Awards & Rankings
Awards & Rankings
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Olivia Thomas
06.23.16
Pillsbury and litigation partner David Keyko were honored by MFY Legal Services at the not-for-profit organization’s annual theatre benefit on June 15. The award was presented in recognition of the outstanding leadership both firm and individual have demonstrated in protecting the rights of people with disabilities.
Keyko has maintained a strong relationship with MFY for many years, having spent the past two decades as a member of its board of directors (including a stint as board chair). Pillsbury has been a staunch supporter of the organization throughout that time, dedicating significant pro bono resources to MFY’s honorable cause.
”Working with MFY’s attorneys and staff has been a very rewarding experience. I am pleased to have been able to participate with MFY in improving the lives of less fortunate New Yorkers,” David Keyko said.
The firm’s most recent pro bono success working with MFY was an important class action lawsuit settlement in a case against New York City Transit. The NYCT suit challenged the constitutionality of the procedures used by Access-A-Ride—the City’s paratransit service for people with disabilities—to decide to whom to provide those services. The agreed-to settlement terms, reached in May, require NYCT to provide specific information regarding why an applicant is denied Access-A-Ride service; to share applicant files for free within 30 days of a request; and, for those losing Access-A-Ride services, to continue provision of those services until administrative appeals are decided (including transportation to in-person appeal hearings).
“The U.S. Constitution and state and federal law require New York City Transit to tell applicants and those recertifying eligibility why they are being denied services or receiving reduced services,” said Pillsbury senior associate Jay D. Dealy, who played a critical role in the case, when the settlement was announced. “This settlement will redress these, and other, due process violations.”
MFY was founded on the principle of equal access to justice through community-based legal representation of poor New Yorkers. It provides free legal assistance to residents of New York City on a wide range of civil legal issues, prioritizing services to vulnerable and under-served populations, while simultaneously working to end the root causes of inequities through impact litigation, law reform and policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.mfy.org.