Council for Children's Rights and allows them to better serve their clients.

"We are exceedingly grateful for our partnership with Hunton & Williams," says John Parker, the lead attorney at the Council for Children's Rights. "We know that when we assign a team from Hunton & Williams to a custody case that it will be handled energetically, compassionately and with the highest level of professionalism. Our partnership leverages our ability to provide advocacy for children in high-conflict custody cases."

The program began with a luncheon hosted by Hunton & Williams to educate its lawyers and staff about the Council and its custody advocacy program. The kick-off luncheon was followed by a Council for Children's Rights training program to prepare participants for incoming cases. These efforts have resulted in having nearly half of the firm's Charlotte office involved in the program.

"At Hunton & Williams our commitment to pro bono work in the community is a core element of who we are as a firm," says Jacqueline Yount Ferrell, attorney at Hunton & Williams who pioneered the program for the firm. "Children are often the innocent victims in custody disputes. Being able to give them a voice and to protect their best interests is extremely rewarding. I believe we make a difference in their lives."

The Charlotte office of Hunton & Williams was established in 1995 and is home to 30 lawyers serving the regional and global needs of its clients. The firm’s practice in Charlotte emphasizes general corporate counsel, litigation, labor and employment law, corporate finance, and capital market transactions for domestic and international clients.

About Hunton & Williams LLP

Hunton & Williams LLP provides legal services to corporations, financial institutions, governments and individuals, as well as to a broad array of other entities. Since our establishment more than a century ago, Hunton & Williams has grown to more than 900 lawyers serving clients in 100 countries from 18 offices around the world. While our practice has a strong industry focus on energy, financial services and life sciences, the depth and breadth of our experience extends to more than 100 separate practice areas, including bankruptcy and creditors rights, commercial litigation, corporate transactions and securities law, intellectual property, international and government relations, regulatory law, products liability, and privacy and information management.

About the Council for Children's Rights

Council for Children's Rights serves any child in crisis through individual advocacy and legal representation. The Custody Advocacy team represents children caught in the middle of high-conflict custody disputes. The Children's Defense team represents children in the juvenile justice system or facing commitment to a mental health facility. The Individual Advocacy team represents children in the areas of education, healthcare, mental health, abuse and neglect, domestic violence or in any case where a child is in danger. Lastly, the Larry King Center, will provide critical long term solutions to chronic problems affecting children in our community on a system-wide level so that children with similar issues will not need our intervention in the future. By representing children holistically, we are able to identify areas of need and take effective measures that help transform lives. For more information please visit our website at www.cfcrights.org.