Firm

Community

Since our inception over 60 years ago, Farella Braun + Martel has participated actively in our local communities. The founding partners led by example and remain well known for their extensive contributions to the bar and non-profit organizations. This commitment continues unabated today.

Community success requires involvement with and sponsorship of organizations that do good for others. As a firm, we sponsor, through direct financial contributions, organizations ranging from legal service providers to entities involved with education, the environment and the arts. 

Annual firmwide community service activities include:

  • Rebuilding Together San Francisco – In the fall, Farella attorneys, staff, family and friends come together to perform some much needed renovations to low income family homes, schools and nonprofit centers.
  • Head Start Holiday Gift Program – Each year the firm “adopts” a classroom and individuals purchase, wrap and deliver gifts to kids in need who may not otherwise enjoy a gift for the holidays.
  • Bar Association of San Francisco’s Food from the Bar Campaign – Every year our Food from the Bar committee of attorneys and staff creates fun activities within the firm that provide financial and other support for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.
  • One Warm Coat –This organization provides coats for individuals and families that could not otherwise afford a coat for the winter; the firm’s work with this group is led each year by one of the firm’s dedicated and passionate legal secretaries.
  • TutorMate Online Literacy Program – For several years, Farella lawyers and staff have participated in Innovations for Learning's “30 minutes per week” TutorMate™ online reading program for first graders in Oakland Public Schools.

We dedicated our 50th Anniversary in 2012 to giving back to the community. The year-long program included $500,000 in direct gifts and a volunteer challenge to our attorneys and staff. By year end, more than 5,000 hours were volunteered at more than 75 non-profit organizations.

Group of people with Rebuilding Together
Sponsoring Rebuilding Together San Francisco projects for over 20 years.
People packing food at a foodbank
San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
Woman Tutoring Children
TutorMate Online Literacy Program meet the kids day.
Gifts for Head Start Program
Head Start Holiday Gift Program

Firm Highlights

Event

AI and Privacy: What Every Company Needs To Do Today

Sushila Chanana and Benjamin Buchwalter will present "AI and Privacy: What Every Company Needs To Do Today" at the ACC 2024 Privacy Summit.  The session will introduce the basics of AI governance, such as ownership...

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News

EPA Designates PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substances

Don Sobelman provided expert commentary in the  Chemical & Engineering News article "EPA Designates PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substances." Excerpt from the article: Lawyers are warning anyone purchasing an industrial site where PFOA...

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Publication

A New Overtime Threshold Takes Effect in Mere Weeks: HR Should Assess Its Impact Now

On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its final rule increasing the minimum pay requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for various exempt “white-collar” employee categories beginning on...

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Event

21st Annual Stanford Digital Economy Best Practices Conference

Erik Olson is speaking at the 21st Annual Stanford Digital Economy Best Practices Conference for the session "Track A: Content Moderation." To register for the event, please click  here .

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Publication

REFRESH: Loot and Private Foundation Rules – Part 1

Welcome to  EO Radio Show - Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . In this episode, I'm happy to refresh  EO Radio Show  episode 21, the first of our two episodes exploring private foundation rules using the...

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News

Farella Awards 2024 Diversity Scholarships to Bay Area Law Students

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News

Burdened by Debt, Savvy SF Office Owners Get Creative

Restructuring, insolvency, and creditors rights partner Gary Kaplan provided expert commentary in The San Francisco Standard article, "Burdened by Debt, Savvy SF Office Owners Get Creative." In the article, Gary explained that in most cases...

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Publication

Navigating California Wage Statement Penalties After Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc.

On May 6, 2024, the California Supreme Court, in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc. , clarified that an employer is not liable for statutory penalties for inaccurate wage statements when it had a...

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News

Farella Braun + Martel Earns San Francisco Green Business Recertification

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Publication

No Three-Year Bar on Copyright Damages (For Now): SCOTUS issues opinions in Warner Chappell Music, Inc. et al. v. Sherman Nealy et al.

In a 6-3 majority decision in Warner Chappell Music, Inc. et al. v. Sherman Nealy et al. , the Supreme Court held that the Copyright Act entitles a copyright owner to recover damages for any...

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