Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP Celebrates Philanthropic Efforts of Attorneys

What started as an internal communication highlighting one outstanding attorney a month at the Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP (SLK) law firm in Sarasota, turned into a firm-wide practice beginning in January of 2014. Sarasota SLK attorneys and staff launched a “Be INspired, Be INvolved” campaign last year to highlight philanthropic actions of one person each month.

The campaign was so well received that it has spread to the firm’s other offices in Tampa, FL, Toledo and Columbus, OH and Charlotte, NC. “Our attorneys give back to the community in enormous ways, and we felt the need to recognize these efforts in some small way. We truly feel that corporate philanthropy is vital to our success as an organization, so it gives us great pleasure to support and highlight those who are giving back,” said Ben Hanan, managing partner for the Sarasota firm.

So far this year, Sarasota attorneys recognized include Cheryl Gordon and Daniel Strader.

Daniel Strader, who serves on the Diversity Committee of the Sarasota Bar Association, helped facilitate a partnership last month with Florida Studio Theatre in presenting “Thurgood,” a play focusing on the life and career of the late, great Justice Thurgood Marshall.  Shumaker served as Presenting Sponsor for the event, and the special performance resulted in proceeds of more than $13,000 that went directly towards the Sarasota County Bar Association Richard R. Garland Diversity Scholarship.

            “I have personally been involved as a member of the Diversity Committee since shortly after beginning with the Firm in September 2012, and I was selected as Committee Chair for the 2013-2014 term,” said Strader.  “The Committee also works closely with the Booker Law Academy in providing volunteers to speak with students about legal careers and various legal topics.  Last year I was humbled and proud that Shumaker graciously donated $1,500 to sponsor the mock court room at Booker,” he said.

Cheryl Gordon is currently Chair of the Board of the Sarasota Education Foundation, and has volunteered and served on the board since 2010. The Education Foundation of Sarasota County was founded in 1988 as an independent, not-for-profit organization working in partnership with Sarasota County Schools and the community.  Each year the Education Foundation awards more than a million dollars to initiatives that elevate our public schools to the top of Florida’s education system:  teacher classroom grants, fine arts programs, scholarships and mentorships, Literacy for Life, the Texcellence Computer Donation Program and Digital Learning Labs, Teacher of the Year, Academic Olympics and the Regional Science, Engineering and Technology Fair.

Founded in 1925, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is a full service business law firm with more than 225 attorneys practicing in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio; Tampa and Sarasota, Florida; and Charlotte, North Carolina.