The combined firm says it is the first global law firm to write pro bono into its constitution, going beyond firm-wide policy.
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader says it has become the first global law firm to incorporate a formal commitment to pro bono and broader citizenship into its constitution. Under the new partnership deed, the partnership formally committed to pro bono work and support for the communities it serves. The firm is the combination of Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, which launched on July 1.
The commitment sits in the firm's governing framework alongside provisions covering the partnership's ownership, leadership and operations. Chief executive officer Miguel Zaldivar said: "By embedding pro bono in our constitution, we are making clear that creating positive impact is a fundamental part of who we are and how we define our success." He said the firm's 5-2-1 strategy sets out Our Society as one of five strategic priorities, with pro bono an important pillar.
In 2025, the firm's people contributed more than 256,000 Responsible Business hours worldwide, over 174,000 of them pro bono. Since 2015, the global citizenship policy has urged all Hogan Lovells lawyers and business services professionals to devote at least 25 hours a year to pro bono and citizenship activities. The firm says that expectation now covers the combined firm.
Lord Peter Goldsmith KC PC, a past UK attorney general and LawWorks chair, said the move "sets an excellent example for all lawyers operating in the UK". Yasmin Waljee OBE, international pro bono partner, said the constitutional commitment gives the firm the foundation to pursue impact at even greater scale across every office. The firm says her 1997 appointment was the first of its sort across Europe, as well as one of the first of its kind in the UK.
