NEW YORK, NY, March 10, 2025 — The American Heart Association’s annual celebration, Counsel for a Cause, is on the horizon. The New York City campaign is a year-round initiative that raises awareness and funds that sustain scientific research and discovery and removes barriers to access and quality care.
“The Counsel for a Cause campaign brings together the American Heart Association and New York’s vast legal community, uniting its members in a shared mission to ensure that our country’s most vulnerable populations face as few barriers as possible to accessing health care and information to live healthy lives,” said Evan Clandorf, Managing Director, Legal & Compliance, Blackstone, Inc. and 2025 Counsel for a Cause co-chair. “It is an honor to work with the tremendous staff at the AHA and continue to grow this campaign.”
The local impact of the campaign is embodied by the 600,000 individuals who have received Hands-Only CPR education, those who now have access to self-monitoring blood pressure stations, and all New Yorkers who are benefiting from AHA-led policy and environmental change. Counsel for a Cause is not only an initiative that supports the Association’s efforts but empowers community members to advocate for their health.
“It is a privilege to co-chair Counsel for a Cause as we head into the Association’s second century of progress,” said Murray Goldfarb, Managing Partner, Real Estate, Brookfield and co-chair of the 2025 Counsel for a Cause campaign. “If we want to continue to save lives and create a more accessible future for all New Yorkers, it is critical that we keep our momentum in this movement.”
The Counsel for a Cause leadership team understands the importance of maintaining health, and this mission is a chance to engage with the community and help bridge the gap that exists between New Yorkers and their optimal health.
The 2025 Counsel for a Cause campaign is led by industry leaders from across New York City:
Evan Clandorf, Blackstone, Inc.
Murray Goldfarb, Brookfield
Tumi Adebiyi, Brookfield
Latrice Baptiste, Chapman and Cutler, LLP
Michael Carbone, JetBlue Airways Corporation
Eva Carman, Ropes and Gray LLP
Obi Chukwu, Better.com
Jessica Hopper, Edward Jones
Kelly Koscuiszka, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
Scott Lepene, ArentFox Schiff LLP
John Lewis, Makarora Management LP
Lori B. Marino, ITT Inc.
Laurinda Martins, Fried Frank
Christina von Poelnitz, The Carlyle Group
Suzie Scanlon Rabinowitz, SRD Legal Group
Howard Sidman, Jones Day
Stefanie Sundel, Apollo Global Management, Inc.
Alex Tolston, TEGNA, Inc.
Vlada Rebeiz, SDC Capital Partners
Melissa Wangenheim, EBay
Jeffrey Wild, Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP
Philip Wolf, Latham & Watkins LLP
The campaign will conclude with its annual celebration on May 1, 2025, at Current at Pier 59 (Chelsea Piers). The evening will include survivor stories, hors-d’oeuvres, music and more, to educate the legal industry on heart disease and stroke.
This year’s Counsel for a Cause campaign is sponsored by:
Gold Sponsors
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Benefactor Sponsors
ArentFox Schiff LLP
Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP
Brookfield
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
Goodwin Procter LLP
Jones Day
King & Spalding LLP
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
SRD Legal Group
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Thompson Hine LLP
For more information on how to support or attend Counsel for a Cause, visit www.heart.org/counselnyc or contact sydney.hoffman@heart.org.
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For media inquiries:
Mark Hurley; mark.hurley@heart.org; 917-445-0207
Ella Beames; ella.beames@heart.org; 502-551-1009