Lex Mundi Launches Worldwide Pro Bono Initiative
Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation to Support Social Entrepreneurs and Strengthen Rule of Law
Lex Mundi Member Law Firms and Packard and Shell Foundations Provide Seed Funding
For more information, contact:
Stephen D. Swindle, VanCott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy - 801.237.0276
Jamie Moss, 1.201.493.1027
Kathleen Pope-Sance 1.713.328.4521
(New York, June 16, 2006) -- Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms, today announced the creation of a charitable foundation to support international pro bono projects.
The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation (www.lexmundiprobono.org) will call upon the organization's global network of 160 top-tier commercial law firms to provide free legal assistance to social entrepreneurs around the world. The
Foundation will strengthen the rule of law by organizing teams of experts from Lex Mundi's member firms to help design and implement selected reform projects.
"As social entrepreneurs improve the lives of the poor and disenfranchised around the globe, Lex Mundi's Foundation will provide them with access to first class legal advice," said Carl Anduri, President of Lex Mundi. "Social entrepreneurs are innovative and inspiring leaders who use entrepreneurial approaches to solve social problems in neighborhoods, communities, regions and countries throughout the world. By providing them critically needed legal assistance, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation joins the global social entrepreneurship movement for positive social change."
Lex Mundi (www.lexmundi.com), established in 1989, is the world's leading association of independent law firms. Its membership consists of one top-tier commercial law firm in each state in the US, each province in Canada, and most countries in the rest of the world.
VanCott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy is the Lex Mundi firm in Utah.
"We are delighted to play a role in this much needed worldwide initiative," said Stephen D. Swindle, VanCott's Managing Partner. "We are proud to be a member of Lex Mundi. The establishment of this Foundation by Lex Mundi and the work it is poised to accomplish around the world will afford us new opportunities to leverage our resources for the public good. We look forward to being able to contribute to our communities and to this Foundation's global successes in the future."
The 160 member law firms of Lex Mundi have more than 16,000 lawyers in 560 offices in 100 countries. The law firms and lawyers are indigenous to their respective jurisdictions--that is, they are not branch offices of US or UK global firms. In terms of quality, geographic reach and access to the world's legal systems, cultures and languages, the Lex Mundi network is an unparalleled tool for delivering pro bono legal services to social entrepreneurs.
The Foundation also announced collaborative arrangements with several of the leading foundations and organizations supporting social entrepreneurs, including Acumen Fund, New York City; Ashoka Innovators for the Public and Ashoka Advocates for Social Entrepreneurs, Alexandria, Virginia; Avina Foundation, San Jose, Costa Rica; Draper Richards Foundation, San Francisco, California; Echoing Green, New York City; European Venture Philanthropy Association, London; Global Fund for Children, Washington DC; Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Geneva; Social Enterprise Alliance, Shoreline, Washington; and Venture Philanthropy Partners, Washington D.C.
"We applaud Lex Mundi's public service initiative and the creation of this extremely valuable resource for social entrepreneurs," said Pamela Hartigan, Managing Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Bill Drayton, founder of Ashoka Innovators for the Public and known as the father of the social entrepreneurship movement, said, "Beyond serving social entrepreneurs in their countries of origin, the Lex Mundi network has the ability to tap partner firms internationally, creating a global base of assistance that can assist individual social entrepreneurs to expand their work beyond their original countries."
The Foundation already has arranged for Lex Mundi member firm lawyers to provide free legal assistance to more than 30 social entrepreneurs. Lex Mundi lawyers have:
The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, headquartered in Washington, DC. Its President is Carl Anduri, who is also President of Lex Mundi. Mr. Anduri was formerly co-head of the international practice group at Morrison & Foerster LLP, the California member of Lex Mundi.
The full-time Managing Director of the Foundation is David Roll, former chair of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Lex Mundi's member firm in Washington, DC. Mr. Roll has been a partner at Steptoe & Johnson for more than 25 years, specializing in antitrust and administrative law and litigation.
The Foundation will be guided by an advisory board consisting of distinguished leaders drawn from the social entrepreneurship sector and rule of law communities.
Mr. Roll commented, "Even though we have just started, I am impressed by the willingness and enthusiasm of busy Lex Mundi member firm lawyers to pitch in and provide these social entrepreneurs with their very best assistance and advice."
The Foundation is supported by voluntary contributions from Lex Mundi member law firms and grants from two of the world's preeminent foundations -- the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Shell Foundation.
VanCott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy, established in 1874, provides comprehensive business, litigation, tax and natural resource services to corporate clients and individuals. In addition to the offices located in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Park City, Utah, VanCott is the exclusive member firm for Utah of Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms (www.lexmundi.org). Additional information can be found at www.vancott.com.
