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Ned Perry, chairman of Tonkon Torp鈥檚 litigation department and a partner in the firm, grew up with a clear sense of commitment to community service. Initially instilled by his parents, it was then fostered by his law firm and fueled by some highly visible social and economic inequities in Portland.

Perry has for many years provided pro bono legal advice for Albina Head Start, Portland YouthBuilders and Human Solutions Inc. He was honored in May 2011 by the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce for his pro bono service to Human Solutions, a nonprofit that addresses homelessness and other poverty-related issues in east Multnomah County. Perry has been pro bono counsel for the organization for eight years and served as a board member for nearly as long.

More recently, Perry joined the Board of Directors for Portland YouthBuilders after serving as pro bono counsel for more than a decade. The nonprofit organization provides education, vocational training and leadership development services for low-income youth.

Perry says that while professional relationships led him to these organizations, a personal concern drives him to continue his volunteer work on their behalf.

鈥淚t played into my concerns about some of the most pressing issues in our community. East Multnomah County has really become the ground zero for poverty issues in our community,鈥� he says.

As financial resources were dedicated toward redevelopment, urban renewal and infrastructure maintenance in the areas closer to the city center, those with lesser means were pushed outward to East County, says Perry.

鈥淔rankly the housing quality isn鈥檛 that good, and the social service delivery system wasn鈥檛 built very well,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better today, and Human Solutions is a part of that.鈥�

Perry, who specializes in complex contract, construction and real estate disputes, says Portland YouthBuilders taps into his professional interest by providing hands-on experience and opportunities for youth in the building trades as well as computer technology. He adds that his involvement in these organizations seems a perfect fit, personally and professionally.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice change of pace and the issues are generally manageable, so it鈥檚 something to turn to when I鈥檓 awfully overwhelmed by other intractable problems,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 getting some kind of karma gratification out of it, but I don鈥檛 really think about what I鈥檓 getting out of it. It just seems like the natural thing to do.鈥