Wiggin Opportunity Initiative

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Through the Wiggin Opportunity Initiative, the Firm has pledged to provide $10 million in free legal services to small businesses during the 10 years beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2030. As of July 2024, we will have fulfilled 4 years of this commitment. Please click on the “Client Success” tab to see some real life examples of the change these efforts have made.

With this ongoing ten-year commitment, Wiggin and Dana wishes to focus on our overall mission of working towards a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable world.

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

The Firm is looking to collaborate with strategic partners, like your organization, to help identify small businesses with limited resources throughout the communities in which we operate that could benefit from our initiative. We will offer a variety of legal services to selected clients to address typical business issues in the areas of employment, real estate, intellectual property, privacy, commercial arrangements, corporate governance, and financing.

BUSINESS OWNERS

If you know of or are a business owner with limited financial resources in need of legal services who cannot otherwise afford these services, the Wiggin Opportunity Initiative (WOI) may be able to assist. We offer a variety of legal services to selected clients to address typical business issues in the areas of employment, real estate, intellectual property, privacy, commercial arrangements, corporate governance, and financing.

ELIGIBILITY

The WOI program is meant to assist businesses, particularly those from disadvantaged or underserved communities, who cannot otherwise afford quality legal services. Additionally, our support of such businesses through the WOI program will be undertaken in accordance with applicable statutes in the various jurisdictions where the Firm maintains physical offices or otherwise conducts business.

Decisions whether to accept a prospective client into the program are case-by-case, within the Firm’s discretion. Any interested business of limited economic means is eligible to apply.

For More Information

Click here to receive more information about the program.

Service Offerings

Wiggin and Dana has committed to providing $10 million in free legal services to small, under-resourced businesses over 10 years through the Wiggin Opportunity Initiative. The Firm will offer a variety of services to WOI clients to address typical business issues in the areas of employment, real estate, intellectual property, privacy, commercial arrangements, corporate governance, financing, and disputes. The following list illustrates many of the services we expect to provide WOI clients:

Commercial Real Estate

Leasing
- Assist with strategy
- Review and negotiate letters of intent
- Draft and negotiate commercial leases for office, retail, ground, industrial, and manufacturing space
- Draft and negotiate lender documents such as estoppels and subordination, non-disturbance, and attornment agreements

Buy/Sell
- Prepare and negotiate purchase and sale agreements
- Perform title review
- Analyze zoning requirements and environmental reports

Design/Construction
- Negotiate development, design, and construction documents
- Advise on various project delivery models (e.g., design-build, engineer-procure-construct, stipulated sum cost-plus, guaranteed maximum price) and the various industry standard documents and contracts widely used in design and construction
- Customize standard and template documents (e.g., AIA, AGC and ConsensusDOCS)
- Address concerns regarding adherence to design program and approved plans, insurance requirements, construction schedule, and penalties if not met

Environmental
- Review and analyze environmental reports
- Assist with OSHA compliance
- Represent parties in environmental litigation

Financing
- Review letters of intent and bank commitments
- Prepare and negotiate loan documents
- Assist with due diligence

General Real Estate
- Assist with Tax Appeals
- Address property disputes between landlords, tenants, and owners
- Prepare easements and other documents associated with interests in real property

Corporate and Commercial Matters

Enterprise formation, tax structuring and governance matters
Initial financing and subsequent equity and debt capital raises
Review supply, distribution and other commercial and consumer agreements
Collaborations, acquisitions and other strategic transactions
Intellectual property prosecution and strategy
International trade compliance
Privacy and cybersecurity
Compliance with consumer protection laws
Advice with commercial and consumer dispute resolution

Labor, Employment & Benefits

Drafting or review of employee handbooks or policies, employment agreements and offer letters
Counseling on employment-related matters, such as
- Hiring practices
- Wage and hour compliance
- Management of employee leaves and accommodation requests
- Employee discipline, termination and separation issues
Representation in, or advice in connection with, defense of employment-related proceedings or litigation, whether in court or before the EEOC, state agencies, or the Department of Labor. This might include:
- Discrimination, harassment or retaliation claims
- Breach of contract claims
- Litigation involving non-competes or other restrictive covenants
- Claims alleging wage/hour violations under both the FLSA and comparable state laws
- Department of Labor audits or proceedings
- Other employment-related disputes
- Developing immigration sponsorship policies and preparing entity records for employment-based sponsorship
- I-9 compliance best practices training and policy development
- Employment-based immigration sponsorship counseling for entities interested in sponsoring employee work authorization

Private Client Services

Drafting core estate plan documents of business owners, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance medical directives
Business Succession Planning
- Review of existing corporate governance documents, if any, and updates thereto
- Drafting of basic corporate governance documents, operating agreements, by-laws, etc. and filing with appropriate states
- Advising and drafting documents relating to business continuity and succession planning (e.g., shareholder agreements)

For More Information

Click here to receive more information about the program.

