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Download 2021 Pro Bono Report ANNUAL REPORT 2021 18 Equipping vulnerable youth and children with life skills Ishishini Letu Workshop - CAOSA - Highlighting In support of communities - 08 Basic conditions of 16 the access to justice gap 17 Covid-19 pandemic employment in South Africa initiatives Contents CONTENTS 06 INTRODUCTION 04 Chairman’s Foreword 04 The Year in Review 05 Awards and Recognition 06 ProBono.Org Director’s Special Mention Award 06 Barcamp for Justice – Part of a Winning Solution 06 Lifetime Achievement Award for Fatima Laher 06 2020 Annual Celebration 07 FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD 08 10 Ishishini Lethu Workshops 08 Due Diligence for Yunus Social Business 08 Terms and Conditions for BlueAvo’s Digital Marketplace 08 Partnership Agreement for Bashia Investments 09 Financing Alliance for Health Established as a Non-Profit Entity 09 Advice on Accessing Government Support 09 Research for Integrate Health 09 Support for Business Unity South Africa 09 ' During the financial year ending on 28 February 2021, Bowmans invested 10 745 hours valued at ZAR 35 276 146 in pro bono work. 17 ' 02 Contents In the Courts 10 Zanchieta Wild Cat Farm V Blood Lions Npc & Three Others 10 South African Human Rights Commission v John Qwelane 10 Freedom From Interest v South African Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development 10 Kassimo Musa v Frimax Food 11 The Emergence of our Cross-Border Pro Bono Practice 12 IN THE FIGHT AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE 13 Our Pro Bono Efforts 13 Our CSR Efforts 15 IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY 16 Access-to-Justice Causes 16 COVID-19 Pandemic Initiatives 17 16 Child Welfare Charities 18 16 18 03 Introduction INTRODUCTION CHAIRMAN'S Despite the biggest global business interruption FOREWORD in living memory, precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued with our pro bono work and CSR initiatives throughout 2020 – albeit through different delivery mechanisms. s with the rest of our setting the scene for even greater Aoperations, it was technology collaboration in the future that came to the rescue when in- Combating gender-based violence person contact and events were out (GBV) was a key theme for 2020. of the question, enabling us to fulfil Our work in this area encompassed many of our mandates even in the training, litigation, research and midst of the pandemic. resource provision, among others. Robert Legh Chairman and Senior Partner Using technology, we held training I would like to extend thanks to workshops for small businesses, Fatima Laher, our Head of Pro Bono, provided legal services to various on behalf of the firm for the work national and international NPOs, and that she has done in ensuring our pro participated in major international bono and CSR efforts keep going research projects. from strength to strength. These research studies are the Thank you also to all those who most geographically expansive pro contributed their time, resources bono projects we have worked on and skills despite the challenges to date, giving further impetus to presented by 2020. the emergence of our cross-border Pro Bono Practice. The progress we are making in pooling our expertise across our offices was one of the most important highlights of 2020, Combating gender-based violence (GBV) was a key theme for 2020. Our work in this area encompassed training, litigation, research and resource provision, among others. 04 Introduction THE YEAR Bowmans' golden heart of giving IN REVIEW he hallmark of 2020 was the Tdeadly coronavirus pandemic, On the CSR front, we had to find new which made our working conditions and innovative ways to commit our very challenging. I am pleased and funding because we were unable to very thankful that this negative undertake any community outreaches situation brought out the best in as a result of the pandemic. We us - our pro bono investment is the collaborated with non-profit strongest to date as is evident by the organisations bringing relief to hours and value of services we have impoverished communities adversely invested across all of our offices. impacted by the lockdown measures, supporting charities working with Our pro bono focus remained the distribution of food and water, access to justice and we worked bringing about access to justice, with Community Advice Offices caring for vulnerable children and South Africa (CAOSA) and the Black helping victims of GBV. Sash to conclude our collaborative projects with them. In addition, as None of our work would be possible Fatima Laher you will read in this report, many without the unconditional support of Head of Pro Bono of our long-running public interest management and staff across all of matters have come, or will soon be our offices, who have demonstrated coming, to fruition. This is gratifying what I call their ‘Bowmans’ golden as many of these matters will heart of giving’ in what has been a positively impact society, particularly devastating year for so many across vulnerable groups. our continent. I would also like to acknowledge our other stakeholders The most exciting development and the many pro bono clearing for us this year is the emergence houses that we work with, for their of our cross-border Pro Bono continued collaboration. Practice. We worked with a number of international clearing houses on I trust you will find our report many interesting matters. interesting and informative. In South Africa, our work on GBV over the past eight years was recognised at ProBono.Org’s Annual Awards ceremony when we received the Director's Special Mention Award for our work in servicing the Domestic Violence Helpdesk in Randburg. 05 Introduction AWARDS AND RECOGNITION PROBONO.ORG DIRECTOR’S We received the award for our work SPECIAL MENTION AWARD in servicing the Domestic Violence PRO BONO 2020 Helpdesk at the Randburg Magistrate’s ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY Bowmans received the Director’s Court. Our lawyers have provided Special Mention Award at ProBono. additional capacity to the Court Org’s annual awards ceremony for since the inception of the project, Certificate of Recognition 2019 on 29 October 2020. helping victims of domestic violence for Pro Bono Hours to successfully apply for protection This certificate is awarded to: ProBono.Org awards recognise orders. Bowmans significant pro bono contributions made by lawyers and/or law firms In recognition and appreciation for the commitment and generous contribution of pro bono hours provided to during the year. ProBono.Org clients during 2019 Mohamed Randera Teresa Yates National Director Chair of the Board ProBono.Org 29 October 2020 BARCAMP FOR JUSTICE – PART Two of our lawyers, Deborah Sebola LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD OF A WINNING SOLUTION and Suhail Mohammed, were in the FOR FATIMA LAHER group named CASA, which was Two of our lawyers were part of identified as one of the two winners. Our Head of Pro Bono, Fatima Laher, a winning team identified at the received the 2020 South African ‘Barcamp for Justice’ Programme CASA identified the hostility and Professional Services (SAPS) Lifetime held by the Embassy of the administrative difficulty of the Achievement Award for Excellence in Netherlands and the Hague Institute criminal justice system as being Legal Pro Bono Management. for Innovation in Law (HiiL) from 5 to a barrier to holding perpetrators 9 October 2020. accountable. Their solution included According to the chair of the an electronic platform linking adjudication panel, Janette Minnaar, Many of our young lawyers GBV survivors with counsellors; SAPS awards are made ‘based on a host participated in the programme, which administrative support in initiating of attributes including demonstration of brought a variety of professionals proceedings and preserving leadership skills, changing of paradigms together to develop ideas to assist in evidence; and assisting survivors to and innovation within the bounds of the fight against GBV. obtain legal assistance by connecting available resources’. them with independent legal Participants diagnosed some of the representatives willing to act on a Lebo Monyatsi, head of Group Market issues underlying South Africa’s pro bono basis if required. Development and Stakeholder GBV crisis, and then collaboratively Relations at Sanlam, said that lifetime designed solutions to the issues. CASA will now look to establish itself achievement awards were given ‘to as a standalone entity to implement deserving recipients who had served Seven groups participated, two of its solution. their professions faithfully for many which were chosen as the winners. years’. Both groups received a grant of ZAR20 000 to assist in the Congratulations to Fatima for this well- development and implementation deserved recognition. of its solution. 06 Introduction From left to right: Chairman and Senior Partner, Robert Legh, Head of Pro Bono, Fatima Laher, and Managing Partner, Alan Keep 2020 ANNUAL CELEBRATION Our annual celebratory event, which was scheduled for 18 March 2020, was cancelled due to the Declaration of the State of Disaster in South Africa in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result we released our annual report for the 2019/20 financial year online. 07 For the Public Good FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD Our Ishishini Lethu project creates a support system for emerging businesses working to establish themselves. It also allows our commercial lawyers to contribute to the communities we operate in according to their areas of expertise. ISHISHINI LETHU WORKSHOPS Our contribution entailed conducting facilitates interaction in the marketing We held a series of pro bono a high-level due
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