L a w y e r s H e l p i n g S o c i a l E n t r e p r e n e u r s C h a n g e T h e W o r l d

The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation calls upon Lex Mundi’s unique global network of 160 top-tier commercial law fi rms to provide legal assistance to select “social entrepreneurs” on a pro bono basis. By providing social entrepreneurs with access to critically needed legal assistance, the Foundation joins the global social entrepreneur movement for positive social change.

The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation also aims to strengthen the rule of law by organizing teams of legal experts to help design and implement selected international legal reform projects.

Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law fi rms, has created a powerful vehicle for the delivery of pro bono legal services.

What is a Social Entrepreneur?

A social entrepreneur is a change maker – an innovative leader who uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve social problems in communities, regions, countries and sometimes the whole world.

Social entrepreneurs act on powerful ideas to improve the lives of the poor and disenfranchised through non-profi t and profi t-oriented enterprises.

There are hundreds of successful social entrepreneurs working for positive social and economic change throughout the world. Examples are:

Ciudad Saludable, the brainchild of Albina Ruiz, has turned waste collection in slum areas into a profitable enterprise, providing employment for thousands of community members. As a result of its work, health and living conditions have improved for the 3 million low income people it serves.

Barefoot College, founded by Bunker Roy, turns rural high school “dropouts” into “barefoot” doctors, engineers, architects, teachers and IT specialists, bringing the benefits of improved technologies to hundreds of thousands across India.

gain

KickStart designs, produces and sells low cost

technologies to rural entrepreneurs in some of

the world’s poorest markets, allowing them to

start thousands of small-scale businesses. As a

result of KickStart’s work, employment and living

conditions of millions of low income people have

been improved.

Technology makes a difference to rural entrepreneurs.

WHO WE ARE

The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profi t corporation organized under the laws of the District of Columbia. The Foundation is an affi liate of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law fi rms.

WHAT WE DO

The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation is a “matchmaker” and does not practice law. Drawing upon Lex Mundi’s global network of 160 top-tier business law fi rms, the Foundation fi nds experienced lawyers willing to provide pro bono legal services to social entrepreneurs. At this time, only those social entrepreneurs that have been vetted, endorsed and/or supported by one or more of the Foundation’s Collaborators are eligible for pro bono legal services arranged by the Foundation. Social entrepreneurs then decide whether to retain or engage Lex Mundi lawyers who have been introduced by the Foundation.

The Foundation also mobilizes teams of Lex Mundi member lawyers to strengthen laws supporting social entrepreneurship and uses the Lex Mundi network to provide instruction and training to social entrepreneurs in basic business law and how to effectively use lawyers.

WHY WE DO IT

The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation and the law fi rms and lawyers who are members of Lex Mundi

seek to defi ne and embody the highest ideals of the

legal profession and to remain at the forefront of the

profession. We believe that along with the privileges

conferred upon the legal profession we have a

corresponding obligation to ensure access to justice

and to promote the rule of law.

We choose to assist social entrepreneurs because

they have enormous positive impact on the poor and

disenfranchised and because they need the services of

top tier business law fi rms – which precisely matches

the defi ning characteristic of Lex Mundi membership.

By promoting the delivery of pro bono legal services

to these social and economic change makers, we are

ensuring greater access to justice systems all around

the world and at the same time we are strengthening

the rule of law.

OUR LEADERSHIP

The President of the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation is

Carl Anduri, who is also the President of Lex Mundi, and

the Foundation’s Board of Directors is comprised of the

same individuals who serve on the Executive Committee

of Lex Mundi.

The day-to-day operations and activities of the Lex

Mundi Pro Bono Foundation are supervised and

administered by its Managing Director, Chloe B.

Holderness, and its Associate Director, David L. Roll.

The Lex Mundi network provides social entrepreneurs with access to world-class legal advice.

growth

CAMBIA and BIOS, operated by Richard Jef-

ferson, pioneers an open source system to

transform the way biotechnological innovation

is carried out, allowing local scientists and

breeders to improve agricultural productivity and

profitability in developing countries.

Local scientists improve agricultural productivity and profi tability in developing countries.

One World Health, led by Dr. Victoria Hale, is the

world’s first non-profit pharmaceutical company

to complete new drug development for diseases

of the world’s poorest people. Donated IP from

pharma and biotech companies is the backbone

for further drug development and deployment for

those most in need.

Donated IP from pharma and biotech companies is the backbone for further drug development.

progress

OUR PROJECTS

The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation matches social entrepreneurs with Lex Mundi member law fi rms and lawyers around the globe. Projects are coming in daily as the word spreads throughout the social entrepreneurship community.

Our lawyers have an obligation to ensure access to justice and to promote the rule of law.

Among the projects staffed by Lex Mundi lawyers as a result of introductions by the Foundation are the following:

Establish non-profi t corporation and provide related advice for a renowned confl ict resolution leader

Develop intellectual property rights strategy for distribution of educational products in South America

Assist Ecuadorian social entrepreneur stop pirated broadcast of environmental program in the US

Draft complaint for suit by consumer organization against transit authority

Advise Algerian delegation on franchising legislation to spur economic development and provide jobs in poor areas

Provide corporate restructuring advice to high fashion Fair Trade enterprise in London and Tokyo

Help children’s rural poverty program based in the Netherlands prepare MOU for rollout of new program in 15 developing countries

Advise leading social entrepreneurship sponsor on foreign investment restrictions in various developing countries

Assist US social entrepreneur incorporate a subsidiaryin Indonesia

Provide loan structuring, banking and tax advice to affordable reading glass entrepreneur who is borrowing and then re-lending funds to affi liate in Hyderabad, India

Advise US social entrepreneur on patents and licensing of technology providing online tools to connect social entrepreneurs with philanthropic organizations

Provide corporate and registration advice to organization that helps African children learn about HIV/AIDS prevention through soccer program and access to soccer stars

Negotiate literary rights permissions from publishers on behalf of social entrepreneur that distributes books to the disabled

Set up governance and standards/accreditation procedures for organization that certifi es low cost, lead free battery technology

OUR MEMBER LAW FIRMS

To locate lawyers who will provide pro bono legal services to social entrepreneurs, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation draws upon the law fi rms that are members of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law fi rms.

