Volunteer Spotlight: Don Shuller, retired from Vorys

Don is now happily retired, but spent his entire 40+ year career in private practice at the Vorys law firm. In his practice, Don represented developers, purchasers, sellers, landlords, tenants, and lenders in all types of commercial real estate transactions. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia (2019 NCAA basketball champions!). Don was the recipient of PBPO’s Excellence in Nonprofit Service award last year for the for his long-term dedication and involvement in helping to negotiate a significant real estate development in Madisonville, and he is a member of PBPO’s Seasoned Counselor group. He has maintained Emeritus Pro Bono Status through the Ohio Supreme Court so he can continue to accept matters through PBPO.

 

Why does Don volunteer with PBPO?

“I believe that retired attorneys can be a valuable resource for PBPO and its nonprofit clients. Generally, retired attorneys have the time to provide volunteer assistance, as they no longer have the competing demands of their law practices. Also, retired attorneys have their years of experience to draw upon. In law practice, the most experienced attorneys command the highest hourly rates. PBPO clients can get those experienced attorneys for free. From my perspective, I’ve got the time to provide pro bono legal service, and doing that through PBPO enables me to continue to use my skills in a meaningful way and to maintain involvement in the community. I have especially enjoyed working on the Madisonville development project for MCURC, as this was sophisticated and challenging from a legal perspective and important to the community.”

In addition to volunteering with PBPO, Don is very engaged in serving our community. Other volunteer activities include: volunteer consultant with OneSource, which provides business consulting services to nonprofits in the Cincinnati area; ProKids Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in Hamilton County child protection services; mentor for foster youth in Higher Education Mentoring Initiative; volunteer teacher of Junior Achievement program at Walnut Hills Junior High; Board member, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati; Board member, American Jewish Committee, Cincinnati Region; and Board member, The Philada Home Fund.

When Don isn’t volunteering in Cincinnati, he and his wife spend a fair amount of time in Greenville, South Carolina, where their two adult daughters live with their families, including three grandchildren and a fourth on the way. Being retired, he now has the time to pursue his goal of being a professional athlete (ha!), and makes his way to the gym almost every day. He enjoys hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities. As a lifelong Cincinnatian, he is an avid fan of the Reds and Bearcats, with all of the frustrations that go along with that.

 

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