We are thrilled to announce that Travers Smith has been awarded Pro Bono Company of the Year at the Better Society Awards, for our work in tackling domestic abuse and human trafficking.
Travers Smith has been representing victims of domestic abuse for over a decade. This has included launching our Domestic Violence Advocacy Unit in 2020 to take referrals from the National Centre for Domestic Violence and the subsequent creation of the Domestic Abuse Response Alliance (DARA) in February of this year. DARA is an alliance of seven leading global firms who provide pro bono legal advice and representation to survivors of domestic abuse in need of protective injunctions.
The firm has also been supporting human trafficking charity, Justice & Care, since 2020. This work has included defending a civil action brought by a trafficker against his victim as well as filing criminal injury compensation applications on behalf of other victims. In each of the latter cases, given the sensitivities of the abuse suffered by our clients, we have put together all female legal teams.
Sam Cottman, Director of Pro Bono, said: "Last year Travers Smith dedicated over 6,000 hours to our work combatting domestic abuse and human trafficking. The impact of this work on our clients is truly life-changing. I am extremely proud of all those involved at the firm, and delighted that our efforts have been recognised by the Better Society Awards. The firm remains dedicated to combatting violence against women and girls, and we are committed to accelerating our work in this space in the coming months through DARA."
Travers Smith's pro bono work also won Legal Business' CSR Programme of the Year Award in 2021 in recognition of our work in this sector.
