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In the Community

Butterfield Schechter LLP's success is achieved by maintaining its cutting edge knowledge of employee benefits law and by maintaining its connection with the community through leadership and education.

Rob Butterfield set a strong example of leadership early on in his career with his roles as the President of the Western Pension & Employee Benefits Conference–San Diego Chapter, member of the Administrative Board of the San Diego City Retirement System, Chair of the San Diego County Bar Association Taxation Section, member of the Governing Board of the California State Bar Taxation Section (and editor of its newsletter for one year), and co-founder and current “emeritus” member of the Board of Directors of Promises2Kids. 

Marc Schechter maintains his connections with the community through educational seminars and leadership positions, such as serving as a member of the Legislative and Regulatory Advisory Committee of the ESOP Association of America, and presenting continuing legal education courses on Employee Stock Ownership Plans (“ESOPs”). He has also taught the ERISA and Employee Benefits course as an Adjunct Professor at California Western School of Law. Just this year, Mr. Schechter spoke on ESOPs at the NCEO/Beyster Institute Employee Ownership Conference in Denver with over 1,700 attendees.

The firm has a strong commitment to training and recruiting from within. Firm associates all graduated from San Diego law schools and most started as law clerks with the firm.

Following the firm's dedication to connecting with the community, attorney Paul Woodard has taken an active role in the legal community as the co-chair of the San Diego County Bar Association's Wills for Heroes Committee and as an At-Large Board Member of the San Diego County Bar Association's Community Service Committee. He is also a current President of the Western Pension & Benefits Council and was recently selected as Co-Vice President for Corporate Relations of the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce.

Everyone in the firm, including paralegals and staff, connect with the San Diego County community. Currently, paralegal Kristine Custodio Suero serves as the board advisor and is past president of the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations and past president of the San Diego Paralegal Association. She also serves as a Commissioner and past Chair of the City of San Diego Citizens' Equal Opportunity Commission (an appointed position by the Mayor of the City of San Diego) and is an officer for the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of San Diego.

Leadership, education, and providing top-notch employee benefit plan advice are the keys to Butterfield Schechter's success.

“We are proud of what our firm and our attorneys have accomplished. We look forward to strengthening our connections with the community and helping employers achieve their employee benefit goals.”

— Marc Schechter

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Alpha Project - Spring 2021

Butterfield Schechter LLP is proud to support the Alpha Project and local community leader, Dennis-Michael Broussard, in collecting donations to give a hand up to those experiencing homelessness in our community. 

Paralegal Kristine Custodio Suero with local community leader Dennis-Michael Broussard loading donations from our team

 

Clothing Drive - Summer 2020

Butterfield Schechter LLP is proud to support local radio personality Tati Pelegreen's clothing drive with donations from our lawyers and staff. 

From left to right: paralegal Kristine Custodio Suero and legal secretary Nicole Sealey help load donations for local radio personality Tati Pelegreen's clothing drive for homeless men

 

Wills for Heroes - Spring 2020

Butterfield Schechter LLP is proud to continue support of our local first responders. Our Partner, Paul Woodard, is an At-large Board member of the San Diego County Bar Association Community Service Committee and Chair for the local Wills for Heroes, providing free wills and estate planning services to eligible first responders and licensed frontline healthcare workers in a virtual legal event spanning May 4 to June 30. More than 60 California estate planning attorneys have signed up to provide these pro bono services, with capacity to serve 400+ local heroes. We are looking forward to serving these local heroes at the upcoming Fall event! Wills for Heroes is a national nonprofit organization which provides wills and other essential estate planning documents to our first responders and their spouse or domestic partner at no charge. 

Legal Talk Network's Executive Producer Visits BSLLP

Senior Paralegal Kristine Custodio Suero, ACP was interviewed by Legal Talk Network's (LTN) Paralegal Voice podcast host Jill Francisco, ACP on February 25, 2020, at our office. LTN's Executive Producer, Laurence Colletti, JD, dropped in for the interview. Kristine shared her experience as a paralegal of over 15 years and advice for enjoying one's career. Partner Paul Woodard who is a member of the San Diego Miramar College Paralegal Advisory Board provided his support during the interview. 

Featured in photo (l-r): Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti, JD, Partner Paul D. Woodard, Esq., and Senior Paralegal Kristine Custodio Suero, ACP

 

2019 Promises Fore Kids Golf & Spa Event

Partner Rob Butterfield enjoyed a round of golf at the 2019 Promises Fore Kids Golf & Spa Event on October 15, 2019. Mr. Butterfield was a hole sponsor for the event which benefits Promises2Kids' programs that support over 3,000 foster children in San Diego County. For more information about Promises2Kids, please visit their website by clicking here.

Partner Rob Butterfield pictured at far right

Wills for Heroes - Fall 2019

Butterfield Schechter LLP is proud to continue support of our local first responders. Partner Paul Woodard is the Chair for the local Wills for Heroes event held at the San Diego County Bar Center on September 7, 2019. Paralegal Kristine Custodio Suero, ACP, participated in the event that served over 20 first responders on Saturday's event. Our first responders are so vital to our community and this event allows us an opportunity to show our appreciation to our local firefighters and police officers.  This is an incredible event and we look forward to serving these local heroes at the Spring 2020 event! Wills for Heroes is a national nonprofit organization which provides wills and other essential estate planning documents to our first responders and their spouse or domestic partner at no charge. 

