"At Reed Smith, we are used to saying that pro bono is the firm's first client. All our teams around the world work on these cases with all types of organizations and all types of issues, such as refugee assistance, impact finance, fundamental freedoms and discrimination," says Nicolas Walker, partner and co-head of pro bono in Paris.

Positioning itself as a positive player in tomorrow's world is a strategic focus that is supported by the firm’s management. Global Managing Partner Casey Ryan convincingly reiterated the firm's commitment and motivations in a video addressed to the participants.

In 2022, Reed Smith EMEA lawyers completed nearly 30,000 hours of pro bono work, with 75% of lawyers involved throughout the year, a record for offices in the region.

"The Paris office is the second most active office in the EMEA region with 70% of our lawyers involved and a total of more than 2,200 hours in 2022; and the collective ambition is to go even further by involving and inspiring even more lawyers" adds Daniel Kadar, partner and co-head of pro bono in Paris.

This seminar allowed the team to discuss what motivations drive their commitment; motivations resolutely turned toward the objective of making justice accessible to the greatest number. As a key economic player on an international scale, it is a question of being a full player in society by involving as many people as possible in this dynamic. It is this challenge that the pro bono team – led at EMEA level by London-based counsel Rebecca Naylor – will take up over the coming year. The expectations of the new generations of lawyers, the evolution of society and the technological, geopolitical and climatic impacts multiply the opportunities for intervention and constitute a real development lever.

"As citizens, we have obligations. As lawyers, these obligations are all the more important as we have the keys and tools to resolve many complex situations. We are particularly proud of the commitment of our teams around the world and in Paris. Continuously promoting social progress and helping to make the world a better place is as much a part of our daily lives as our work," says Natasha Tardif, managing partner of the Paris office.