Holdsworth & Inkwell has launched a Pro Bono Wildfire Recovery Initiative to provide legal assistance to individual claimants navigating the federal compensation frameworks for federally caused wildfires. The initiative builds on the firm's extensive federal wildfire compensation practice, including the firm's coordinated work under the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act of 2022 and the legacy framework from the Cerro Grande Fire Assistance Act of 2000.
Initiative Scope
The initiative provides pro bono legal assistance to individual landowners, families, small business owners, and tribal entity members affected by federally caused wildfires. The work includes claim preparation under the relevant federal compensation framework, administrative claim filings with FEMA, evaluation of claim valuations against statutory compensation categories, and representation in administrative review of disputed determinations. The focus is on claimants who lack the resources to engage paid counsel but face complex federal administrative processes that benefit from legal representation.
Connection to Firm Practice
The Pro Bono Wildfire Recovery Initiative extends the firm's federal wildfire compensation practice into pro bono service. The firm has handled federal compensation work since the Cerro Grande framework's earliest claims cycles and continued through the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Claims Office (HPCCFCO) operations beginning in 2022. The technical expertise developed in commercial federal compensation matters transfers directly to individual claimant representation, where the same statutory framework and administrative procedures govern outcomes.
Participating Attorneys
Patty Hewes (Chair, Wildfire Litigation Practice) leads the initiative's overall direction. Lucca Quinn (Senior Associate, Atlanta) coordinates individual claimant intake and administrative practice. The firm's Denver-based paralegal team, anchored by Erin Brockovich (Senior Paralegal), supports claim preparation and case management for the initiative's active claimant roster.
The Pro Bono Wildfire Recovery Initiative reflects the firm's commitment to translating specialized practice expertise into broader community service. The initiative will operate on a continuing basis through the active life of the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon framework and may expand to additional federal wildfire compensation frameworks as Congress enacts them.
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