For Release: Aug. 23, 2007
Contact: J. Tucker Martin or David Clementson
Email: tucker.martin@oag.state.va.us or dclementson@oag.state.va.us
Phone: 804-786-2071
McDonnell Awards ‘Attorney General’s Cup’ To McGuireWoods of Norfolk
Firm Wins First Statewide ‘Legal Food Frenzy’
-- Vandeventer Black, Regent University Also Receive Awards --
NORFOLK - Attorney General Bob McDonnell traveled to the Southeastern Virginia Foodbank in Norfolk today to award the “Attorney General’s Cup” to McGuireWoods LLP of Norfolk, in recognition of the firm’s victory in the First Statewide “Legal Food Frenzy.”
McGuireWoods of Norfolk collected the most pounds of food per capita of any law firm in the state, raising 1338 pounds of food per employee. The Attorney General also presented awards to two other local winning organizations. Norfolk law firm Vandeventer Black LLP won in the “Large Firm” category for most food collected per capita at 377.35 pounds per person. Regent University Law School won the “Law School Attorney General’s Cup” for collecting the most total pounds and pounds per capita by a Virginia law school.
“In just the first year of this statewide competition we raised enough food to provide more than 530,000 meals to the less fortunate in our Commonwealth,” Attorney General McDonnell said. “I am pleased by this result and by the incredible demonstration of generosity and compassion by the Virginia legal community. I congratulate McGuireWoods, Vandeventer Black, and Regent University for their accomplishments, and for their support of the Southeastern Virginia Foodbank. I hope this is the start of the Statewide 'Legal Food Frenzy' becoming a tradition in the Virginia legal community, and I look forward to next year’s event.”
John Padgett, managing partner of McGuireWoods, LLP in Norfolk, said, “The Norfolk office of McGuireWoods, LLP was proud to work with Attorney General Bob McDonnell and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia to address the needs of the hungry in our community. I am proud of every member of the Norfolk office of McGuireWoods, LLP who generously gave of their time and resources to ensure that the Foodbank can adequately serve our community.”
The First Statewide “Legal Food Frenzy” ran from April 2-13. One hundred sixty-nine law firms participated. The competition raised 679,000 pounds of food, greatly exceeding the target goal of 500,000 pounds.
To put it in perspective, the competition raised enough food to provide 121 Virginia families of four with three meals a day for an entire year.
The Virginia State Bar Association partnered with Federation of Virginia Food Banks and Attorney General Bob McDonnell for the statewide food/fund drive. The Attorney General specifically wishes to thank Katja Hill, Co-Chair of the “Legal Food Frenzy” Project of the Virginia Bar Association and a lawyer at LeClair Ryan in Richmond; Chris Gill, Co-Chair of the “Legal Food Frenzy” Project of the Virginia Bar Association and a lawyer at Christian & Barton in Richmond; and Matt Cheek, the Chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the Virginia Bar Association and a lawyer at Williams Mullen in Richmond, for their leadership in this effort. Finally, the Attorney General thanks the Norfolk- Portsmouth Bar Association for their leadership and vision in initiating the Hampton Roads “Legal Food Frenzy” in 1990, and for providing guidance for the first statewide effort this year.
Next year’s Statewide “Legal Food Frenzy” will run from March 31-April 11. An early goal of raising 1 million pounds of food has been established.
The winners, as announced on May 8 of this year, of the First Statewide “Legal Food Frenzy” are:
McGuireWoods- Norfolk. 1338 Pounds per person
Campbell Miller Zimmerman –Leesburg 15,364 Pounds
Stafford County Attorney’s Office Stafford 1,293.75 Pounds per person
McGuire Woods- Norfolk 42,824 Pounds
McGuire Woods- Norfolk 1338 Pounds per person
Hunton & Williams Richmond 68,912 Pounds
Vandeventer Black Norfolk 377.35 Pounds per person
Thomas A. Louthan Winchester, VA 480 Pounds
Regent University Law School -Virginia Beach- 4231 Pounds, 10.07 Pounds per person.
Every regional Food Bank in Virginia benefited from the competition. Totals for each region are as follows:
Food Bank Total Pounds
Blue Ridge Area Food Bank 32,273.60
Capital Area Food Bank (Northern VA) 37,428.56
Central Virginia Food Bank 299,231.80
Foodbank of Southeastern Virgina 261,398.48
Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula 5,363.50
Fredericksburg Area Food Bank 12,096.00
Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank 30,894.84
The Federation of Virginia Food Banks is a state association of food banks affiliated with America's Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network and is one of the largest hunger relief networks in the State. The Federation is composed of the 7 regional Virginia and Washington DC food banks, consisting of facilities in 14 strategic locations. The Federation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation created to support the food banks in providing food, funding, education, advocacy, and awareness services and programs throughout the Commonwealth.
