Goodwin Procter Pro Bono Team Helps Jumo Reinvent Support for Social Causes

BOSTON, Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A multi-disciplinary pro bono team from Goodwin Procter LLP, a national Am Law 50 firm, played a key role in providing corporate and legal infrastructure support for the recent successful launch of Jumo, a new social network connecting individuals and organizations working for global change.  Jumo (a West African word meaning "to come together") is the brainchild of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and helps everyday people find, follow and support those working to improve the lives of others in communities across the U.S. and around the globe.

When Hughes joined Goodwin Procter client General Catalyst Partners as an entrepreneur-in-residence, following his online organizing work on the Obama campaign team, he was seeking new business opportunities that leveraged social media tools to do good on a global basis.  When Jumo needed help with start-up issues, a team of Goodwin attorneys rose to the pro bono challenge.

"Goodwin Procter has provided Jumo with invaluable support and a dedicated team of individuals, instrumental in the start-up process," said Hughes.

Goodwin's work with Jumo began in late 2009.  Attorneys and professional staff members have provided a wide variety of legal assistance to Jumo, including advising on patent and trademark applications, confidentiality agreements and grant agreements; reviewing terms of use and privacy policies; preparing the trademark application for the Jumo logo design; researching regulatory and international banking issues and website review.

Most importantly, perhaps, was pro bono work to ensure that an innovative venture such as Jumo was properly structured to qualify and operate as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, meeting IRS and New York State guidelines.

"Working with Chris and his energetic team has been extremely rewarding," said David Cappillo, partner at Goodwin.  "Jumo's focus on changing the game for the nonprofit industry in terms of communication and collaboration is truly inspiring."

Jumo debuted with considerable fanfare and press coverage from outlets including The New York Times and CNN.  Organizations or groups with a charitable mission - from neighborhood soup kitchens to health clinics in India - can establish a social media presence by creating a profile page on Jumo.  Organizations are allowed to accept donations via Jumo, but must be certified as tax-exempt in order to do so.

The site also simplifies connections for members of the general public looking for charitable causes to support.  By following any given organization or issue of interest, users can receive updated news about the cause and the organization's work, as well as information on how to help.  Users can also add their own feedback and comments, and, through a Facebook tie-in, find Facebook friends and follow their organizations of interest.

About Goodwin Procter

Goodwin Procter LLP is one of the nation's leading law firms with offices in Boston, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C.  The firm's core areas of practice are corporate, litigation and real estate, with specialized areas of focus that include financial services, private equity, technology, REITs and real estate capital markets, intellectual property, products liability and mass torts.  Information may be found at www.goodwinprocter.com.

SOURCE Goodwin Procter LLP