On a stormy summer evening, attorneys, former clients and members of the LGBTQ community joined Outten & Golden to celebrate Pride Month and honour former O&G partner Carmelyn P. Malalis in her new role as Chair of the New York City Commission on Human Rights. While guests nibbled at hors d’oeurves, partner and LGBTQ Committee co-chair Katherine Blostein took the podium. With her committee co-chair Sally Abrahamson, O&G associate, Blostein explained the significance of the weather with a short story from the previous evening with her family.
“While driving home after the summer storm, we saw a rainbow over the Statue of Liberty. It was truly a brethataking sight. It made me think of my friend Carmelyn, who always has hope and faith, and has the power within her to change so many things for the better. There are two things that Carmelyn has that make her get up in the morning and do what she does: hope and faith. Hope that she can make a difference and faith that good will overcome evil.”
While accepting the award, Malalis responded, “Four months in, I can say that as much as it had been extremely difficult to leave the day-to-day of Outten & Golden, it has been utterly exciting to be able to bring There ideas and visionary things I think about from the leadership of this firm into the City and into city space. I oftentimes think of what it’s like to be a leader from the perspective of Wayne Outten’s leadership of this firm – the ideas of compassion and empathy and work ethic that I think filled this firm and continue to fill this firm. And as I think of rebuilding the commission, those are very much the ideas and the values that I seek to replicate.”
Blostein also conveyed the firm’s desire to honour her former colleague’s mission: “We are proud to say today that since Carmelyn’s departure, we are continuing in her footsteps of representing members of the community and taking on important and cutting edge issues that will continue to push the law forward” for LGBTQ employees.
