October 24, 2014 – DLA Piper is pleased to announce that it was named as “Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year” by Who’s Who Legal for the firm’s commitment to maintaining a leading pro bono practice and for providing phenomenal work in 2013.
Last year, DLA Piper handled 207,000 hours of pro bono work for charities, individuals, social enterprises, and United Nations and non-governmental agencies – more than any other firm in Who’s Who Legal’s survey.
The firm established New Perimeter, a non-profit affiliate dedicated exclusively to global pro bono work, in 2005. A first-of-its-kind initiative in the legal industry, New Perimeter provides long-term pro bono legal assistance in underserved regions around the world to support access to justice, social and economic development, and sound legal institutions. New Perimeter draws on the skills and talents of DLA Piper lawyers globally and focuses its projects in the areas of legal education, women’s rights, access to justice, law reform and economic development.
In 2013, the firm overall donated 130,961 pro bono hours in North America, 40,171 hours in Europe and the Middle East, and 36,023 hours in Asia Pacific. That is equivalent to 133 lawyers working full-time on pro bono work for one year. In addition to New Perimeter, the firm also spearheads signature projects all over the world that focus on such areas as domestic violence, access to justice, education and law reform.
“At the heart of DLA Piper’s pro bono practice is its commitment to access to justice,” said Lisa Dewey, director of New Perimeter and US pro bono partner at DLA Piper. “This guides us in everything we do. And we increasingly focus on collaborative projects with in-house counsel legal departments, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations to have an even greater impact on systemic issues.”
Nicolas Patrick, pro bono partner and head of Pro Bono and Corporate Responsibility for DLA Piper internationally, said: “Pro bono is a concept that is now well understood by lawyers all over the world. At DLA Piper our pro bono culture is a core value and something that really binds us together as one global firm. There is no challenge in terms of motivation among the firm’s lawyers.”
About DLA Piper (www.dlapiper.com)
DLA Piper is a global law firm with 4,200 lawyers located in more than 30 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, positioning it to help companies with their legal needs anywhere in the world. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising.
