WilmerHale's New York office continues to strengthen its ties with the Alliance for Downtown New York, a nonprofit organization that promotes and supports businesses in Lower Manhattan.

WilmerHale has signed on for a sixth year of its partnership with the Alliance for Downtown New York and will remain the co-presenting sponsor, along with the Downtown Alliance, of the business district's free Wi-Fi program. The firm's support of the Lower Manhattan Free Wi-Fi Program, since moving its office to Lower Manhattan in 2012, has helped with more than 2.3 million connections to free internet access over the last five years. The program provides a great resource for the neighborhood.

WilmerHale's support of the Wi-Fi program expanded last year to include Lower Manhattan Headquarters (LMHQ), a community-oriented resource created by the Downtown Alliance to grow the creative and entrepreneurial community of Lower Manhattan through collaborative opportunities and programs that inform and inspire. The expansion of our partnership also included support of programming and events which included WilmerHale's Emerging Company and Venture Capital Practice hosting an interactive workshop, “FinTech Startups: Commercializing Your Intellectual Property,” that addressed the issues facing early-stage FinTech startups as they commercialize their products and services. WilmerHale lawyers have also actively been involved in attending LMHQ's women's breakfast program series in connection with the firm's Women's Leadership Initiative.

"WilmerHale has been an incredible partner and we thank them for their commitment to Lower Manhattan," said Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin. "Their support has already helped us expand our Wi-Fi program to cover 4.5 million square feet across the neighborhood and brought thoughtful public programming to LMHQ.  We look forward to what the next chapter will bring."

In connection with the firm's longstanding partnership with the Downtown Alliance and support of the Lower Manhattan community, the firm's lawyers have made it a priority to be involved in the leadership of the organization: Partner-in-Charge of the firm's New York office Charles Platt is a member of the Board of Directors of the Downtown Alliance as of last year and Partner Molly Boast recently began her third term on the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association (DLMA) Board, a sister organization of the Downtown Alliance focused on strengthening businesses in the neighborhood. 

“I'm proud of the impact that the Downtown Alliance has had on Lower Manhattan and grateful to be a part of that change,” said Platt. “We at WilmerHale look forward to another year in partnership with Downtown Alliance and to doing our part in helping this community to thrive.” 

The Downtown Alliance oversees the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (BID). This area stretches from City Hall to the Battery, from the East River to West Street, in Lower Manhattan. The organization focuses on economic development advocacy in addition to offering free area transportation, streetscape services, public space management, sanitation and marketing and communication for the BID.

The DLMA was founded in 1958 by David Rockefeller and includes stakeholders from major businesses in Lower Manhattan. It provides a public policy platform to advocate for the neighborhood and a forum where executives can network with their peers. The organization has focused on creating a second-to-none business district dedicated to preserving the past and preparing for the future in downtown New York.