Holland & Knight Lawyer Honored by American Foundation for the Blind

NEW YORK – June 8, 2012 – Holland & Knight attorney Donald A. Goldsmith is among the recipients of the American Foundation for the Blind's (AFB) prestigious Helen Keller Achievement Awards for 2012. The awards are presented annually to recognize the notable achievements of individuals and organizations that have improved the quality of life for all people who are blind or visually impaired. This year's recipients also include Vornado Realty Trust, the CBS Television Network, the Delta Gamma Foundation and humanitarian Rocco Fiorentino.

Mr. Goldsmith has been the legal adviser for AFB for over 40 years. He is a senior partner in Holland & Knight's New York office and a member of its Private Wealth Services Group. In addition to representing AFB, he has been legal counsel to two of the largest private foundations in the United States: the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Wallace Foundation. He is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and an academician of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Lawyers. Mr. Goldsmith is a graduate of Bowdoin College, where he now serves as trustee, and Columbia Law School.

"Working with AFB for all these many years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my legal career," said Mr. Goldsmith. "I thank AFB for the opportunity it has given me to contribute in my own small way to its goal of continuing Helen Keller's extraordinary legacy to leave the world a better place than she found it."

AFB is a national nonprofit that expands the possibilities for people with vision loss. Its priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. Headquartered in New York, it houses the Helen Keller Archives. Ms. Keller worked tirelessly with AFB for more than 40 years.

The 17th annual Helen Keller Achievement Awards ceremony took place on June 7 at the New York Downtown Marriott Hotel.