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Serving Our Community

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Serving Our Community

The attorneys at Berliner Cohen, LLP are dedicated to their clients and committed to the community.  For over 50 years, philanthropy has been one of the Firm’s core values.  Giving back to the community starts at the top.  Our co-founder, Stan Berliner, and his wife, personally donate their time and financial resources, which sets the example for the rest of the Firm.

Currently, our attorneys are involved with more than 60 organizations.  At any given time, Berliner Cohen, LLP has financially supported over thirty community agencies with significant gifts.  Berliner Cohen’s commitment to the community is not limited to financial resources.  Our attorneys draw from their involvement in local organizations to assist these community agencies in matters including planned giving, governance, employment issues, and directives including advanced health care.  Our commitment is to enhance these organizations, promote their sustainability, and augment the services they provide to clients and donors.

Representing Hospice of the Valley
Of particular note is Berliner Cohen’s more than thirty-year relationship with the Hospice of the Valley.  The Firm’s contributions have recently included over $20,000 in gifts and in kind work for the organization.  Since 1979, Hospice of the Valley has provided compassionate end-of-life care and grief support to those in Santa Clara County.  >>more

Holiday Adopt-a-Family program
Each holiday season, Berliner Cohen, LLP adopts families from local organizations, including the Bill Wilson Center, for members of our community most in need of assistance.  In recent years, we have worked with many organizations, including the following:

  • The Bill Wilson Center (provides direct services to more than 3,500 children, youth, young adults and families in Santa Clara County through our various programs) >>more
  • East Side Heroes (committed to improving the quality of life for young people and their families) >>more
  • The Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties (dedicated to ending local hunger) >>more
  • Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen of San Jose (focused on providing nutritious prepared meals to families, seniors, and the homeless) >>more 
  • LifeMoves: Georgia Travis House (working to break the cycle of homelessness) >>more

Local environmental efforts
Berliner Cohen, LLP has worked with the Friends of Guadalupe River Park and Gardens for over a dozen years, with more than $40,000 contributed in support of the development of Guadalupe River Park and its educational programs.  The Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens provide community leadership for the development and active use of the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens through education, advocacy and stewardship.  >>more

Awards
Berliner Cohen, LLP has been honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Santa Clara County as its Corporate Grantmaker.  The award recognized Berliner Cohen, LLP for its outstanding commitment to philanthropy through financial support and community involvement.  The AFP works to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education, and certification programs.  >>more

In the community
In addition to the organizations above, Berliner Cohen, LLP supports numerous business, industry and nonprofit organizations, including serving on boards and committees:

Almaden Valley Women’s Club (strives to promote interest in the social, civic, and cultural improvement of the Almaden Valley community)  >>more

American Cancer Society-Relay for Life – Gilroy, Willow Glen (engages communities in the fight against cancer by holding, continuous, 24 hour relays in which participants camp out overnight at a local school or park)  >>more

American Red Cross Santa Clara Valley (dedicated to saving lives and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies)  >>more

Arts Council Silicon Valley (supports the arts in Silicon Valley by providing funding and services to hundreds of arts groups, artists, schools and community groups)  >>more

Asian Law Alliance (empowers members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community to seek decent housing, justice in the immigration process, and protection of their civil rights)  >>more

Association of Silicon Valley Brokers (ASVB) (promotes high standards in the industrial and commercial brokerage industries in Silicon Valley  >>more

Ballet San Jose (known as one of the country’s most innovative, “classically-based” ballet companies, the organization has a resident company of 33 dancers, and a repertoire of over 120 traditional and modern classical ballets)  >>more

BOMA Silicon Valley (represents and promotes the interests of the Silicon Valley commercial real estate industry through leadership, advocacy, education, professional development and cultivation of relationships)  >>more

Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz (instills core values in all young people in order to enable them to reach their full potential)  >>more

Boys & Girls Club of Silicon Valley (provides a variety of programs for deserving children aimed at developing life skills and building positive character)  >>more

Castle Air Museum Foundation (when Castle Air Force Base closed in 1994, the Foundation was formed to preserve historic military aircraft for posterity and public enjoyment)  >>more

CASA of Merced County (trained community members that oversee a foster child and advocates for their best interest in the foster care system)  >>more

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County (helps people of all cultures and beliefs rise up out of poverty and overcome the barriers to self-sufficiency through a broad range of services)  >>more

Child Advocates of Silicon Valley (matches trained volunteers with dependent children to ensure the needs and best interests of foster children in the Silicon Valley) >>more

Commercial Real Estate Women Silicon Valley (committed to advancing the success of women in commercial real estate)  >>more

Community Hospice Foundation Modesto (provides compassionate and quality care, education and support to terminally ill patients and their families, regardless of ability to pay)  >>more

Cystic Fibrosis Research, Inc. (funds research to provide educational and personal support, and to spread awareness of cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease)  >>more

Don Edwards Inns of Court (fosters excellence in professionalism, ethics, civility, and legal skills)  >>more

