Helping Hand

Initiative

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” – John Bunyan

Our Pledge

Our Promises to
Those in Need

  • We see pro bono work as our responsibility as legal professionals
  • We will represent you just as fiercely as someone with means
  • We tie our pro bono work to our community and diversity work for maximum
    impact
  • We will make you feel empowered, represented, and that justice can be on your side

Track Record

Our Impact To Date

CMBG3’s years in existence

Pro bono matters taken on

Hours spent on pro bono representation thus far

Empowering You

Some examples of people and groups we have helped through pro bono work

Social justice initiatives

Human rights organizations

Small business owners

Criminal matters for indigent defendants

Property owners

Employees wrongfully terminated

Landlords and tenants

Real estate transactions

Latest News

Christine Calareso’s Pro Bono Work Lauded By Client

by | August 14, 2023 | Pro Bono | 0 Comments

Attorney Christine Calareso has for several years been assisting a non-profit by the name of Wondherful, Inc. with the company's trademark needs. The organization is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to saving the lives of those who are struggling with mental health...
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David Goldman Provides 20 Hours of Pro Bono Service

by | October 13, 2020 | News, Pro Bono | 0 Comments

Shareholder David Goldman recently completed 20 hours of a volunteer lawyer program created to assist the Rhode Island District Court in the adjudication of tenancy and eviction cases. As set out by Chief Judge Jeanne E. LaFazia, the program's goal is to provide...
Read More

Case Studies

Landlords Accused of Wrongdoing

CMBG3 represented an elderly couple that invested in a property years before their retirement, as their intent was to rent the property as their primary source of retirement income. In the midst of their retirement, tenants sued the couple alleging that the property violated habitability laws in Massachusetts. The couple came to us scared that their retirement would be completely spent on legal fees and a possible settlement in the case, and unsure how they would survive without any retirement funds.

We took the case at no cost to the elderly couple and fought back against the tenants’ claims as to the condition of the property. The fact that they could not afford an attorney made no difference to us – they were accused of wrongdoing and needed someone to fight on their behalf. We represented the couple in court hearings, negotiated with the tenants’ attorney, hired an expert to rebut some of the tenants’ claims, and the case was ultimately dismissed.

MassHealth Benefits Stripped Away

An elderly gentleman suffered serious medical setbacks, including a debilitating stroke, that caused him and his wife to need round the clock professional medical care in order to take care of his basic needs. During an annual MassHealth review, and for reasons unknown to the couple, a determination was made that the state would only provide half of the care that it previously provided to the couple. The couple was elderly and immigrated from another country, so they did not understand their rights or how to fight back to question the decision made by MassHealth. We represented the couple for free and appealed the decision made by MassHealth. We spoke on their behalf at the hearing on the issue and through our advocacy, the couple had their full benefits reinstated immediately.

Small Business Accused of Causing Harm

A small business owned by a recently widowed mother of two was sued in California for allegedly supplying a workout performance product that caused a person liver and kidney damage. The plaintiff, though, never bought the product from our client and there was no evidence that our client supplied the product to the location where the plaintiff purchased it. Our client found herself caught up in potentially expensive litigation simply due to the fact that she was in the stream of commerce for the product at issue. Without anyone to turn to and with no way to pay for her defense, she came to us to defend her, which we immediately agreed to do for free given the circumstances. Our California team litigated the case and was able to ensure that the Court dismissed the case against our client.

Testimonials

“Thank you so much for representing me in my time of need. I cried when you won my case, as I realized I would now have enough money to buy my children school supplies without worrying about trying to find a way to pay legal fees, a settlement, or a judgment against me! Thank you!”

– Pro Bono Client, a 30 year old recently widowed mother of two

“We cannot thank you enough. We had never been involved in litigation before and were terrified that the money we needed to make it through retirement would be gone forever. We could not afford to hire a lawyer and you helped us without hesitation at no cost. Thank you so very much!”

– Pro Bono Client, elderly couple sued by tenants who demanded over $50,000 in damages

John Gardella

John Gardella

Chair of Initiative

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