Winston and Partners Expand Free COVID-19 Legal Services with New ‘L.A. Represents’ Pro Bono Initiative

Winston & Strawn, in partnership with Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Attorney Mike Feuer, and a coalition of law firms, bar associations, and legal aid organizations, recently announced the launch of L.A. Represents. This new pro bono initiative offers a sweeping array of free legal services to Los Angeles residents and small businesses struggling to survive the effects of COVID-19.

Aid for Individuals

The core of L.A. Represents’ mission is to help vulnerable people get the representation they need and deserve. This includes assisting unprotected tenants, victims of domestic violence, and low-income Angelenos with a wide range of issues including employment, consumer debt, and bankruptcy matters.

“Our message is clear: If you are struggling, we are here for you,” said City Attorney Feuer. “Los Angeles’s legal community is full of experienced, dedicated lawyers eager to make a difference for those in need. This crisis has taken an enormous toll on our city, but it has also brought out the best in us. The lawyers and law firms of L.A. Represents will be heroes to their new clients. All Angelenos can be very proud of them.”

Representing Small Businesses

L.A.’s economy, culture, and identity are largely rooted in the multitude of small businesses spread throughout the city’s sprawling landscape. The L.A. Represents initiative acts as a support system for those businesses struggling to survive the pandemic.

With our help, organizations that wouldn’t otherwise have access to legal assistance now have an invaluable set of resources as they confront new workplace regulations. A few of those hurdles include renegotiating commercial leases, applying for government relief programs, and navigating compliance with emergency health and safety orders.

“The COVID-19 crisis is putting people in some of the most painful, difficult, and complex situations they have ever experienced—and legal assistance can mean the difference between ruin and recovery,” said Mayor Garcetti. “L.A. Represents will get urgent help to Angelenos who may not be able to afford the advocacy they need at a critical time in their lives.”

View all of our COVID-19 perspectives here. Contact a member of our COVID-19 Legal Task Force here.