Our Responsibility to Society

Reaching Out to Our Community

Giving back to our community is important to our firm. In Drew & Napier, our colleagues are encouraged to utilize their skills and talents to make a positive impact in our society. As a firm believer in justice and equal opportunities for all, our corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme is structured into three components:

  1. Pro Bono, where our lawyers provide world-class legal expertise to selected charities, non-profits, and individuals who otherwise cannot afford it.
  2. Charities, where our lawyers and staff work together to support children charities and help improve the lives of their beneficiaries.
  3. Secondment, where we provide financial support or headcount to The Law Society’s Criminal Legal Aid Scheme Fellowship.

Pro Bono

Drew & Napier strongly believes in fairness and justice for those who might not have the right resources.

Many of our lawyers provide pro bono services on cases from Legal Aid Bureau and The Law Society’s Criminal Legal Aid Scheme. Our lawyers also provide free advice at legal clinics, assist charities with their registration procedures and agreements and act for accused individuals without means.

The pro bono department is guided by lawyers active on our CSR Committee. Each lawyer from the CSR Committee dedicates a minimum of 50 hours to Pro Bono work yearly. Other Drew lawyers regularly commit 25 hours or more a year. All our lawyers’ Pro Bono efforts are considered when we assess their contribution to the firm.

A few examples of the Pro Bono assistance we have provided to charities:

  • set up the Asian division of the well-known Asian Venture Philanthropy Network;
  • advised on the legal requirements of non-profit organisations for the Thomson Reuters Foundation;
  • relocated the world’s largest alliance of conservation groups, Birdlife International, from Japan to Singapore. BirdLife has operations on 6 continents and more than 2.7 million members;
  • registered the Base of Pyramid Hub as a charity; and
  • set up the Singapore operations of the UK’s Marine Stewardship Council of the UK.

Charities

Our colleagues strive to bridge gaps by helping our beneficiaries improve their quality of life.

We have sponsored, organised and attended activities at 8 children’s homes and charities for more than 19 years. In that time we have helped to:

  • organise regular activities such as zoo visits and cycling trips;
  • finance their upgrading projects;
  • organise year end Christmas Parties with presents for every child who attends;
  • donate motorized wheelchairs and medical devices like portable oxygen tanks, and support frames for the children from Make A Wish Foundation; and
  • finance The Salvation Army’s “Back to School” project at the beginning of each year for needy children.

Secondment

Drew & Napier is committed to nurturing and developing our local lawyers’ expertise and character in pro bono work. Through our financial support and the support of the others in the legal community, The Law Society’s Criminal Legal Aid Scheme is now been able to engage full time fellows to work on a wide spectrum of cases and assist people from all walks of life. We contribute to this fellowship as we understand the difference this can make in someone’s life.

Recognition

Our firm believes in keeping our efforts low key, but some of it does not go unnoticed. We received the following accolades for our contribution to the community. 

  • Trustlaw Awards 2014
    Impact Award
     
  • The Law Society
    Certificate of Appreciation – volunteering with Community Legal Clinics since 2007
    Certificate of Appreciation – donation to Justice for All (10 January 2015)
    Certificate of Appreciation – for valuable contribution (presented during Law Awareness Week @ CDC 2016)
     
  • Legal Aid Bureau
    Best Contribution from Law Firm Award (2012, 2014, 2016, 2017)