Lex Mundi, the world s leading network of independent law firms, has created a powerful vehicle for the delivery of pro bono legal services.

Transcription

1 L a w y e r s H e l p i n g S o c i a l E n t r e p r e n e u r s C h a n g e T h e Wo r l d

2 Lex Mundi, the world s leading network of independent law firms, has created a powerful vehicle for the delivery of pro bono legal services. The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation calls upon Lex Mundi s unique global network of 160 top-tier commercial law firms to provide legal assistance to select social entrepreneurs on a pro bono basis. By providing social entrepreneurs with access to critically needed legal assistance, the Foundation joins the global social entrepreneur movement for positive social change. The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation also operates the unique online legal community, Law- ForChange, that provides a one-stop source of free legal information and resources specifically designed to support, strengthen and empower the U.S. (and one day global) sector. What is a Social Entrepreneur? A social entrepreneur is a change maker an innovative leader who uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve social problems in communities, regions, countries and sometimes the whole world. Social entrepreneurs act on powerful ideas to improve the lives of the poor and disenfranchised through non-profit and profit-oriented enterprises. There are hundreds of successful social entrepreneurs working for positive social and economic change throughout the world. Examples are: Ciudad Saludable, the brainchild of Albina Ruiz, has turned waste collection in slum areas into a profitable enterprise, providing employment for thousands of community members. As a result of its work, health and living conditions have improved for the 3 million low income people it serves. Barefoot College, founded by Bunker Roy, turns rural high school dropouts into barefoot doctors, engineers, architects, teachers and IT specialists, bringing the benefits of improved technologies to hundreds of thousands across India.

3 KickStart designs, produces and sells low cost technologies to rural entrepreneurs in some of the world s poorest markets, allowing them to start thousands of small-scale businesses. As a result of KickStart s work, employment and living conditions of millions of low income people have been improved. gain Technology makes a difference to rural entrepreneurs.

4 The Lex Mundi network provides social entrepreneurs with access to world-class legal advice. Who We Are The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the District of Columbia. The Foundation is an affiliate of Lex Mundi, the world s leading network of independent law firms. What We Do The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation is a matchmaker and does not practice law. Drawing upon Lex Mundi s global network of 160 toptier business law firms, the Foundation finds experienced lawyers willing to provide pro bono legal services to social entrepreneurs. At this time, only those social entrepreneurs that have been vetted, endorsed and/or supported by one or more of the Foundation s Collaborators are eligible for pro bono legal services arranged by the Foundation. Social entrepreneurs then decide whether to retain or engage Lex Mundi lawyers who have been introduced by the Foundation. The Foundation also mobilizes teams of Lex Mundi member lawyers to strengthen laws supporting social entrepreneurship and uses the Lex Mundi network to provide instruction and training to social entrepreneurs in basic business law and how to effectively use lawyers. Why We Do It The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation and the law firms and lawyers who are members of Lex Mundi seek to define and embody the highest ideals of the legal profession and to remain at the forefront of the profession. We believe that along with the privileges conferred upon the legal profession we have a corresponding obligation to ensure access to justice and to promote the rule of law. We choose to assist social entrepreneurs because they have enormous positive impact on the poor and disenfranchised and because they need the services of top tier business law firms which precisely matches the defining characteristic of Lex Mundi membership. By promoting the delivery of pro bono legal services to these social and economic change makers, we are ensuring greater access to justice systems all around the world and at the same time we are strengthening the rule of law. Our Leadership The day-to-day operations and activities of the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation are supervised and administered by its Managing Director, Chloe B. Holderness, Founder and Associate Director, David L. Roll, and Senior Program Officer, Carrie Garber Siegrist.

5 CAMBIA and BIOS, operated by Richard Jefferson, pioneers an open source system to transform the way biotechnological innovation is carried out, allowing local scientists and breeders to improve agricultural productivity and profitability in developing countries. growth Local scientists improve agricultural productivity and profitability in developing countries.

6 One World Health, led by Dr. Victoria Hale, is the world s first non-profit pharmaceutical company to complete new drug development for diseases of the world s poorest people. Donated IP from pharma and biotech companies is the backbone for further drug development and deployment for those most in need. progress Donated IP from pharma and biotech companies is the backbone for further drug development.

7 Our lawyers have an obligation to ensure access to justice and to promote the rule of law. Our Projects The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation was the first organization dedicated to matching social entrepreneurs with law firms and lawyers from around the globe committed to providing critical pro bono legal support. Projects are coming in daily as the word spreads throughout the social entrepreneurship community. Among the projects staffed by Lex Mundi lawyers as a result of introductions by the Foundation are the following: Establish non-profit corporation and provide related advice for a renowned conflict resolution leader Develop intellectual property rights strategy for distribution of educational products in South America Assist Ecuadorian social entrepreneur stop pirated broadcast of environmental program in the US Draft complaint for suit by consumer organization against transit authority Advise Algerian delegation on franchising legislation to spur economic development and provide jobs in poor areas Provide corporate restructuring advice to high fashion Fair Trade enterprise in London and Tokyo Help children s rural poverty program based in the Netherlands prepare MOU for rollout of new program in 15 developing countries Advise leading social entrepreneurship sponsor on foreign investment restrictions in various developing countries Assist US social entrepreneur incorporate a subsidiary in Indonesia Provide loan structuring, banking and tax advice to affordable reading glass entrepreneur who is borrowing and then re-lending funds to affiliate in Hyderabad, India Advise US social entrepreneur on patents and licensing of technology providing online tools to connect social entrepreneurs with philanthropic organizations Provide corporate and registration advice to organization that helps African children learn about HIV/ AIDS prevention through soccer program and access to soccer stars Negotiate literary rights permissions from publishers on behalf of social entrepreneur that distributes books to the disabled Set up governance and standards/ accreditation procedures for organization that certifies low cost, lead free battery technology

