Gibbons Announces Pro Bono Partnership With the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey

Gibbons P.C. would like to announce the firm’s newest pro bono effort, the AACCNJ Pro Bono Alliance (“the Alliance”), a partnership with the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ) to support small businesses in the state of New Jersey.

Building on recent successful joint efforts between the Gibbons Diversity Initiative and the Gibbons Pro Bono Program, we are excited to once again combine forces to provide additional opportunities for the firm’s attorneys to assist minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) through the provision of pro bono legal services. AACCNJ, a firm client and the leading statewide organization dedicated to effecting economic empowerment and free enterprise activity in New Jersey’s African American communities, worked with us to develop the Alliance, which directly supports certain AACCNJ member companies.

“Having professional legal services to assist small businesses with potential growth opportunities and to mitigate potential risk could substantially contribute to their growth and sustainability,” said John E. Harmon, Sr., IOM, Founder, President and CEO of the AACCNJ.

Through the Alliance, Gibbons attorneys across practice areas will be able to volunteer their time and talent to provide necessary legal counsel and advice for these small businesses to launch, sustain, calibrate, or advance their operations. Whether a company requires legal assistance with everyday tasks or with long-term strategies, Gibbons attorneys will be on hand, offering services in such areas as employment law, real estate, general corporate advice, intellectual property, cybersecurity, and various others.

The AACCNJ is dedicated to economically empowering and sustaining African-American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activities within the state of New Jersey and via interaction with the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. It serves 800+ members and has 10,000+ contacts in its database. Among its many goals, the AACCNJ seeks to enhance its ability to be a critical source of information, inspiration, knowledge, and resources for African-American businesses and communities throughout New Jersey.

The AACCNJ joins the top three percent of all chambers nationwide that are accredited by the United States Chamber of Commerce. It is the only accredited chamber in New Jersey and the only African-American chamber in the United States to hold this distinction.

The AACCNJ’s reach extends statewide and nationally via radio, television, and social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram). Its weekly radio show, Empowerment Hour, has more than 2,000 listeners. Its monthly television show, Pathway to Success, airs on NJTV and NJTVonline.org, garnering 1.6 million viewers, and on PBS.org, attracting an audience of more than 28 million viewers. The AACCNJ continually seeks to leverage its platform and resources to enhance the prosperity of New Jersey’s 1.2 million Black residents and 80,000 Black-owned businesses.