Seattle Business awarded Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson P.S. its top honor for Pro Bono Services last night during the magazine’s 2015 Community Impact Awards event. The Community Impact Awards honor Washington state businesses and organizations that have made tangible, measurable impacts on their communities. Those impacts might be the result of any number of activities, including job creation, workforce development programs, volunteer efforts, board service or innovative business models that promote social goals.
The Pro Bono award recognizes the work of HCMP’s Litigation team in representing the plaintiffs in the historically significant Ingersoll v. Arlene’s Flowers case. In February, the court found that the florist who refused to provide flowers for the wedding of Robert and Ingersoll and Curt Freed, a gay couple (in attendance at the awards event), had violated state anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws. HCMP Litigation practice chair Mike Scott, and attorneys Jake Ewart, Amit Ranade, and Michael Edwards, spent 1500+ hours working on the case on a pro bono basis, with full support of the firm.
The defendants have filed an appeal, and HCMP will continue its pro bono representation of Ingersoll and Freed through all stages of appeal. The case will almost certainly be heard by the Washington State Supreme Court, and it is likely that a petition for review will be filed with the United States Supreme Court.
Said Michael Scott, “Ingersoll v. Arlene’s Flowers has gained national attention as a leading case establishing civil rights protections for members of the LGBT community. It represents a new frontier in civil rights law in Washington State, establishing that LGBT couples have the right to be free from discrimination in all businesses and other places of public accommodation. We are honored by this recognition and remain committed to working to ensure our clients prevail in the future.”
More information can be found in the November issue of Seattle Business.