Georgia Legal Food Frenzy logo. (Courtesy photo)

8:24 p.m. Update

Greenberg Traurig holds a nearly $3,000 lead over defending champion Habachy Law, $42,023.76 to $39,214.25 in the Legal Food Frenzy. Greenberg Traurig was not even on the top 10 leaderboard when Friday began but has since poured in at least $32,000.

In another shift, King & Spalding, which had hung back throughout the 12-day fundraiser for Georgia's food banks, has risen to third place, edging Alston & Bird $23,498.99 to $21,890.05.

Overall the event has raised $680,816.46, which food banks can turn into 2.7 million meals for at least 1.5 million hungry Georgians.

The event ends at 11:59 p.m.

4 p.m. Update

After lurking behind the top 10 teams for the first 11 days of the Legal Food Frenzy, Greenberg Traurig burst out of the shadows Friday, vaulting over at least eight teams to land in second place in the overall cash raised for Georgia's food banks.

The competition was slated to end at 11:59 p.m. As of 4 p.m., the top 10 fundraising teams were: Habachy Law, $38,481.00; Greenberg Traurig, $28,716.76; Alston & Bird, $21,837.55; King & Spalding, $21,680.99; Georgia Tech Office of the General Counsel, $20,665.65; Troutman Sanders, $14,958.35; Arnall Golden Gregory, $14,254.00; Office of the Attorney General, $13,149.00; Kilpatrick Townsend – Atlanta Office, $11,664.90; and Taylor English Duma, $11,509.25.

Statewide the legal community had raised $647,434.02 for the state's food banks, which have seen their demand rise from 40% to 60% more than normal, according to Attorney General Chris Carr, whose office is one of the Frenzy co-sponsors.

Last year's Frenzy raised $419,000, making the 2020 effort at least a 54% increase.

Callie Roan of the Georgia Food Bank Association, another co-sponsor, said she was concerned that furloughs and pay cuts in the legal industry might discourage people from giving.  "Charitable giving typically increases during a crisis, but considering the magnitude of a global crisis where everyone is affected, it was uncertain how the Legal Food Frenzy would withstand."

"However, the food banks never lost faith in Georgia's legal community," she added, "because we've seen how they have come together to help us to tackle hunger in the past."

Will Davis, president of the State Bar's Young Lawyers Division, another co-sponsor, said, "The YLD is amazed at the generosity of Georgia's lawyers in this year's Legal Food Frenzy."

Carr noted how lawyers are often on opposite sides of an argument, but "just look at this competition and what the Georgia legal community has been able to come together and do."