News

July 17, 2025

Wiggin Opportunity Initiative Marks Fifth Consecutive Year of Providing $1 Million in Free Legal Services to Emerging Businesses

July 23, 2024

For Fourth Consecutive Year, Wiggin Opportunity Initiative Donates $1M in Legal Services to Minority-Owned Businesses

September 12, 2022

Wiggin Opportunity Initiative Featured in Mid-Market Roundup 2022 Update

July 22, 2022

Wiggin and Dana’s Opportunity Initiative Featured in Law360

June 30, 2023

Wiggin and Dana’s Initiative Opportunity Featured in Law360 CT Organizations Support of Minority-Owned Businesses Article

September 7, 2022

Wiggin Opportunity Initiative Client Featured on Connecticut East Podcast

July 18, 2023

Wiggin Opportunity Initiative Donates $3M in Legal Services to Minority-Owned Businesses and Partners with Bloomberg L.P. To Expand the Scope of Initiative

July 21, 2022

For Second Year, Wiggin and Dana Donates $1M in Legal Services to Minority-Owned Businesses

August 9, 2021

Wiggin and Dana’s Opportunity Initiative Featured in Law 360

July 14, 2021

Wiggin Opportunity Initiative Serves More Than 100 Minority-Owned Businesses in First Year

April 15, 2021

Wiggin and Dana is a Proud Sponsor of Women-Owned Business Day 2021

August 31, 2020

Wiggin and Dana Seeks Strategic Partners for Newly Launched Wiggin Opportunity Initiative

June 18, 2020

Wiggin and Dana Launches the Wiggin Opportunity Initiative

For More Information

Click here to receive more information about the program.

Client Successes

Since 2020, WOI has provided pro bono counsel to startups and other businesses. While increasing awareness of the program has attracted more qualified venture-backable candidates seeking support, WOI also supports entrepreneurs opening or operating coffee shops, hair salons, and other similar, community-oriented small businesses. Included below are some of their success stories.

For More Information

Click here to receive more information about the program.

The Folke Institute

Since 2004, The Folke Institute (TFI) has been a dynamic and forward-thinking leader in training and development, consulting, and research. TFI is dedicated to empowering organizations and individuals through strategic,…

Bond & Play stands at the intersection of business, culture, technology, design, and innovation. They are on a mission to break through conventional thinking and practice. Led by Founder and…

Nova Raft Business Advisors (NRBA), founded by Nova Raft, secures partnerships by bridging the gap between businesses and funders by utilizing technology to increase financial revenue. Businesses hire NRBA to…

IVI Cosmetics LLC, founded by Ivanny A Soto, is a family-owned company that develops handcrafted haircare products using a formulation that has been passed from generation to generation. With vegan…

Food Explorers, LLC, founded by Katie Shephard, teaches delicious and interactive cooking classes for kids with a “food-neutral” approach. With the goal of building a positive relationship with food for…

Knomee, Inc., founded by Marla Sofer, is a pre-seed company formed by financial and tech industry veterans in order to revolutionize how personal data is captured, managed and shared. The…

Sand Bars Handcrafted, founded by Natalia Sandor, are handcrafted, locally sourced ice cream sandwiches made with her homemade chocolate chip cookie and simple ice cream flavors. While working with Wiggin…

Holmes Mouthwatering, founded in Cleveland, Ohio by a then 15-year-old entrepreneur Ethan Holmes, strives to deliver fresh applesauce from nature’s finest ingredients. With ingredients including crisp apples, juicy pears, luscious…

Super Dirt, co-founded by Kristin and Ryan O’Connor, is a direct-to-consumer food product company that provides shelf-stable food products that focus on human and environmental health. While working with Wiggin…

Kabila, a co-founder matching app and global community for tech startup founders developed by James Oliver, Jr., aims to provide startups with potential matches without unconscious biases by displaying those…

Sprxng, a next-generation developer of menstrual products founded by Phyllis Mugadza, developed the first reusable menstrual product that includes a therapy for menstrual pain. Wiggin and Dana worked with Phyllis…

Locks of Liz Haircare, founded by Lizbeth Marquez-Flores, provides plant-based products that help style, manage and enhance all curl types. Due to its unique plant-derived ingredients, the aromatic shampoo and…

OSJ ℞, founded by Daniel Castellanos, is a Tier II Cannabis-Related Business (CRB) manufacturer and distributor of ancillary medical cannabis devices and supplies. OSJ ℞ develops sustainable ancillary cannabis products…

Petmo, founded by Maureen Frederique, is a taxi service for pets and their people. Petmo makes it easy to travel with your pet or for your pet to travel unaccompanied….

Healthy PlanEat, founded by Rosemary Ostfeld, is an online marketplace where local farmers committed to sustainable growing practices and food artisans can sell directly to local customers. Farmers can upload…

Pawsome Pet Products, founded by Brandon Ross, specializes in premium backpack pet carriers that are multifunctional. The Pawsome Pet Carrier backpack comes with features like front and back carry, full…

Nestl is a women-owned business dedicated to improving the health and safety of communities through innovative design. They provide health-centered furniture to support people in their most vulnerable moments. Their…

Aralea, a small business founded by Shawna Lattimore, PhD, had created a new fermentation process for sweet potatoes and other plant-based options in order to create alternatives to dairy products…

Unsiloed, founded by Love Odih Kumuyi, is a leading independent consulting and advisory enterprise based in New York and engaging globally across fields and sectors that gives organizations access to…

Nano Air Mask LLC is a face mask company started by Native New Yorkers who wanted to help amidst the ongoing pandemic, particularly the Latina and Black communities where they…

CourtRoom5, founded by former college professors, Dr. Sonja Ebron and Dr. Debra Slone, is a start-up that provides pro se litigants with a toolbox so they can level the playing…