Farella Braun + Martel Managing Partner Brian Donnelly’s message to the firm honoring Memorial Day and statement in support of our Jewish colleagues, clients, and communities.

Memorial Day is a time to pay tribute to the fallen. Memorial Day is a time to pause and reflect and honor those who died serving our country. In other words, the purpose of Memorial Day is to memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I am humbled and honored by all of those amazing men and women who gave their lives for our country.

Those who died serving our country were patriots – they loved the United States and were ready to boldly support and defend it.

While there are deep divisions in our country at this time, I still think (or at least I keep hoping) that the vast majority of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, are patriots. To most of us, patriotism means inclusive love of family, friends, community, and country – in all of its diversity and messiness – without hatred of the “other.” However, at the same time as we honor our fallen veterans, I think this is the perfect time to also condemn those who espouse a debased vision of national greatness, one that celebrates racism, nativism, sexism, and go-it-alone nationalism.

Recently, we have seen an alarming number of “groups” (both domestic and foreign) who have been shunned, harassed, scapegoated, blamed, attacked, and even killed.

During the past few months, there has been an alarming escalation of antisemitic violence in the United States, particularly in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and New York. As we have done over the past year in connection with increasing violence against the Black and AAPI communities, we condemn in the strongest possible terms these disturbing attacks.

As a law firm, we have a special obligation to speak up against injustice and all attacks targeting groups based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin. We will not be silent. Farella Braun + Martel is committed to combating racism and bias in all of its forms. We stand in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, clients, and communities. Farella is proud of our longstanding partnership and support of the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee of San Francisco.

As we celebrate Memorial Day and honor all of those amazing men and women who gave their lives for our country, let us all celebrate a patriotism that is an inclusive love of family, friends, community, and country – in all of its diversity and messiness – without hatred of the “other.”

Brian P. Donnelly
Managing Partner, Farella Braun + Martel