Pictured (second from left): Paralegal Kristine Custodio Suero, ACP

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Wills for Heroes - Spring 2019

Butterfield Schechter LLP is proud to continue support of our local first responders. Our associate attorney, Paul Woodard, is the Chair for the local Wills for Heroes event held in San Diego on May 4, 2019. Our team including paralegal Kristine M. Custodio, ACP, attorney/event chair Paul Woodard, and administrative assistant Nicole Sealey were able to serve over 30 first responders on Saturday's event. Our first responders are so vital to our community and this event allows us an opportunity to show our appreciation to our local firefighters and police officers.  This is an incredible event and we look forward to serving these local heroes at the Fall event! Wills for Heroes is a national nonprofit organization which provides wills and other essential estate planning documents to our first responders and their spouse or domestic partner at no charge. 

Pictured (l-r): Paralegal Kristine M. Custodio, ACP, Attorney-Event Chair Paul D. Woodard and Administrative Assistance Nicole Sealey

2018 Warmth from the Heart Blanket & Towel Drive

Butterfield Schechter LLP was proud to collect blankets and towels for Father Joe's Villages and the homeless population in San Diego. Partners Marc Schechter and Corey Schechter (left to right) are pictured with the donations from our firm.

Wills for Heroes - Fall 2018

Butterfield Schechter LLP along with our associate attorney, Paul Woodard, are proud to continue support of our local first responders. Paul was the Chair for the local Wills for Heroes event in San Diego on September 15, 2018, at the San Diego Country Bar Association - Bar Center. Senior Paralegal Kristine M. Custodio, ACP also volunteered at the event. Our first responders are so vital to our community and this event allowed us an opportunity to show our appreciation to our local firefighters and police officers.  This is an incredible event and we look forward to the next event in Spring 2019 (check back for updated event details)! Wills for Heroes is a national nonprofit organization which provides wills and other essential estate planning documents to our first responders and their spouse or domestic partner at no charge.  

L-R: Senior Paralegal Kristine M. Custodio, ACP and Attorney/event chair Paul D. Woodard

Wills for Heroes - Spring 2018

Butterfield Schechter LLP is proud to continue support of our local first responders. Our associate attorney, Paul Woodard, was the Chair for the local Wills for Heroes event in San Diego on April 28, 2018, at the San Diego offices of the Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP. Our first responders are so vital to our community and this event allows us an opportunity to show our appreciation to our local firefighters and police officers.  This is an incredible event and we look forward to the next event in October! Wills for Heroes is a national nonprofit organization which provides wills and other essential estate planning documents to our first responders and their spouse or domestic partner at no charge. 

L-R: Paralegal Kristine M. Custodio, ACP, assistant Victoria Patsiouras, attorney/event chair Paul D. Woodard, and administrative assistant Nicole Sealey
L-R: Attorney/event chair Paul D. Woodard and Sheppard Mullin hosting attorney Shanna M. Pearce

Wills for Heroes - Spring & Fall 2017 

Butterfield Schechter LLP is proud to support our local first responders. Our associate attorney, Paul Woodard, and members of our support team, Kristine M. Custodio, ACP and Nicole Sealey, volunteered at the local Wills for Heroes event in San Diego on May 20, 2017, at the offices of the San Diego County Bar Association, and, again, together with Michelle Ewing (paralegal/notary), on October 14, 2017. Our first responders are so vital to our community and this event allowed us an opportunity to show our appreciation to our local firefighters and police officers.  This is an incredible event and we are looking forward to future events! Wills for Heroes is a national nonprofit organization which provides wills and other essential estate planning documents to our first responders and their spouse or domestic partner at no charge. 

L-R (October 14, 2017): Paralegal Michelle Ewing, administrative assistant Nicole Sealey, paralegal Kristine M. Custodio, ACP, NBC San Diego anchor Liberty Zabala, SDCBA President Loren Freestone, and attorney/event chair Paul D. Woodard
L-R (May 20, 2017): paralegal Kristine M. Custodio, ACP, attorney Paul D. Woodard, Esq., administrative assistant Nicole Sealey, and Wills for Heroes Committee Chair attorney Dan Heilbrun, Esq.

Urban Street Angels Dog Toy Drive

At BSLLP we love dogs!  We gave numerous dog toys, leashes, food, treats, and collars to the San Diego County Bar Association Animal Law Section, who hosted a dog supplies collection drive to be donated to homeless youth at the November 18, 2016, Urban Street Angels weekly Outreach event in Ocean Beach, California.

Our Director of First Impressions, Shanta Robinson, with our office dog, Charlie

Wills for Heroes - 2016

Wills for Heroes is a national nonprofit organization which provides wills and other essential estate planning documents to our first responders and their spouse or domestic partner at no charge. Butterfield Schechter LLP was proud to participate in the Wills for Heroes event in San Diego on August 13, 2016 at the offices of the San Diego County Bar Association.  Our first responders are so vital to our community and this event allowed us an opportunity to show our appreciation to our local firefighters and police officers.  This is an incredible event and we are looking forward to participating again in the future!

Pictured: attorney Paul Woodard, paralegals Michelle Ewing and Kristine Custodio as well as our Administrative Assistant Nikki Sealey

 

Feeding America-San Diego - Food From the Bar 2016

On Tuesday May 24, 2016, Butterfield Schechter LLP participated in Food From the Bar, which was a volunteer effort put together and hosted by Feeding America San Diego!  Our group, along with other various San Diego law firms and volunteers, helped make it possible for Feeding America San Diego to serve the 1 in 7 people facing food insecurity in San Diego County.  Great work you guys!

Team Butterfield Schechter serving their community

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