Lex Mundi has 160 member fi rms, representing more than 21,000 lawyers located in 100 countries around the world. Each member fi rm is a leading, full-service commercial law fi rm that provides quality legal representation and client service as well as in-depth local market knowledge.

Many Lex Mundi member fi rms have a well established pro bono program in place and/or have been providing pro bono legal services to those in need for years. A number of member fi rms and their lawyers have also received awards and recognition for their outstanding pro bono accomplishments.

OUR BENEFACTORS

Those who have provided support for the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation include:

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation,

The Shell Foundation,

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation,

The Lemelson Foundation,

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,

The Kellogg Action Lab, and

Lex Mundi member law fi rms and their lawyers.

The Lex Mundi network is an unparalleled tool for the delivery of pro bono legal services.

vitality

PATH, headed by Dr. Christopher Elias, works

in more than 100 countries in the areas of

reproductive health; vaccines and immunization;

HIV, AIDS, and tuberculosis; and children’s health

and nutrition. It has developed and distributed

cost-effective technologies that have saved the

lives of millions.

Developing and distributing cost-effective technologies that have saved the lives of millions.

reformProperty rights reform leads to wealth creation.

Responding to calls for legal reform in less

developed areas of the world, the Lex Mundi

Pro Bono Foundation provides guidance on

legal reform initiatives including property rights

reform.

OUR COLLABORATORS

The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation has established working relationships with outstanding foundations and organizations that provide sponsorship and support, fi nancial and otherwise, to the growing community of social entrepreneurs throughout the world. These relationships are designed to inform social entrepreneurs about the availability of pro bono legal services through the Foundation and the Lex Mundi network and to establish a referral process by which requests for pro bono legal services by social entrepreneurs can be handled.

At this time, only those social entrepreneurs that have been vetted, endorsed and/or supported by one or more of the Foundation’s Collaborators are eligible for pro bono legal services arranged by the Foundation.

The Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation has established formal and informal working relationships with the following social entrepreneurship organizations:

” We applaud Lex Mundi’s public service initiative and the creation of this extremely valuable resource for social entre-preneurs.” Pamela Hartigan, Managing Director, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship

Ashoka Innovators for the PublicAshoka Advocates for Social EntrepreneursArlington, Virginia, USA

The Acumen FundNew York, New York, USA

The Avina FoundationSan José, Costa Rica

Draper Richards FoundationSan Francisco, California, USA

Echoing GreenNew York, New York, USA

EndeavorNew York, New York, USA

Global Fund for ChildrenWashington, DC, USA

Global Social Benefi t Incubator (GSBI)Santa Clara, California, USA

Grameen FoundationWashington, DC, USA

The Lemelson FoundationPortland, Oregon, USA

LGT Venture PhilanthropyZurich, Switzerland

Mercy CorpsPortland, Oregon, USA

National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA)Hadley, Massachusetts, USA

New Profi t Inc.Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

New Zealand Social Entrepreneur FellowshipNew Plymouth, New Zealand

NYU Stern School of BusinessNew York, New York, USA

Schwab Foundation for Social EntrepreneurshipCologny/Geneva, Switzerland

The Skoll FoundationPalo Alto, California, USA

Stanford Graduate School of BusinessStanford, California, USA

Teach For AmericaNew York, New York, USA

The Tech AwardsSan Jose, California, USA

UN Commission on Legal Empowerment of the PoorNew York, New York, USA

World Bank Development MarketplaceWashington, DC, USA

Venture Philanthropy PartnersWashington, DC, USA

www.lexmundiprobono.org

The future plans of the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation are limited only by our imagination.

CONTACT USDavid L. RollAssociate DirectorLex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation1330 Connecticut Ave. NWWashington, DC 20036 USATel: 1.202.429.8169Fax: 1.202.429.3902droll@lexmundiprobono.org

Chloe Brooke HoldernessManaging DirectorLex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation2001 K Street, NWSuite 400Washington, DC 20006-1040 USATel: 1.202.429.1630Fax: 1.202.857.1737cholderness@lexmundiprobono.org

Lex Mundi2100 West Loop South, Suite 1000Houston, Texas 77027 USATel: 1.713.626.9393Fax: 1.713.626.9933www.lexmundi.com

FUTURE PLANS

The number of lawyers in Lex Mundi member law fi rms is now more than 21,000 and is expected to continue to increase in the future. At the same time, there are strong indications that the obligation of all lawyers to provide pro bono legal services is spreading throughout the global legal profession.

Given these trends, the commitment of Lex Mundi to remain at the forefront of the legal profession, and the goal of the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation to become one of the world’s premier pro bono legal services organizations...our future plans are limited only by our imagination.

While its primary focus is to continue to play a leading role in supporting the global social entrepreneurship movement, the Foundation plans to extend its reach and embark on the following exciting initiatives, including:

Building an innovative new on-line interactive legal resource for the social sector called “LawForChange™”;

Helping to establish and strengthen the rule of law in developing countries