Corporate Responsibility
Pro Bono & Law Reform Activities
We believe in using our resources to serve the greater good. Over the last three years we have contributed over 2,000 hours to pro-bono activities. We have a dedicated pro-bono committee which vets initiatives proposed by lawyers to ensure that we are supporting quality programs in a meaningful way. The pro-bono committee and firm encourage and support our lawyers in doing pro-bono work with various organizations. We contribute to making legal services available to those who would otherwise be unable to access them. Pro Bono Law BC has described our firm as “a strong supporter of pro-bono legal services.”
Throughout the firm’s history, Lawson Lundell has recognized its duties to both the legal profession and the larger community. Our lawyers have filled executive positions in many legal organizations, including the presidencies of the Law Society of British Columbia, the Canadian Bar Association and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Our lawyers are frequent speakers to both professional and business groups and volunteer their time as instructors in legal training programs. Several of our lawyers have also assisted in drafting sample legislation and amendments to legislation.
Community
Giving back is important to us. Over the years, our very committed and generous lawyers and staff fundraise for, participate in, and give to, worthwhile charities and non-profits in our communities. We launched LawsonGives, which provides us with an opportunity to bring our community involvement together across all of our offices. For example, the firm’s annual United Way campaign is widely supported by the staff and lawyers and the firm matches staff contributions in many of our charitable activities. In recent years, the firm has raised donations for the Canadian Red Cross to support relief efforts, including for those affected by forest fires in British Columbia and Alberta.
We ensure our contributions reach various segments of our community, including children and youth, arts, education, health, services and international fundraisers.
Our staff and lawyers are committed to donating their time to the community through serving on the boards of charities, non-profits and community organizations. They serve as directors and members of associations that keep us connected to our clients' industries as well as the legal profession including: Vancouver Board of Trade, Business Council of British Columbia and Family Services of Greater Vancouver.
Sustainability
At Lawson Lundell we are committed to environmental and social responsibility and to adopting measures aimed at reducing our environmental footprint, through waste reduction, energy efficiency and minimizing potential impacts on the environment. We have developed an Environmental Responsibility Program (ERP) for the firm. The ERP identifies measures and sets objectives for:
- paper reduction;
- waste reduction and recycling;
- environmentally responsible product purchases;
- increasing energy efficiency; and
- reducing our carbon footprint.