Living and working in Warsaw, from the early days of the war in Ukraine, we saw large numbers of refugees, especially women with children, arriving here to seek safety and shelter.
Today, the flow of arrivals has reduced but many of these refugees remain in the city, continuing their lives here in the shadow of the conflict. Each of these individuals and families has a range of legal needs, relating to housing, employment and the basics of setting up in a new city and country.
It was against that backdrop in 2022 that we partnered with the NGO European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL) and five other international law firms, to establish the Ukraine Pro Bono Collaborative (UPBC). The Collaborative makes available a daily legal clinic for Ukrainians in the city to seek advice. It is staffed by corporate lawyers acting pro bono, under the supervision of Dr Filip Czernicki of ELIL.
It has been a humbling and invaluable experience for our lawyers and we are glad to in some way have helped to address the legal need of thousands of people. The majority are women or families with children - of those assisted, 71 percent have been women. Many Ukrainians in Warsaw rely on this clinic for advice as they navigate legal issues including resettlement, access to education and healthcare, access to work and more.
"We are delighted to take part in this programme and to contribute our expertise to aid Ukrainian refugees. It is amazing to discover that one can create actual change in their lives by helping them solve their legal problems. Being part of this programme gives you a sense of a deeper purpose and enables you to restore the refugees' faith that they are not alone in their struggles." Patrycja Pakla, Senior Associate
The significance and technical excellence of the group's pro bono work has been recognised by the legal industry. The UPBC was named 'Pro Bono Initiative of the Year' at The Lawyer Europe Awards in 2023, as judged by an esteemed panel of 60 senior lawyers and in-house counsel. This month, it was recognised with the "Pro Bono Awards" at the 2024 LexisNexis Awards.
Find out more about our pro bono work in our Responsible Business report.
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