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Latest News
MFY to Launch New Lower Manhattan Justice ProjectMFY’s Awards Breakfast Honors Pro Bono Partners in Justice
Adult Home Residents Win Victory in “Headhunter² Case”
In September 2006, MFY and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP filed suit in federal court on behalf of one former and three current elderly and mentally disabled adult home residents. The lawsuit alleged that they were exploited by Blossom Reyes, a ³headhunter² who receives fees for placing people in adult homes. The suit charged that in addition to pressuring people into inappropriate placements in exchange for money, Reyes and her associates also stole more than $40,000 from three of the resident plaintiffs. Three of the four plaintiffs reside at the New South Shore Manor Adult Home, which the suit charges actively participated in the scheme to steal residents¹ funds.
MFY and Patterson settled this lawsuit for monetary damages and injunctive relief in October 2007. Each of the four plaintiffs received a significant amount of money, and the defendants have agreed to comply with extensive injunctive relief. New South Shore Home for Adults has agreed to stop paying placement fees to people who identify individuals for placement at the home. Blossom Reyes, Gabriel Reyes and Healthease Ltd. have agreed to forever cease operating or providing services of any type in New York State to people with any mental or psychiatric disabilities. The vast majority of the monetary settlement has been placed in a special needs trust for the plaintiffs so that they can use the monetary settlement to pay for expenses that are not covered by government benefits. The plaintiffs have expressed excitement about being able to purchase warm clothes, to buy formal clothes for religious events, and to travel. We are continuing to provide information to the Office of the New York State Attorney General in support of its investigation into whether criminal charges should be filed against Ms. Reyes.
See MFY Lawsuit Exposes Headhunting Racket In Adult Home Industry
MFY’s Awards Breakfast Honors Pro Bono Partners in Justice
MFY’s Champion of Justice Award was presented to Hon. Rosie Mendez, a member of the New York City Council, for her leadership in working to expand public support for free legal services to low-income New Yorkers.
MFY’s Matthew G. Leonard Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Achievement was presented to William C. Silverman, Pro Bono Coordinator at Greenberg Traurig LLP, for his efforts to help launch the Pro Bono Kinship Caregiver Law Project.
In addition, Pro Bono Partner in Justice Awards were presented to over 200 attorneys, paralegals and legal assistants who helped MFY¹s by serving as Guardians ad Litem in our Mental Health Law Project, who served as counsel or co-counsel for individual clients in our housing, kinship care, senior, and workplace justice units, who served on legal teams handling class action and impact litigation for our Adult Home Advocacy Project, and who conducted research and gathered data for MFY¹s report on small claims court. Click here for MFY’s Partners in Justice Honor Roll.
Click here for the MFY News Archive.