FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2016
Contact:
Tracey L. Mancini
Marketing Communications Manager
(716) 847-8340
tmancini@phillipslytle.com
PHILLIPS LYTLE DONATION TO WNED SUPPORTS BUFFALO FILMING OF THURGOOD MARSHALL MOVIE
Buffalo, N.Y. – A $25,000 donation from the Phillips Lytle Foundation to WNED|WBFO supported the successful effort to land the filming of Marshall in Buffalo. The biopic on the life of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice, is a courtroom thriller that focuses on his early career as a lawyer.
The film will be shot in Buffalo from the end of May through June. The local scenes will be shot in Niagara Square at the Dillon Courthouse in Buffalo and in the WNED-TV waterfront studios. The Phillips Lytle Foundation’s donation to WNED|WBFO helps to underwrite the production costs for filming at the WNED-TV studios. The availability of the state of the art studio was among the factors that contributed to the movie makers’ decision to film in Buffalo.
“I want to thank Phillips Lytle for their ongoing support of innovative community opportunities like this one,” said President and CEO of WNED|WBFO, Don Boswell. “The classification of our television studio as an official sound stage enables us to participate in these national film productions. The firm’s sponsorship of the Marshall activities in our building is a key element for Buffalo’s ongoing ability to attract more national feature films to the Western New York community. We salute Phillips Lytle’s commitment to diversity in films, as their efforts truly make a difference.”
“We are very excited to support the effort to lure the filming of Marshall to Buffalo,” said Phillips Lytle Managing Partner David J. McNamara. “The historic and legal subject matter, as well as Phillips Lytle’s commitment to racial equity and diversity in the legal profession, made involvement in this project a natural fit for our firm. We look forward to seeing the finished product, and we are proud to be a part of it.”
The support of this important effort falls directly in line with Phillips Lytle’s core beliefs in diversity. The law firm created a diversity scholarship program for students at UB Law School 25 years ago. It also continues to marshal its acclaimed pipeline program, “PeaceOut!”, where teams of attorneys work with middle school students in underserved communities across New York State to introduce them to the practice of law. In addition, Phillips Lytle supports dozens of diversity-focused organizations and events each year.
