In recognition of the second annual European Pro Bono Week, international law firm Simmons & Simmons is proud to once again pledge its ongoing commitment to delivering impactful and important pro bono work across its network.
This year, Simmons’ pro bono work in Europe has been delivered from all of the firm’s offices; from Luxembourg and Germany, to Paris and Belgium. Most recently, the firm’s Dublin team has signed the Pro Bono Pledge Ireland which launches this week and sets out to provide a common definition of pro bono, a commitment to a minimum aspirational target of 20 pro bono hours per lawyer per year and a mechanism to benchmark progress against targets.
Spotlight on Brussels
During the course of 2020, partner Koen Platteau’s team in Brussels has advised a multitude of organisations on a pro bono basis, including World Vision, Global Witness, Jeugd & Muziek and Fair Trials Europe on issues ranging from corporate to intellectual property. In particular, the team has developed expertise in assisting NGO’s in setting-up shop in Belgium and on subsequent funding discussions with EU institutions.
Further work has included advising World Vision on the European Commission’s new grant criteria to support vital funding applications. Similarly, Koen and his team also advised Bristol Energy Cooperative on EU state aid challenges- amid Brexit uncertainty- so that the client was able to understand implications for its grant application to the European Regional Development Fund for a green energy project.
However, it is for the smaller organisations with more limited resources where potential legal conflicts can be most disruptive and thus where pro bono support is even more vital. The firm’s work for Jeugd & Muziek, a local not-for-profit that seeks to empower young people through music education, helped that charity focus on its mission while Simmons lawyers assisted on a complex legal matter.
When summing up the support provided by Simmons, Jeugd & Muziek commented: “Thanks to the legal support of Simmons & Simmons we have been able to resolve complex (conflictual) situations smoothly, with an emphasis on the human impact.”
On the importance of recognising European Pro Bono Week, partner and Pro Bono Champion Koen Platteau commented: “2020 has been one of the most challenging years for vulnerable individuals and not-for-profit entities. Funding is under pressure and for many organisations the COVID-19 crisis has added to their challenges. As a result, we see a growing need for pro bono services. Law firms and in-house legal teams must continue to respond to this demand. I am proud of the work that we as a firm have carried out this year, and our seminar series later this week will seek to encourage peers and colleagues across the sector to engage in pro bono work.”.