Sharon Pinkenson, Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, to Present Keynote Speech at the Annual Meeting of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division, March 31

PHILADELPHIA, March 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On March 31, hear from the woman who has helped bring more than 200 film, television and video productions to the City of Philadelphia. Sharon Pinkenson, Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, will share her inside knowledge of the film industry and discuss new projects slated for the city at the Annual Meeting of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division (YLD), to be held at Table 31 in the Comcast Center, 1701 JFK Boulevard, at 12 p.m.

The event also features remarks from the 2010 Chair of the YLD, Albertine DuFrayne of Petrelli Law, P.C., and the presentation of three annual YLD community service awards to Lloyd Freeman from Archer & Greiner, P.C., Djung Tran from Smith & McMaster, P.C., and Ace Reporters, Inc.

Pinkenson has served as the Greater Philadelphia Film Office's Executive Director since 1992. Among her responsibilities is marketing the City of Philadelphia and its surroundings to the film, video, and television industry. The Greater Philadelphia Film Office also coordinates day-to-day production and location details, ensures the hiring of local cast and crew while directing local goods and services to productions, and develops financial incentives while enhancing the region's reputation internationally. Pinkenson also publishes the "Greater Philadelphia Film & Video Guide" and the popular website www.film.org, as well as advocates for the growth of Philadelphia's indigenous film community through the Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers program.

In 2004, Pinkenson's tenacity resulted in the passage of the $75 million Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit program that caught the attention of the entire film industry. As a result, a surge of new production business took place throughout the state, resulting in 2000 new jobs and $500 million for the regional economy in 2009 alone according to the Greater Philadelphia Film Office.

Highlights of Pinkenson's credits include the films "Philadelphia," "12 Monkeys", "Beloved," "The Sixth Sense," "Signs," "Invincible," "Rock Balboa," and "The Lovely Bones," and the television series "Cold Case," "Hack" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

Lloyd Freeman, an associate at the law firm of Archer & Greiner, P.C., will be awarded the Craig M. Perry Award, presented annually to a young lawyer who has devoted substantial time and energy to community-oriented activities. Freeman concentrates his practice in commercial litigation and began volunteering his legal skills while a student at Rutgers University School of Law, where he participated in three pro bono clinics and spent a year teaching constitutional law to high school students in Camden, N.J. He currently volunteers as a guest lecturer for Camden County Technical High School on topics such as business life skills and career exploration and, through the Burlington Camden Kappa Foundation, chairs a program for high school males that trains them in etiquette, fiscal responsibility and college preparation. In 2008, Freeman received the Young Urban Leader Award given by the Urban League of Philadelphia and, in 2007, the Rutgers Law School Mary Philbrook Student Public Interest Award.

Djung Tran, an associate at the Newton, Pa. law firm of Smith & McMaster, P.C., will be awarded the F. Sean Peretta Service Award, presented annually to an individual who has devoted substantial time to an innovative or non-traditional program that serves the community. Tran concentrates her practice on municipal representation, including land use and development. She has worked in family law, including protection from abuse cases, and immigration representation with the legal assistance program of A Woman's Place, a Bucks County nonprofit organization that provides assistance to victims and survivors of domestic violence. Tran is also the editor of the Bucks County Law Reporter, a member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania, where she takes part in community outreach activities and young lawyer programs, and is a member of the Philadelphia School District's Task Force on Racial and Cultural Harmony.

Ace Reporters, Inc., a full service court reporting agency, will be awarded the Young Lawyers Division Vision Award, presented annually to an organization that has provided outstanding support to the YLD in the fulfillment of its mission.

The cost of the YLD Annual Meeting is $35 for Philadelphia Bar Association members and $50 for non-members. Visit www.philadelphiabar.org to register.

SOURCE Philadelphia Bar Association