8 The Lex Mundi network is an unparalleled tool for the delivery of pro bono legal services. Our Member Law Firms To locate lawyers who will provide pro bono legal services to social entrepreneurs, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation draws upon the law firms that are members of Lex Mundi. Lex Mundi is the world s leading network of independent law firms with in-depth experience in countries. Through close collaboration, Lex Mundi member firms offer their clients preferred access to more than 21,000 lawyers worldwide - a global resource of unmatched depth and breadth. Many Lex Mundi member firms have a well established pro bono program in place and/or have been providing pro bono legal services to those in need for years. A number of member firms and their lawyers have also received awards and recognition for their outstanding pro bono accomplishments. Our Benefactors Those who have provided support for the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation include: MacArthur Foundation, LexisNexis, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Shell Foundation, The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Lemelson Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kellogg Action Lab, and Lex Mundi member law firms and their lawyers.

9 PATH, headed by Dr. Christopher Elias, works in more than 100 countries in the areas of reproductive health; vaccines and immunization; HIV, AIDS, and tuberculosis; and children s health and nutrition. It has developed and distributed cost-effective technologies that have saved the lives of millions. vitality Developing and distributing cost-effective technologies that have saved the lives of millions.

10 Responding to calls for legal reform in less developed areas of the world, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation provides guidance on legal reform initiatives including property rights reform. reform Property rights reform leads to wealth creation.

11 We applaud Lex Mundi s public service initiative and the creation of this extremely valuable resource for social entrepreneurs. Pamela Hartigan, Director, Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford Our Collaborators The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation has established working relationships with outstanding foundations and organizations that provide sponsorship and support, financial and otherwise, to the growing community of social entrepreneurs throughout the world. These relationships are designed to inform social entrepreneurs about the availability of pro bono legal services through the Foundation and the Lex Mundi network and to establish a referral process by which requests for pro bono legal services by social entrepreneurs can be handled. At this time, only those social entrepreneurs that have been vetted, endorsed and/or supported by one or more of the Foundation s Collaborators are eligible for pro bono legal services arranged by the Foundation. The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation has established formal and informal working relationships with the following social entrepreneurship organizations: ACCION Boston, Massachusetts, USA Ashoka Innovators for the Public Ashoka Advocates for Social Entrepreneurs Arlington, Virginia, USA The Acumen Fund New York, New York, USA The Avina Foundation San José, Costa Rica Civic Ventures San Francisco, California, USA Draper Richards Foundation San Francisco, California, USA Echoing Green New York, New York, USA Endeavor New York, New York, USA Global Fund for Children Washington, DC, USA Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI) Santa Clara, California, USA Grameen Foundation Washington, DC, USA The Lemelson Foundation Portland, Oregon, USA LGT Venture Philanthropy Zurich, Switzerland Mercy Corps Portland, Oregon, USA National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) Hadley, Massachusetts, USA New Profit Inc. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA New Zealand Social Entrepreneur Fellowship New Plymouth, New Zealand NYU Stern School of Business New York, New York, USA Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship Cologny/Geneva, Switzerland PopTech Camden, Maine, USA The Skoll Foundation Palo Alto, California, USA Stanford Graduate School of Business Stanford, California, USA Teach For America New York, New York, USA The Tech Awards San Jose, California, USA UN Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor New York, New York, USA Unreasonable Institute Boulder, Colorado, USA WomenChangeMakers Geneva, Switzerland World Bank Development Marketplace Washington, DC, USA Venture Philanthropy Partners Washington, DC, USA

12 The future plans of the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation are limited only by our imagination. Future Plans Established in 2006, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation was the first organization with the mission to support the global social entrepreneurship movement with critical pro bono legal support. The Foundation plans to continue to be the leader in this space and one of the world s premier pro bono legal services organizations. In addition, the Foundation plans to build on its success and commitment to strengthen the global social entrepreneurship movement. Specifically, the Foundation plans to: Globally expand the incredibly successful LawForChange online legal resource that supports and strengthens the social sector Mobilize the global legal profession to help establish and strengthen the global rule of law Contact Us Chloe Brooke Holderness Managing Director Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation 2001 K Street, NW Suite 400 Washington, DC USA Tel: Fax: cholderness@lexmundiprobono.org David L. Roll Founder and Associate Director Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation 1330 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC USA Tel: Fax: droll@lexmundiprobono.org Lex Mundi 2100 West Loop South, Suite 1000 Houston, Texas USA Tel: Fax: