McGuireWoods LLP donated more food than any other law firm in Virginia for the Third Annual “Legal Food Frenzy” during the statewide food drive competition for Virginia’s legal community.
McGuireWoods Chairman Richard Cullen challenged the firm’s four Virginia offices to donate at least 300,000 pounds. McGuireWoods collectively turned in 306,107 pounds. In recognition of McGuireWoods’ achievement, the law firm was awarded the “Smithfield Ham Award” for raising the most pounds of food overall by the organizers of the event.
The Statewide Legal Food Frenzy, a food and fund drive among Virginia’s law firms, is organized by the Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. Attorney General Bill Mims challenged Virginia’s legal community to raise 1.5 million pounds of food. At final count, law firms across the Commonwealth raised 1.65 million pounds of food for thousands of men, women, and children in Virginia.
Derek Swanson, a lawyer in McGuireWoods’ Richmond office, led McGuireWoods’ food drive. He serves on the board of directors for the Federation of Virginia Food Banks. Lawyers and staff from the firm’s offices in Charlottesville, Norfolk, Richmond and Tyson’s Corner donated both food and money. Swanson also assisted Eric Finkbeiner, Senior Vice President and Director of Government Relations, McGuireWoods Consulting, to successfully lobby the Virginia General Assembly for $1 million in state funding for Virginia’s food banks. Additionally, Swanson promoted the concept of the Legal Food Frenzy to other states across the country, and has helped Indiana, North Carolina, Nebraska and Florida start similar statewide competitions this year.