An event in Dublin has put the spotlight on how preventive, transactional legal support — on matters including governance, structuring, contracts and compliance — can strengthen charities, NGOs, and social enterprises, and how corporate and transactional lawyers can engage in a practical and sustainable way.

Held in partnership with The Wheel and Irish Legal News, and sponsored by global law firm Dentons, the “Transactional Pro Bono: Turning Corporate Skills into Social Impact” event brought together speakers from Arthur Cox, The Bar of Ireland, the Irish Red Cross, the Irish Social Enterprise Network and The Wheel.

Chris Gordon, CEO of the Irish Social Enterprise Network, told the audience: “There are about 30,000 community and voluntary sector organisations in Ireland, making up around 10 per cent of the workforce… but they don’t have the economic weight to be able to hire all the perfect lawyers to do all the things they need.”

Marcus Keane, head of compliance and legal affairs at the Irish Red Cross, echoed that point, highlighting that charities “are fundamentally organisations like any other” but have more restricted resources, often managing project-based budgets which cannot be spent on essential operational needs.

Gemma McLoughlin-Burke BL, co-ordinator of The Bar of Ireland’s Voluntary Assistance Scheme (VAS), sought to dispel the misconception that the scheme’s work is focused largely on litigation.

“In fact, I’d say only about 30 per cent of our queries are litigation-based,” she said. “The rest are looking for advisory opinions in relation to various legal matters, and there’s quite a large section of work coming in relation to governance and compliance issues.”

She added: “We are dependent on solicitors coming to us and saying that they want to assist us.”

John McBride, governance and compliance manager at The Wheel, said many charities feel the need to update their constitutions amid the gradual enactment of the Charities (Amendment) Act 2024.

“Organisations are really realising that they need to get their constitution up-to-date and to do it quickly to make sure that they’re compliant with the law once it is fully enacted,” he said.

Eleni Stavrou, an associate in the corporate department at Arthur Cox, shared how pro bono work has been central to her professional development.

“The skills that I build through our pro bono work have made me a better commercial lawyer,” she said. “And the impact helping an organisation secure its legal foundation so ti can thrive, that’s really what stays with you.

“Whether you’re an organisation seeking legal support or a lawyer, I would wholeheartedly encourage you to get involved.”

Last week’s discussion was chaired by Tony O’Sullivan, real estate partner at Beauchamps and former president of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association (DSBA).

Commenting afterwards, independent event organiser and facilitator Laya Little, a trainee solicitor at Dentons, told Irish Legal News: “The panel was truly inspiring.

“The range of perspectives from across the charitable and social ecosystem highlighted not only how transactional pro bono work involves transferable skills, but also that there is a real need for legal professionals who want to contribute in this space.

“The strong turnout demonstrated how engaging pro bono work can be and showcased a genuine appetite within the legal community to learn and become more involved.

“It makes me hopeful for the future of this practice area and excited about the potential for more events like this.”