Estate Planning Council of Stanislaus County (brings together professionals involved with estate planning)  >>more

Fresh Lifelines for Youth (provides at-risk and disadvantaged youth with vital information regarding the decisions they make in their lives)  >>more

Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens (coordinates community and governmental efforts to preserve and expand the Guadalupe River Park in downtown San Jose)  >>more

Goodwill of Silicon Valley (dedicated to improving employment opportunities, increasing standards of living, providing economic independence, and restoring our clients sense of self value)  >>more

Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce (provides advocacy, education providing advocacy, education, networking, and community stewardship)  >>more

Habitat for Humanity Santa Cruz County (dedicated to eliminating substandard, poverty housing throughout the world)  >>more

Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley (dedicated to encouraging community philanthropy and engaging people to invest in the health, educational achievement, and leadership development of a thriving Hispanic community in Silicon Valley)  >>more

Hospice of the Valley (provides compassionate end-of-life care and grief support to those in Santa Clara County)  >>more

LifeMoves (Formerly known as Innvision Shelter network) (dedicated to aiding homeless families in the Bay Area return to self sufficiency.)  >>more

Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen (serves the working poor, families, homeless and seniors living in and around the downtown and East Side of San Jose for over 31 year)  >>more

Modesto Chamber of Commerce (promotes the region’s economic strengths, its members’ services and advocates for public policy)  >>more

Montalvo Arts Center (gathers global talent to incubate and produce compelling new work and to ignite learning through the arts)  >>more

National Association of Office and Industrial Parks, Silicon Valley (leading organization for developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial and mixed-use real estate)  >>more

Northern California Human Resources Association (helps individuals in the HR profession achieve organizational and professional excellence)  >>more

Pacific Autism Center for Education (provides high quality programs for individuals with Autism and associated developmental disabilities living in the San Francisco Bay Area)  >>more

Palo Alto Housing Corporation (foster, develop, acquire, and manage low- and moderate- income housing in Palo Alto and the San Francisco Bay Area)  >>more

Pro Bono Project of Silicon Valley (brings together experienced lawyers and clients with limited financial means to provide legal services for some of the most vulnerable members of our community)  >>more

REACH Youth Scholarship Program (provides college funds to high school students who have overcome adversity to excel in academics and sports)  >>more

Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley (brings communities and volunteers together to rehabilitate the homes of low income homeowners)  >>more

Sacred Heart Community Service (dedicated to eliminating poverty and hunger in Santa Clara County by providing meals, clothes, and services for the County’s low income families.  >>more

San Jose Host Lions (the oldest Lions Club in the Bay Area, makes sight preservation one of its primary areas of service)  >>more

San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce (speaks on issues of importance to businesses across the Santa Clara Valley)  >>more

San Jose Sports Authority (to establish San Jose as a premier center for sports on the West Coast; to improve the quality of life in Greater San Jose by increasing the City’s economic development, visibility and civic pride through sports)  >>more

San Jose Stage Company (produces professional live theater and is dedicated to bringing together playwrights, artisan, and audience to enjoy theater)  >>more

Santa Clara County Estate Planning Council (networking and professional development organization that brings together various professions involved with the estate planning industry) >>more

Saratoga Federated Church Foundation (anticipates major needs for support of pastoral housing, property for expansion, facilities construction, renovation, and ministry projects)  >>more

Save Our Shores Marine Conservation (focuses on marine conservation through policy research, education and citizen involvement in Santa Cruz County)  >>more

Senior Adults Legal Assistance (serves over 2,000 persons over 60 each year, focusing on low income, abuse, exploitation or premature institutionalization issues)  >>more

Senior Law Project Modesto (provides legal services to seniors)

Silicon Valley Planned Giving Council (dedicated to the education and training of planned giving specialists, fund-raisers and donor advisors, and to raising public awareness of charitable giving overall and planned giving)  >>more

Silicon Valley SPCA (provides quality care and love for needy animals in San Jose for over eighty years)  >>more

Society of Human Resource Management (serves the needs of over 250,000 HR professionals world wide and advances the interests of the HR profession)  >>more

South County Housing (serves four South Bay counties helps to build communities through affordable housing development, property management and neighborhood development)  >>more

Symphony Silicon Valley (has become the South Bay’s premiere orchestra)  >>more

Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale (performs masterworks and more contemporary music with the symphony)  >>more

Tech Museum of Innovation (an educational resource established to engage people of all ages and backgrounds in exploring and experiencing technologies affecting their lives)  >>more

The Alameda Business Association (works to promote and strengthen the commercial, professional, civic and general business interests through education, common cultural ties and community involvement)  >>more

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America,Silicon Valley (mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families)  >>more

Via Services (empowers children and adults with disabilities to lead self sufficient and rich lives)  >>more

Young Audiences of Northern California (nation’s leading source of arts-in-education services)  >>more

Young Life (seeks to help youth grow their faith)  >>more

YWCA of Silicon Valley (empowers women, children, and families, and to eliminate racism, hatred, and prejudice)  >>more

Locations