Linklaters spent around £8m on pro bono activities during the last financial year, equating to around 63,750 hours invested by its lawyers in community and voluntary work.

The figures, contained within the firm's annual corporate responsibly report, mark Linklaters out as one of the few UK law firms to place a value on its non-profit efforts.

The number of hours spent firmwide on pro bono work by the firm's staff and lawyers has seen an 86% increase over the last two years, with the 2009-10 total rising from 45,710 in 2008-09 to almost double the 34,350 hours recorded in 2007-08.

The report also states that 41% of the firm's employees and partners undertook pro bono and other voluntary work during the 2009-10 financial year. During 2008-09, around a third of the firm's staff were involved in voluntary activity.

Linklaters also paid out £2.5m in charitable donations during 2009-10, which is in line with the firm's policy of donating 0.5% of pre-tax profit at the end of each financial year. Over the last year the firm also reduced its environmental impact, decreasing its greenhouse gas emissions by 6%, waste by 15%, and paper use by 34%.

For the 2010-11 financial year Linklaters has set targets to achieve a more diverse partnership as well as increase partner involvement in pro bono activities.

Partnership secretary and director of corporate responsibility Oonagh Harpur (pictured) commented: "The report sets out the steps we are taking to deliver on our corporate responsibilities, reflecting on some of our recent successes and setting out our plans to make further measurable improvements in order to achieve our goal of having enduring relationships with our clients, our colleagues and our communities."

She added: "We also hope to achieve our goal of having one in four of our staff members in each office undertaking pro bono and voluntary work by 2011."

Earlier this year, Clifford Chance estimated the value of its annual firmwide pro bono activities at £17m; however, the firm's calculations were based on chargeout rates, rather than the cost to the firm as in the case of Linklaters.