In the aftermath of the June 14, 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, White & Case joined a collective effort among law firms to provide legal support to residents.
Several law firms from the UK Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono, of which White & Case is a founding member, joined forces to assist the North Kensington Law Centre (NKLC), which is located beside the tower and was inundated with requests for advice.
Our lawyers visited NKLC to provide triage support, and we have been helping residents replace key documentation lost in the fire, such as passports and medical papers. “In the immediate aftermath of the incident, NKLC needed to focus on providing specialist legal advice,” says partner Marcus Booth, who leads our pro bono work in London. “A lack of paperwork can cause real difficulties for things like obtaining prescriptions, getting medical treatment, setting up bank accounts and accessing higher education. We are committed to helping the former residents of the tower with their ongoing legal needs on a pro bono basis.”
Our response included financial assistance to the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund administered by the London Community Foundation, which is working directly on the ground.
Global Citizenship manager Sophie Orr coordinated the Firm’s response. “The level of interest in helping within the Firm has been inspiring, with many of our lawyers keen to play a role to assist those affected,” says Sophie.