Volunteer Lawyers for Justice is pleased to announce Brian Yomtov, Esq. as its May Volunteer of the Month. Brian works as a Vice President, Corporate Counsel at Prudential Financial in the Technology and Enterprise Contracts Law group where his practice focuses on the drafting and negotiation of technology and service transaction agreements, including software licensing, cloud/hosting, outsourcing, and strategic consulting arrangements. Through Prudential, he has been volunteering with VLJ since 2012.
Initially, Brian volunteered at VLJ’s Consumer Law Clinic, assisting clients facing lawsuits, collections, or garnishment of wages. Inspired by his positive experiences at that clinic, he sought other pro bono service opportunities at Prudential, including becoming a member of the Prudential Law, Compliance, Business Ethics Pro Bono Committee, where he serves as a member since joining in 2014. This committee, which was established in 2010, offers Prudential employees opportunities to help the underserved in the community, receive work credit and recognition for their time, and advance their professional skills. In 2017, Brian and others on the committee worked with VLJ to launch the Prudential Bankruptcy Intake Clinic.
Bankruptcy has been a service area of VLJ since its inception and the demand for bankruptcy assistance only continues to grow. The Prudential Bankruptcy Intake Clinic helps to meet that need. At the clinic, volunteers sit down with clients to assess their financial situation and overall candidacy for filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If the volunteer determines that the client is a good candidate, the case is referred to VLJ’s Bankruptcy Program. The client is then paired with a volunteer attorney for full representation in their bankruptcy matter.
Reflecting on his role in transforming the Prudential Bankruptcy Intake Clinic from an idea into a reality, Brian remarks that “it has been an extremely rewarding experience both professionally and at the personal level. It’s afforded me a great opportunity to meet and collaborate with colleagues across my organization that my day-to-day work may not have brought me in touch with as closely.” Brian also continues to consistently volunteer at the clinic, observing that, “it makes you a better lawyer to step out of your day-to-day job, and it has the fantastic result of helping someone who could not afford legal services.”
VLJ is honored to recognize Brian as its May Volunteer of the Month for his dedication to pro bono work and volunteering countless hours to helping clients meet their bankruptcy needs.