DLA Piper lawyers worked alongside Pfizer Australia's in-house legal team to advice individuals
It has been a year since DLA Piper and Pfizer Australia have partnered with Refugee Legal to open a special legal clinic in response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Grant Koch, head of corporate at DLA Piper, said the group’s “collaborative and flexible approach” was what led to its quick establishment within days of the crisis emerging in August 2021.
Led by Refugee Legal, the clinic had DLA Piper lawyers working alongside Pfizer Australia’s in-house lawyers to provide advice for people from Afghanistan living in Australia who were hoping to bring other family members to safety. Refugee Legal had also trained volunteer lawyers to extend preliminary guidance to those in need of assistance given its specialisation in refugee and immigration law, policy, and procedure.
According to Koch, DLA Piper and Pfizer had managed to advise more than 230 people from Afghanistan over their year in operation, offering help in application processes to the requirements for reunification visas. The effort has turned both companies into recipients of the Pro Bono Partner Award by Pro Bono Institute.
“We are very proud of what this partnership has achieved, but while we are grateful for the opportunity to assist Refugee Legal, there are still many people out there who require legal assistance,” Koch said. “Hearing people’s stories of the crisis puts in perspective how lucky we are to live in a place like Australia, and helps remind us how important it is that those of us who are able to do so play our part to help those in need.”
In 2020, Pfizer committed to providing at least 20 hours of pro bono work per in-house lawyer a year. However, Rebecca Lacey, senior legal director at Pfizer Australia and New Zealand, noted it was the first time Pfizer participated in a clinic where advice is given to individuals.
“Assisting with the Afghanistan clinic has been a humbling experience and I am pleased Pfizer Australia is involved in such meaningful work,” Lacey said. “I hope it inspires more in-house teams to get involved in direct client representation with community legal centres like Refugee Legal as it is the most important pro bono work we can do.”
The legal clinic didn’t just involve lawyers from DLA Piper and Pfizer. Hundreds of lawyers from other organisations also stepped in to run pro bono support.
“We simply could not continue to do the work we do without the partnerships and collaboration of our pro bono partners,” David Manne, executive director of Refugee Legal, said. “Ultimately, so much of our work is powered by these partnerships – and the will of the community for decency and justice. There is a huge amount to be done and, with DLA Piper and Pfizer Australia’s support, we will work fearlessly to help shape change.”
