When a devastating earthquake ravaged Haiti on Jan. 12, Big Law quickly began raising money for the long-suffering country in a big way. But for Venable managing partner Karl Racine, the effort was personal. Racine was born in Haiti and moved to the U.S. in 1965, when he was three years old.
Racine said that within a week of asking firm lawyers and employees to donate to relief efforts, Venable raised $75,000. Venable chipped in an additional $50,000 from the firm’s charitable arm, the Venable Foundation, for a total of $125,000. The money is being donated to Partners In Health and Doctors Without Borders.
“As soon as the news broke regarding the earthquake, my Haitian colleagues at the firm, including myself, were deluged with calls of concern and from people wanting to donate to relief efforts,” Racine said.
Racine said he is one of several lawyers at Venable with family members still living in Haiti. “Miraculously, none of our families died in the earthquake,” Racine said, who visited family members in Haiti during the holidays. “But we lost many friends.”
The Venable Foundation, Racine said, has a history of supporting indigent communities where the firm has offices and clients. The foundation places a particular emphasis on education and food distribution programs, Racine said.
He said he was especially impressed with the amount raised by the firm because a substantial number of the donations came not just from lawyers but from staff members as well.
Of the commitments from other law firms to the relief effort, Racine said, “People opened up in a big way at a time of great need for the people of Haiti. It was overwhelming to see people who are better off financially are willing to show their generosity to fellow human beings when they are in great need.”
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