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2008
Derfner & Altman moves into mod-urban offices it converted from former storage space above the Charleston storefront that housed Altman Furniture Co. from 1928 to 2006. (The furniture store was a fixture on upper King Street, and one of Charleston's longest running retail merchants - originally founded by Derfner & Altman partner Samel Altman's father and two uncles.) Derfner & Altman's retrofitted workspace will be the firm's permanent home.
The book "On the Global Waterfront, The Fight to Free the Charleston 5" is published, (Monthly Review Press, 2008). The book reads like a novel and documents the legal work of Derfner & Altman partners in the volatile and highly publicized longshoreman showdown of 1999. The litigation ended in the successful release of the five dockworkers who'd been imprisoned after a labor protest. Copies of the book are now available for purchase on Amazon.
2007
The American Bar Association recognizes Derfner & Altman with a prestigious Pro Bono Publico Award, given annually to attorneys and firms that provide outstanding commitment to legal services for poor and disadvantaged people. Derfner & Altman is one of only five recipients for 2007, named for its work on such cases as a successful suit to redraw Charleston County Council election districts to end voting discrimination, and a series of suits to save the land and homes of a group of African-Americans who were the target of highly sophisticated real estate scams.
2006
For the first time, the South Carolina Bar Association honors two lawyers from one firm as Pro Bono Lawyers of the Year. The 2006 honor went to Derfner & Altman partner Jonathan Altman, and recognized the entire Derfner & Altman firm's commitment to community service.
2002
Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, a national organization, names Derfner & Altman partner Armand Derfner (with co-counsel) as the 2002 Trial Lawyer of the Year. The award recognizes Derfner's work in Ayers v. Fordice, a 25-year case involving racial discrimination in Mississippi's higher education system. After the award ceremony, The Post and Courier wrote a High Profile feature about Derfner's life and career.
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