Larkin Hoffman is committed to serving the communities in which we work. One of the most rewarding services we provide our community is legal services to those of limited means. We encourage all legal personnel to provide pro bono services and consider these services to be part of our practice.
Larkin Hoffman was one of the first 14 firms to sign on to the voluntary Minnesota State Bar Association Pro Bono Standard. As a leader in our profession, we commit to providing 2% of the firm’s billable hours to assisting individuals and organizations dedicated to addressing the needs of persons with limited means.
The firm’s attorneys are active members of chambers of commerce and city councils, and serve on the boards of local universities, hospitals and museums. Our employees have consistently participated in organizations such as The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, the National MS Society, Bridging and the American Cancer Society. We do well by doing good, as this spirit of dedication and teamwork makes for a positive work environment and plays a vital role in successfully fulfilling the needs of thousands of clients. We are very proud of the community organizations we serve.
Recent Community Service Involvement
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Larkin Hoffman employees, friends and family members spent the day sorting and packing food to help fight hunger in Minnesota and throughout the upper Midwest.
The 33 volunteers helped pack 5,148 pounds of food at Second Harvest Heartland’s warehouse in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Their efforts will help stock local food shelves that feed children, working adults and seniors who don’t have enough to eat. In addition, several of the firm’s employees made financial donations to Second Harvest Heartland.
“Larkin Hoffman has always had a strong commitment to give back to our community,” said Tamara O’Neill Moreland, chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee. “We are grateful to be honoring Dr. King through service, which we believe is consistent with and furthers Dr. King’s vision.”
16th Annual Bedrace for Bridging
Four Larkin Hoffman employees, dressed as Wizard of Oz® characters, raced in Bridging Inc.’s 16th Annual Subway® Bed Race for Bridging event, where teams of four raced down a steep, snowy hill – despite sub-zero temperatures – on queen-sized mattresses, often dressed in themed costumes. Larkin Hoffman was a title sponsor for the event on March 1, 2014 and made it to the third round. Hundreds of teams participated in this year’s event, with proceeds benefiting Bridging Inc., a nonprofit organization located in Bloomington, Minnesota that donates furniture and household items to needy families. Bridging is the largest furniture bank in North America.
Larkin Hoffman COO named National MS Society Volunteer of the Year
Dick Knutson, Larkin Hoffman’s longtime chief operating officer, has been named the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s National Volunteer of the Year for his leadership, passion and commitment to advancing the movement to create a world free of MS and address the challenges of those affected by the disease. Dick accepted the organization’s most prestigious honor Friday, November 8, at the National MS Society Leadership Conference in Denver.Knutson has been a dedicated leader with the Society, contributing across all levels of the organization, including serving more than 17 years on the Upper Midwest Chapter Board of Trustees and on the National Board of Directors since 2008.
“Over the last two decades, Dick Knutson has been an invaluable leader in the movement to create a world free of MS — demonstrating profound dedication and passion and always keeping people with MS at the center of everything he does,” said Holly Anderson, president of the National MS Society, Upper Midwest Chapter. “He has made an indelible mark on the lives of families living with this disease and his extraordinary commitment is nothing short of inspiring.”
At the chapter level, Dick has filled many significant roles, including board chair, treasurer, governance committee chair and finance committee chair, and he currently serves on the executive, finance and audit committees. In addition to his service on the National Board of Directors, Dick serves on the national chapter relations, finance, and insurance committees. He provides on-the-ground support throughout the year at local events and programs and is a strong advocate for those touched by the disease. An ardent supporter of independent living, Dick played a critical role in the development of Minneapolis’s Kingsley Commons in 2007 — one of the nation's first apartment buildings designed to provide accessible, affordable housing to people with MS.
Larkin Hoffman has a long tradition of giving back to the community,” said Bill Griffith, president of the firm. “Dick has been a tireless advocate for the MS Society and has supported our efforts to organize giving campaigns, sponsorships and teams of employees, friends and clients to ride in the MS 150 Bike events.”
Larkin Hoffman Will “Rock the Red Kettle” with The Salvation Army at MOA
Larkin Hoffman will help The Salvation Army commence its 2013 bell-ringing season at the Mall of America this Saturday, November 9, as part of the city-wide Rock the Red Kettle kick-off event.
Nearly 100 Larkin Hoffman volunteers will staff eleven iconic red kettles located at the Mall of America entrances for 110 hours on Saturday. Last year, the Larkin Hoffman kettles at the Mall of America raised over $8,000 on opening day. The firm also provides direct financial support to The Salvation Army.
“Our attorneys and employees have been honored and privileged to have provided the gift of time and financial support to the Salvation Army since 1996” commented J. Patrick Plunkett, shareholder at Larkin Hoffman and member of The Salvation Army Advisory Board. “Our partnership and support helps The Salvation Army meet its vision and mission of DOING THE MOST GOOD! by feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and freeing people from addiction, without discrimination.”
The Salvation Army’s bell-ringing season will run through the evening of December 24, 2013. One two-hour shift at a red kettle can raise enough money to provide two nights of shelter and four warm meals for the men, women, and children who utilize The Salvation Army’s services. For more information about The Salvation Army and Rock the Red Kettle, click here.
Larkin Hoffman Sponsors Second Annual Laugh Out Loud Twin Cities Event
Larkin Hoffman Sponsors Annual Subway Bed Race for Bridging
Larkin Hoffman participated in the annual Subway Bed Race for Bridging on March 2, 2013. Four team members raced down a snowy hill on a "bed" to help support Bridging, a Bloomington-based charity which donates furniture and household items to families in transition.