Legal Services of the Hudson Valley Honors Kasowitz Attorneys as 2026 Distinguished Pro Bono Partners

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), a legal services organization that provides free civil legal services to low-income individuals in the Hudson Valley area, has honored two teams of Kasowitz attorneys as 2026 Distinguished Pro Bono Partners in recognition of the firm’s success and commitment to providing pro bono services to LSHV clients in the past year.

• Kasowitz partner Christian T. Becker and associates Brittany F. Alzfan, Melissa M. Capalbo and Erin Ringel, were recognized for securing a significant victory on behalf of a client who was at risk of having her two minor grandchildren forced to return to their home country where they had previously been subjected to abuse and neglect by their parents.  In July 2025, the SDNY issued a decision denying a petition for the return of the children under the Hague Convention, finding that the grandmother had successfully met her burden of proof to apply exceptions applicable when children are well-settled, where there is grave risk, and based on a child’s age and maturity.  This important decision developed the law for Hague Convention matters, specifically in the context of sibling relationships in such cases and will be instrumental in future Hague Convention litigation involving child abuse.
  
  
• Kasowitz partner David J. Abrams, Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee, and associate Jillian R. Roffer, were recognized for securing a significant appellate victory on behalf of an elderly client who had previously been denied disability benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to his military service during the Vietnam War.  In January 2026, the Board of Veterans Appeals reversed the ruling below and issued a decision in the client’s favor, finding a service connection based on his presumed exposure to Agent Orange while on temporary service duty in Vietnam.

The awards ceremony was held at LSHV’s annual Business Professionals Networking Social on May 6, 2026, in White Plains, NY.

Founded in 1967, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV) is the only provider of free, comprehensive civil legal services in seven counties across the Lower and Mid-Hudson Valley: Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, and Ulster.  LSHV’s mission is to ensure access to high-quality civil legal representation for low-income individuals and families and other vulnerable community members who would otherwise face legal challenges alone.  LSHV addresses critical civil legal needs, including housing stability and eviction prevention, domestic violence and family safety, healthcare access, children’s law and advocacy, disability and public benefits, elder law, consumer protection, and more.  In 2025, LSHV handled more than 12,000 cases and positively impacted over 27,000 individuals across all practice areas.

Kasowitz’s core focus is commercial litigation of all types, complemented by exceptionally strong bankruptcy/restructuring and real estate transactional practices.  We are known for our creative, aggressive litigators and willingness to take on tough cases.  Kasowitz recognizes pro bono work as an integral part of our practice, and we encourage our attorneys at all levels to handle pro bono and other public service matters by representing disadvantaged individuals and nonprofit organizations unable to afford high quality legal counsel.  We represent clients in a wide variety of pro bono matters, with a particular emphasis on immigration, disability rights and gender violence-related issues.  In addition to representing pro bono clients, Kasowitz attorneys serve on the Boards of and are involved in advising numerous community, religious, charitable and other nonprofit organizations.  Learn more about Kasowitz’s Pro Bono Program.