The Vance Center is pleased to announce the addition of seven new signatories to the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas (PBDA), a unique accord that promotes and strengthens a culture of pro bono work across Latin America’s legal landscape. The new signatory firms are: Blanco Carrillo – Mexico Coz & Blavi Abogados – Chile Escandón Abogados – Colombia Flor Bustamante Pizarro Hurtado Abogados – Ecuador M.J. Alves, Burle e Viana Advogados – Brazil Parra Rodríguez Abogados – Colombia Robles Miaja Abogados – Mexico Established by the Vance Center in 2008, the PBDA commits signatories to an average of at... read more
Post tagged in "Latin America"
Vance Center-Latin Lawyer Survey Recognizes Firms Leading Pro Bono Practice in Latin America
Posted on December 2, 2023In November, Latin Lawyer published the results of its 16th annual survey of pro bono practice in Latin America, conducted jointly with the Vance Center. Participation in the survey continued to grow, with 209 firms from 18 countries submitting responses. The Vance Center and Latin Lawyer recognized 64 of the respondents as “Leading Lights,” firms making a noteworthy contribution to strengthening a culture of pro bono in Latin America. The 2023 survey results show that a growing number of firms are taking steps to formalize their commitments to pro bono work. These efforts include implementing systems to set objectives... read more
Vance Center Joins Pro Bono Celebrations in Argentina and Mexico
Posted on October 12, 2023Participants in Pro Bono Week in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 3-5, 2023. Photo: Vance Center From October 3-5, the Pro Bono Commission organized nine panels on key issues for pro bono practice in Argentina and the region, including children, access to justice, ESG, media freedom, new technologies, reproductive rights, gender, and diversity. Chávez Alor moderated a panel on the role of pro bono advocacy in combating corruption and generating change for accountability and transparency, with speakers José Martínez de Hoz, Partner at MHR Abogados; Pablo Secchi, Executive Director of Poder Ciudadano; Ignacio Meggiolaro, Partner at MBP Partners; and Guillermo Jorge,... read more
Vance Center Co-Authors Report Analyzing El Salvador’s Virtual Assets Ecosystem
Posted on October 20, 2023In 2021, El Salvador became the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Two years later, the country has undergone significant technological change and growth, faced operational and regulatory challenges, and learned a tremendous amount in the process – but to date, there are few independent assessments examining these developments, lessons learned and next steps. To address this information gap, the Vance Center and GFI on October 18 released the report “The Virtual Assets Ecosystem in El Salvador: Strengthening Financial Integrity and Transparency,” available in English and Spanish. The executive summary is also available in both... read more
Vance Center Produces Assessments of Judicial Independence in 4 Latin American Countries
Posted on September 29, 2023Over the last two months, the Vance Center, in coordination with the Latin American Federation of Judges (FLAM) and local judges’ associations, produced country-specific assessments of judicial independence in Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia, building on a series that kicked off with the first assessment, of Bolivia, in March 2023. In a parallel series of virtual events to launch the assessments for each country, judges and experts have discussed the main conclusions, as well as ideas on how to confront attacks and address institutional challenges. Each assessment includes a basic outline of the legal and institutional framework that establishes rules... read more