NYC Bar Association Launches Civic Education Task Force

 Based in New York City, Dyan Gershman is a longtime corporate attorney whose expertise includes complex commercial contracts and intellectual property licensing. Active in her local legal community, Dyan Gershman is a member of the NYC Bar Association and supports associated programs, such as the Civic Education Task Force.

Launched in November 2022, the task force provides the public with resources to better understand how the government serves them at the federal, state, and local levels. This involves bringing together participants from law firms of every type and size, as well as from public agencies, law schools, nonprofits, and the state and federal courts.

The main focus is on giving legal professionals and judges a forum for fostering civil discourse in ways that are meaningful to individuals and communities with urgent concerns. In addition to combatting disinformation, task force members strive to generate more civic engagement and election participation at a time of eroding trust in institutions.

Vance Center’s Ukraine Project Focuses on Pro Bono Legal Support

 Based in New York City, Dyan Gershman is a longtime business attorney who guides Gershman Law, PLLC, where she delivers representation in areas such as joint ventures, technology licensing, and mergers and acquisitions. Dyan Gershman maintains an active presence with the New York City Bar Association and its nonprofit, the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice.

One Vance Center initiative launched in 2022 was the Ukraine Project, which focuses on a conflict that has brought about wide-ranging human rights abuses and disrupted the political, economic, and legal structure of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. The threefold mission of the project consists of research, public engagement, and pro bono representation in important cases.

To date, Ukraine Project panelists have met to discuss frameworks for looking into and prosecuting atrocity crimes, as well as developing pathways for funding reconstruction. Through public discussion, the foundation is being laid for ultimate accountability in a situation that has created thousands of victims with no ready way of redress. In tandem with partner organizations, Ukraine Project researchers are documenting findings and publishing them as white papers and in journals.

The pro bono aspect of the equation centers on co-counseling with legal firms around the world and bolstering Ukrainian civil society through sound advice. This assistance includes working with a variety of NGOs in assessing where institutional and humanitarian needs are the greatest.

The NYC Migrant Youth Initiative of the City Bar Justice Center

 New York City-based lawyer Dyan Gershman serves as the managing partner of Gershman Law, PLLC. At the corporate law practice, she leverages over two decades of legal experience to assist both domestic and international clients with such matters as corporate governance, intellectual property and technology licensing, commercial contracts and joint ventures. Active in the professional community, Dyan Gershman belongs to the New York City Bar Association, which oversees the City Bar Justice Center. This division mobilizes law firms and other legal institutions to address civil legal needs in New York City.

In October 2022, the City Bar Justice Center launched a NYC Migrant Youth Initiative through its Immigrant Justice Project. Launched in partnership with Covenant House New York, the NYC Migrant Youth Initiative addresses the legal needs of hundreds of people fleeing violence in their home country, primarily across the US-Mexico border. These people, which include both families and unaccompanied youth, get immediate help with clothing, shelter, and food, along with long-term legal assistance. The NYC Migrant Youth Initiative is one of many new initiatives that respond to public officials’ request for assistance in meeting these needs.

The partnership between the Immigrant Justice Project and Covenant House New York addresses both the short and long-term needs of migrant populations in New York City. Covenant House already provides clothing, food, safety, and healthcare to individuals experiencing trafficking and homelessness. The NYC Migrant Youth Initiative ensures migrant youth also have access to this care from Covenant House.

Meanwhile, the City Bar Justice Center’s Immigrant Justice Project provides free information and advice regarding immigration law to migrant youth through this new initiative. Pro Bono attorneys host virtual clinics and presentations that provide migrant populations with valuable legal information that aid them in pursuing permanent residency status.

Foreign Entity Registration When Operating across State Lines

 Dyan Gershman is a New York City attorney who guides Gershman Law PLLC and delivers a host of corporate law services aimed at a domestic and international clientele. Experienced in commercial contracts, Dyan Gershman has knowledge of business formation in new jurisdictions, including doing business in a state in which one does not have a previous business presence.

The state in which the company is established known as the domestic or home state. Being registered in a state grants specific protections, such as the right of representing oneself and related business interests in cases that arise within the jurisdiction.

Foreign entity registration confers similar privileges and is done when one plans to conduct business within another state. Common cases include selling items to consumers in a state, as well as facility expansion and hiring within a new state. This is distinct from incorporation and corporate organization protocol, which are limited to operations in one state.

When moving operations into a new state it makes sense to consult closely with an attorney, as not every business dealing out of state needs foreign entity registration. In general, isolated transactions across state lines, or selling to consumers in another state while operating all aspects of business within the home state, may not automatically trigger such a legal filing requirement.