You can read about our approach to community investment and pro bono legal advice in our latest international corporate social responsibility (CSR) report at www.freshfields.com/csr.

Community investment and pro bono: recent highlights

  • Increased participation in our community and pro bono volunteering activities: from 24 per cent of people firmwide contributing 25,000 hours in 2006/2007 to 29 per cent and over 30,000 hours in 2007/2008.
  • The international rollout of a pro bono campaign, designed to increase the time contributed to free legal advice, both to individuals in need and to our community partners (we aim to double the hours contributed to our pro bono programme by 2011).
  • Community Challenge, our first worldwide community initiative in 2007 involved over 600 people in 23 offices; our 2008 team challenge month involved nearly 700 people.
  • Our pro bono human rights work with Liberty and Justice, on extraordinary rendition with Reprieve and REDRESS, and our success in overturning the death sentence on a Trinidad and Tobago citizen at the Privy Council in London.
  • Various new pro bono activities in Africa, including our work with Lawyers Without Borders and Save the Children relating to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, support for International Lawyers for Africa and for Africans Unite Against Child Abuse.
  • Pro bono advice to the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative targeted at children in 38 countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
  • 2008 International Financial Law Review European pro bono award for advising Deutsche Bank on the first externally-rated securitisation of subordinated microcredits by DB Microfinance.
  • ‘Exceptional Achievement’, 2008 Managing Partners’ Forum Award for our 35-year partnership with Tower Hamlets Legal Advice Centre in London.
  • Business in the Community (BITC) Big Tick for our programme for homeless people (2007 and 2008).
  • Leadership in the campaign to fill 40,000 vacancies in school governing boards in the UK as part of our involvement in BITC’s Education Leadership Team (the research we commissioned was presented to the Department for Children, Schools and Families).
  • The launch of the Inspiring Student Leaders programme with Youth at Risk, which enabled the charity to take its work into British universities for the first time.
  • The launch of the Children’s Legal Service Unit following our three-year commitment to sponsoring Shelter’s UK-based work to end child homelessness.

News

Freshfields corporate partner relocates to Dubai View

Freshfields bolsters US litigation practice View

Awards

Acquisition of the Year 2009 - The acquisition of Gatwick Airport - IJ Awards (2009)

APAC Infrastructure Deal of the Year 2009 - Project Finance Magazine (2009)

View all awards