MELA-2018_Winners-19April2018-29-CSR-Initiative-of-the-Year

Finalists: BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates; Dentons; Eversheds Sutherland (Highly Commended); Morgan Lewis & Bockius.

Clyde & Co emerged as the CSR Initiative of the Year award winner for its Clyde & Community programme that provides pro bono legal services to charities, non-profits and individuals in need across the MENA region.

To underscore the firm's commitment to the programme, fee earners can claim up to 50 hours of pro bono work per year towards their chargeable hours targets. That has encouraged the firm's MENA team to put in more than 1,600 hours of pro bono support during the past 12 months (the firm also has a dedicated pro bono counsel in the region, and senior partners monitor the impact of the programme).

That work has ranged from providing structuring and registration advice to a host of non-profit and humanitarian organisations, such as the UAE Network for the UN Global Contact and the water conservation group Surge, to providing employment advice to MigrantRights.org and Manzil special needs school.

The initiative is also intended to help develop the region's non-profit sector and regulatory regime through, for instance, participating in a working group to draft a UAE law on social enterprises, and other consultation meetings.

"A clear philosophy and vision [with a] legitimate Middle East focus. The CSR contributions have been clearly quantified and span across a wide range of causes," commended a judge.