Family Equality Council Honors Bryan Cave Attorney, LGBTQ Advocate Hibsher March 31, 2015 New York Senior Counsel William Hibsher will be Related Attorney(s) honored with the Hostetter-Habib Family Award by Family Equality Council, Bryan Cave’s signature pro bono client, at its 10th Annual Night at the Pier event. William J. Hibsher Hibsher will join lesbian, gay, bisexual, Senior Counsel New York transgender and queer (LGBTQ) parents, allies and [email protected] other honorees May 11 for an evening of live performances and appearances by public figures in art, entertainment, politics and the LGBTQ movement. The event will take place in New York City. Hibsher has been a leader and legal mentor in the LGBTQ community for more than 30 years. He has served on the boards of organizations such as the Hetrick-Martin Institute and Congregation Beit Simchat Torah. A longtime advocate for change, Hibsher won the nation’s first AIDS discrimination case in 1983 and fought in federal court to preserve the right to conduct the annual Gay Pride Parade in New York City. Page 1 of 3 Hibsher organized Bryan Cave’s efforts to create Family Equality Council’s 2013 Voices of Children amicus brief, to which Justice Anthony Kennedy referred during oral arguments before the Supreme Court on California’s Proposition 8. Bryan Cave’s attorneys have drafted 17 subsequent Voices of Children amicus briefs submitted in marriage cases across the country, including the most recent brief submitted March 6 to the Supreme Court. “My colleagues at Bryan Cave and I feel privileged to do this life-changing, historic marriage equality work with Family Equality Council, and I am personally humbled to receive the Hostetter-Habib Family Award,” Hibsher said. In addition, Hibsher and other Bryan Cave lawyers have done pro bono work for Lambda Legal, the NYC AIDS Memorial Park, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Immigration Equality, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and other LGBTQ organizations. Hibsher also serves as vice president of the board of Public Health Solutions, which is dedicated to providing women and children’s care and HIV treatment and prevention, as well as other public health initiatives. “Bill’s unending generosity and tireless advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community – and our children – make him a trailblazer,” said Emily Hecht- McGowan, director of public policy at Family Equality Council. “He’s not only been an instrumental force on myriad LGBTQ-related matters in New York and beyond, but he has inspired a new generation of lawyers to seek out and engage in meaningful pro bono work. He has built a legacy at Bryan Cave that will benefit the LGBTQ community for decades to come. It’s time to shine a spotlight on him.” Lee Daniels, the Oscar-nominated writer-director-producer behind the 2009 film Preciousand the executive producer and creator of 2015’s new show Empire, also will be honored at the event. Daniels is a gay father of two. Page 2 of 3 Family Equality Council connects, supports and represents the 3 million parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer in this country today and their 6 million children. The organization is committed to changing attitudes and policies to ensure that all families are respected, loved and celebrated – including families with parents who are LGBTQ. Click here to learn more about Family Equality Council and to purchase tickets for the event. This document provides a general summary and is for information/educational purposes only. It is not intended to be comprehensive, nor does it constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should always be sought before taking or refraining from taking any action. Page 3 of 3.