On average, our lawyer volunteers across the firm’s EMEA offices dedicated 53 hours to pro bono work during 2022. The firm’s Athens, Brussels, London, Munich and UAE offices all recorded 70% or higher lawyer participation in pro bono matters.
The firm’s largest office in London also achieved its best year on record for pro bono participation with 89%. The office provided more than 22,800 hours of pro bono work to charities, not-for-profit organisations and vulnerable individuals, with an average of 71 hours per lawyer.
Throughout the year, Reed Smith lawyers worked on a variety of pro bono matters, including: refugee assistance, LGBTQ+ rights, protection from domestic abuse, international human rights, and so many other important projects.
Michael Skrein, Reed Smith’s Responsible Business partner for EMEA, said: “Our lawyers have once again shown just how important pro bono is for them and the firm. We are delighted to see a record high level of participation and most importantly the difference it has made to the numerous pro bono projects that we are involved with across the globe.”
Demonstrating Reed Smith’s excellence in pro bono, the firm has been recognised with a number of pro bono awards and accolades in 2022, including winner of the ‘most effective pro bono partnership’ and joint winner with the AHA Foundation of the ‘best international pro bono award’ at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2022.
The firm was also ranked fourth among 'The Best Law Firms for UK Pro Bono' by Law.com International in 2022, and ranked sixth among the 200 largest law firms in The American Lawyer’s 2022 Pro Bono Scorecard: International Rankings.
2022 pro bono matter highlights:
- We partnered with six other law firms to launch the Domestic Abuse Response Alliance with the aim of providing pro bono advice and representation to survivors of domestic abuse in need of protective injunctions in the UK.
- We represented Channel Rescue in a legal challenge to the United Kingdom’s Home Secretary’s policy to push back refugee and other migrant boats at sea in the English Channel. The UK Home Office abandoned the policy one week before the scheduled judicial review, as a result of our challenge.
- In continuation of our work in response to the situation in Afghanistan, we launched the Afghan Pro Bono Initiative, a new ground-breaking project in collaboration with 13 other law firms and the NGOs Safe Passage International and Refugee Legal Support to provide support to Afghans in dire need of immigration assistance.
- We joined a cohort of City law firms to set up the Ukraine Refugee Project with Safe Passage International. Through this project, volunteer lawyers travel to Warsaw, Poland, to provide free legal advice to people escaping the conflict in Ukraine and wishing to relocate to the United Kingdom.
- We joined 30+ law firms to support the Legal Helpdesk for Asylum Seekers in Belgium that was set up by the Brussels Bar Association and NGO Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen to ensure access to legal aid for refugees and other displaced individuals and families in Belgium.
Long-term pro bono partnerships, clinics and projects:
Reed Smith’s EMEA offices continue to work with long-term partner organisations to support them and their beneficiaries with legal work, which includes:
- Helping children and their families regularise their immigration status in partnership with Kids in Need of Defense UK.
- Helping individuals appeal against the denial of their disability benefits to the First-tier Tribunal, through our Disability Benefits Advocacy Project, in partnership with University House (Legal Advice Centre).
- Supporting not-for-profit organisations to register as charities with the Charity Commission through the Charity Registrations Project, in partnership with LawWorks, charity specialist law firm Bates Wells and another City law firm.
- Providing social impact finance work to innovative social enterprises and charities, via the Social Finance Hot Desk, a collaboration led by Prime Advocates in partnership with other City law firms.
- Supporting Amicus in representing individuals facing the death penalty in the U.S.
- Working closely with Reprieve on its work to end the death penalty and extreme human rights abuses.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. With an inclusive culture and innovative mindset, we deliver smarter, more creative legal services that drive better outcomes for our clients. Our deep industry knowledge, long-standing relationships and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for complex disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters. Now celebrating more than 140 years of service, our firm spans 31 offices with 3,000 people, including 1,700 lawyers.
For further information, please visit reedsmith.com.
