Taft partner and Private Client and Estate Planning Co-Chair Richard Kissel II made history as event co-chair to the most successful Indiana Benefit Lambda Legal has held to date. With Kissel in the role of co-chair, the 2022 Indiana Benefit raised over $270,000 for LGBTQ+ people and those living with HIV.

Event co-chairs are selected from community leaders who are "doing their part for equality," and are responsible for helping inspire local, corporate, and grassroots support for Lambda Legal and the Indiana Benefit. Lambda Legal Midwest Regional Director, Brian Richardson, stated "Thanks to the commitment and hard work of our co-chairs – Rick, Amber and Jae – I'm proud to declare that the Indiana Benefit is back!"

Lambda Legal, a national non-profit organization committed to the protection and recognition of the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV, began hosting the benefit in 1999. The Indiana Benefit was created with the purpose of ensuring equal protections for the LGBTQ+ community and those living with HIV in Indiana and across the nation. It has now become one of the largest LGBTQ+ events in the state of Indiana. As a result, Lambda Legal's work in the Midwest has yielded some of the most important and strategic legal victories the LGBTQ+ community has experienced and saw Indiana become a front line for the organization's efforts.

Lambda Legal is a national non-profit organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. To learn more or get involved with Lambda Legal, visit here.

At Taft, each day we strive to be a nationally-recognized preeminent law firm that delivers exemplary, effective, high-value services to our clients while maintaining a uniquely modern, inclusive, collegial, fair, and transparent culture. To meet those goals, Taft works with great resolve to provide a modern workplace that promotes fairness, diversity, and equal opportunity for all our employees. We are committed to fostering a culture among our attorneys and professional support staff that values differences, such as race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, religion, age, physical ability, and socioeconomic background.

Kissel co-chairs Taft's Private Client and Estate Planning group. He focuses his practice on the areas of estate, business succession, and charitable planning and gifting as well as tax, corporate transactions, buy-sell agreements, employee benefits, and other matters affecting closely-held businesses. He is an active member of Lambda Legal and has been involved in the creation of numerous publicly supported charities and private foundations.