Committed to community
We are a leader in giving back to the communities where our lawyers live and work. This unwavering commitment to civic and charitable involvement is ingrained in our culture, whether we work in one of our US locations or one of our offices abroad.
Whether it is Habitat for Humanity, The Guggenheim Museum in New York, the American Cancer Society or the Anti-Defamation League, we demonstrate our commitment to the community through our support of a number of nonprofit organizations.
The arts
Both in our domestic locations and abroad, we provide sponsorship of and leadership for nearly all the arts, including—to provide a short list—the Houston Grand Opera, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York, The DoSeum children’s museum in San Antonio, Dallas Summer Musicals and Ballet Austin, as well as for exhibitions, student art programs and public television.
The less fortunate
Our commitment to giving back to the community is especially evidenced in our efforts to support organizations that help the sick and disadvantaged. Many of our lawyers volunteer and/or donate money to scores of worthy organizations. The list of these organizations and causes is long, but includes: local food pantries, beach clean-up projects, the March of Dimes and other walkathons, clothing drives, the American Red Cross, Project Hope, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The Door in New York and the United Way.
We responded to the 9-11 World Trade Center tragedy, the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the tsunami in Japan in 2011, Hurricane Harvey in 2018 and other tragedies and disasters by making substantial gifts to a foundation we created to provide victim assistance funds. Additionally, our lawyers provided legal assistance on a pro bono basis to victims of these disasters.
Community development
We work hard to be good citizens and make our communities better places in which to live, donating money and time to community development efforts. Organizations and causes that we have supported include park programs, chambers of commerce, economic development initiatives, historical preservation projects, business education and promotion of entrepreneurship. For instance, our lawyers and staff support Avenue CDC, which develops affordable housing for first-time home owners. For many years, we also have been an active supporter of groups that combat discrimination, including the NAACP.
Education
Through adopt-a-school and mentoring programs, we reach out to students of all ages. We participate in Communities in Schools, an internship program for high school students at Norton Rose Fulbright. We are also a sponsor of Junior Achievement, The Trevor Project the Council of Mexican American Administrators, the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA.
Healthcare
We have been integrally involved with the largest medical complex in the world, the Texas Medical Center in Houston, since its founding in 1934. In fact, streets in the Medical Center are named after two of our founding lawyers, Col. W.B. Bates and John Freeman. For a number of years, our lawyers have provided legal representation and served on the boards of some of the country’s most prestigious healthcare institutions.
Leadership
Our tradition of providing bar and civic leadership goes back to our founding lawyers. Our lawyers have served as presidents of bar associations at local, state and national levels – a record of leadership that few firms can match. In addition, our lawyers have a legacy of serving as officers and board members of nonprofit hospitals, charitable foundations and universities.