Lex Mundi Member Law Firms and Packard and Shell Foundations Provide Seed Funding
For more information, contact:
Stephen D. Swindle, VanCott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy - 801.237.0276
Jamie Moss, 1.201.493.1027
Kathleen Pope-Sance 1.713.328.4521
(New York, June 16, 2006) -- Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms, today announced the creation of a charitable foundation to support international pro bono projects.
The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation (www.lexmundiprobono.org) will call upon the organization's global network of 160 top-tier commercial law firms to provide free legal assistance to social entrepreneurs around the world. The
Foundation will strengthen the rule of law by organizing teams of experts from Lex Mundi's member firms to help design and implement selected reform projects.
"As social entrepreneurs improve the lives of the poor and disenfranchised around the globe, Lex Mundi's Foundation will provide them with access to first class legal advice," said Carl Anduri, President of Lex Mundi. "Social entrepreneurs are innovative and inspiring leaders who use entrepreneurial approaches to solve social problems in neighborhoods, communities, regions and countries throughout the world. By providing them critically needed legal assistance, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation joins the global social entrepreneurship movement for positive social change."
Lex Mundi (www.lexmundi.com), established in 1989, is the world's leading association of independent law firms. Its membership consists of one top-tier commercial law firm in each state in the US, each province in Canada, and most countries in the rest of the world.
VanCott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy is the Lex Mundi firm in Utah.
"We are delighted to play a role in this much needed worldwide initiative," said Stephen D. Swindle, VanCott's Managing Partner. "We are proud to be a member of Lex Mundi. The establishment of this Foundation by Lex Mundi and the work it is poised to accomplish around the world will afford us new opportunities to leverage our resources for the public good. We look forward to being able to contribute to our communities and to this Foundation's global successes in the future."
The 160 member law firms of Lex Mundi have more than 16,000 lawyers in 560 offices in 100 countries. The law firms and lawyers are indigenous to their respective jurisdictions--that is, they are not branch offices of US or UK global firms. In terms of quality, geographic reach and access to the world's legal systems, cultures and languages, the Lex Mundi network is an unparalleled tool for delivering pro bono legal services to social entrepreneurs.
The Foundation also announced collaborative arrangements with several of the leading foundations and organizations supporting social entrepreneurs, including Acumen Fund, New York City; Ashoka Innovators for the Public and Ashoka Advocates for Social Entrepreneurs, Alexandria, Virginia; Avina Foundation, San Jose, Costa Rica; Draper Richards Foundation, San Francisco, California; Echoing Green, New York City; European Venture Philanthropy Association, London; Global Fund for Children, Washington DC; Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Geneva; Social Enterprise Alliance, Shoreline, Washington; and Venture Philanthropy Partners, Washington D.C.
"We applaud Lex Mundi's public service initiative and the creation of this extremely valuable resource for social entrepreneurs," said Pamela Hartigan, Managing Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Bill Drayton, founder of Ashoka Innovators for the Public and known as the father of the social entrepreneurship movement, said, "Beyond serving social entrepreneurs in their countries of origin, the Lex Mundi network has the ability to tap partner firms internationally, creating a global base of assistance that can assist individual social entrepreneurs to expand their work beyond their original countries."
The Foundation already has arranged for Lex Mundi member firm lawyers to provide free legal assistance to more than 30 social entrepreneurs. Lex Mundi lawyers have:
- Developed an intellectual property rights strategy for a Colombian social entrepreneur who intends to distribute educational products throughout South America;
- Assisted social entrepreneurs with registrations, incorporation and financing advice in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Mauritius
- Helped a children's rural poverty program based in the Netherlands prepare a MOU for roll-out of new programs in 15 developing countries;
- Established a non-profit corporation and provided related advice to a renowned conflict resolution leader in the US; and,
- Provided litigation assistance to a consumer organization in South America.
The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, headquartered in Washington, DC. Its President is Carl Anduri, who is also President of Lex Mundi. Mr. Anduri was formerly co-head of the international practice group at Morrison & Foerster LLP, the California member of Lex Mundi.
The full-time Managing Director of the Foundation is David Roll, former chair of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Lex Mundi's member firm in Washington, DC. Mr. Roll has been a partner at Steptoe & Johnson for more than 25 years, specializing in antitrust and administrative law and litigation.
The Foundation will be guided by an advisory board consisting of distinguished leaders drawn from the social entrepreneurship sector and rule of law communities.
Mr. Roll commented, "Even though we have just started, I am impressed by the willingness and enthusiasm of busy Lex Mundi member firm lawyers to pitch in and provide these social entrepreneurs with their very best assistance and advice."
The Foundation is supported by voluntary contributions from Lex Mundi member law firms and grants from two of the world's preeminent foundations -- the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Shell Foundation.
VanCott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy, established in 1874, provides comprehensive business, litigation, tax and natural resource services to corporate clients and individuals. In addition to the offices located in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Park City, Utah, VanCott is the exclusive member firm for Utah of Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms (www.lexmundi.org). Additional information can be found at www.vancott.com.