David Livshiz, an associate at the New York office of Cleary Gottlieb, knows what it's like to come to a new country to seek refuge and protection. He and his family left the former Soviet Union when David was eight years old. This is why he was particularly moved by the case of the young client he represented on behalf of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a 17-year-old boy from Eastern Europe seeking asylum in the United States. To escape severe abuse and persecution, the boy - Arian* - had fled his country alone to seek safety.

David, whose practice area is international commercial litigation and arbitration, was the leader of a pro bono team effort that won a huge victory - Arian was granted asylum. Along with attorney team members Jerilin Buzzetta, Carmine D. Boccuzzi, Angela Huang, Emily Picone, Stephanie Sado, and paralegal Leidy Valencia, henceforth known as The Cleary Team, David worked to ensure that the boy would not be returned to a country where he and his family were tortured and persecuted on political grounds.

The entire team was greatly affected by their client's case and felt gratified with the positive outcome. Describing the moment in which he told Arian that he had been granted asylum, David said, "It was a fantastic feeling being able to tell him 'You never have to worry about being deported'". David stressed that the jubilance he felt was felt by all his teammates. "It was a group effort all the way," David said.

When asked about why his firm decided to take on this case pro bono, David replied, "Everyone on the team wanted to lend a hand to a client who had a compelling case for relief. Immigration law is one of the most interesting areas of law and it gives us the opportunity to help people." Like David's client, asylum seekers request legal protection from being deported due to a well-founded fear of persecution.

It has been several months since Arian's asylum claim was granted. Since then, David happily reported that the boy is faring very well. He has since graduated from high school, works, and attends college. The Cleary Team represents what KIND is all about - protecting and ensuring the fair treatment of children via high-quality legal representation.

KIND salutes David and the rest of the Cleary Team - Jerilin, Carmine, Angela, Emily, Stephanie, and Leidy -- for their hard work, dedication, and persistence.

*Name changed to protect his identity