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Congratulations to all our winners
  
  
Thursday 9 February 2012 - Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London

CSR Programme of the Year

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In recognition of either a single law firm or chambers or a wider association of law firms, this award will recognise those that have made the strongest overall contribution to corporate social responsibility. Reference can be made to a range of areas, particularly pro bono, but also community activities, environmental and workplace initiatives (such as those promoting greater diversity), and responsible client selection.

Previous Winners:

South West London Law Centres helps thousands of vulnerable clients a year gain access to legal advice and would have shut down in 2010 without the help of A&O. The Magic Circle firm has been working with the charity for over 20 years and when SWLLC faced severe financial difficulties in 2009, A&O provided major financial and staff support to help keep the organisation running.

The firm seconded a fully qualified associate to the centre for three months to work alongside its chief executive and helped to raise £80,000 in donations from law firms, which in turn led to a further £235,000 from the Ministry of Justice for the organisation, which operates five free law centres across London.

The commitment of A&O over the past twenty years and its quick thinking in a crisis was a major factor in preventing the closure of this important, frontline pro bono project. ‘I couldn’t put a value on the help A&O provided us, we wouldn’t exist now if it wasn’t for their support,’ said Michael Ashe, chief executive of SWLLC. At the time of going to press, the future of SWLLC again looks uncertain as the charity announced it was reducing its staff by a third in the wake of government budget cuts.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Clifford Chance
Roger Leese

Clifford Chance is a trailblazer in pro bono work and has forged excellent links with legal aid practice Law for All over the past 15 years. CC sends five trainees to the firm each quarter, effectively allowing Law for All to see an extra 1,500 vulnerable clients a year.

CMS Cameron McKenna
Mark Nichols

Cameron McKenna’s commitment to CSR has been clearly demonstrated by its ongoing support to international pro bono charity A4ID. The firm provides significant resources to the charity as well as racking up over 2,500 hours worth of pro bono work in its London office.

Hogan Lovells
Crispin Rapinet; Yasmin Waljee

Hogan Lovells was one of the first in the City to have a dedicated pro-bono co-ordinator and that innovation and commitment to CSR has continued at the firm. Hogan Lovells is now developing new social entrepreneurship models, helping not-for-profit organisations to make money and become sustainable enterprises.

Holman Fenwick Willan
Matt Illingworth

HFW wins plaudits for its firmwide engagement in pro bono activities – a massive 49% of fee earners
do over 20 hours of pro bono work a year. In the
course of the year the firm also assisted South West London Law Centres with an emergency donation
of £10,000.

Simmons & Simmons
David Dickinson

In late 2009 Simmons ramped up its CSR programme integrating it within the firm’s 2009-12 business plan. The firm has shown an admirable commitment to CSR work at all levels of the business, and now assists major charities like the Big Issue, Scope and A4ID.

Weil, gotshal & Manges
Nick Flynn

Weil used its corporate and finance expertise to great effect advising the disability charity Scope on the structuring of an innovative hybrid fund.