Pro Bono in Canada

Pro Bono in Canada

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Please note: As Dentons Canada LLP does not practise family law or criminal law in most offices, such matters are outside the scope of our pro bono program.

Giving back to communities around us is a long-standing tradition at Dentons, and our people value the opportunity to handle pro bono matters for individuals and organizations with limited means. Our pro bono work contributes to our professional development and our professionals’ desire to make a long-lasting and positive impact on the communities we serve. Our dedication to pro bono services strengthens our positive and forward-thinking culture – a culture we believe has always been critical to our success.

In addition to the many individuals we have represented, we strive to develop relationships with organizations that help connect us with those in need. The following highlights some of our pro bono work.

Resources

National

Alberta

British Columbia

Ontario

Québec

Supporting our clients and communities during COVID-19

Across Canada, our team has been supporting our clients and our communities during these unprecedented times. Here are a few examples of how we help them navigate the pandemic and its effects.

Lawyers in our Vancouver office provided pro bono services to the Vancouver Pride Society, assisting with the online transition of the 2020 annual Pride Parade to VanVirtualPride, a week-long virtual celebration with workshops, educational programing and performances.
A lawyer in our Toronto office provided legal advice to a local 3D printing manufacturer to support the launch of their face shields to the market, which provided an additional and locally-manufactured option to the broader community.
A lawyer in our Toronto office provided legal advice to medical and non-medical professionals to help launch an online platform aiding manufacturers to get their personal protection equipment (and other COVID-19-related devices) approved, and to navigate the regulatory process.
Calgary Chinatown Business Improvement Area: A lawyer in our Calgary office is supporting the local Chinatown business community through endeavours undertaken by her board involvement, which includes providing advice concerning available government financial and business aid, and using social media to offer creative solutions to better promote the services of Chinatown merchants who have been impacted by COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn.
Lawyers and students in our Calgary office provided legal support to Helping Alberta, a volunteer-based initiative to source and provide life-saving personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers across Alberta during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Helping Alberta has successfully assembled a team of more than 70 volunteers, who have raised over CA$80,000 through its GoFundMe page, and have collected more than 60,000 pieces of PPE items for donation to Alberta’s frontline healthcare workers.
Lawyers in our Toronto office advised a group of Ontario doctors on medical-legal compliance matters, including copyright and fair dealing, in connection with building COVID19_ASK, an informational website aimed at educating Ontario residents by providing simple, reliable, and up-to-date information during the COVID-19 pandemic

Recent Matters

30 Birds Foundation: Refugee resettlement in Canada of at-risk female Afghan scholars

Dentons students and lawyers across all our offices have assisted the 30 Birds Foundation with Canadian refugee applications for a large number of at-risk young, female Afghan Hazara scholars from one of Afghanistan’s first co-ed schools, and affiliated community members. They were able to evacuate from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to temporary safety through remarkable international collaboration and assistance. We are honoured to be recognized at the 2023 Canadian Law Awards for Pro Bono Initiative of the Year, for the support provided to the 30 Birds Foundation. Click here to learn more about the 30 Birds Foundation and click here to stay up-to-date with their ongoing resettlement in Canada.

8AM Media

Lawyers in our Vancouver office are providing legal support to 8AM Media. Having fled Afghanistan in 2021, the 8AM Media team made up of highly experienced media managers, journalists and human rights advocates set up operations in British Columbia to resume online publication of Afghanistan’s premier independent and non-profit newspaper, Hashte Subh Daily, which has resonated as a beacon of journalistic integrity since its establishment in June 2007.

9-10 Club Serving Soup to the Hungry

Lawyers in our Vancouver office provide legal advice on various matters to the Soup Kitchen, which is operated by the 9-10 Club Serving Soup to the Hungry, a registered non-profit, non-denominational society.

Accelerator Centre

Lawyers in our Toronto office provide legal support to the Accelerator Centre, one of Canada’s top business accelerators. Through the engagement, they provide startup founders with advice, education, and support to help them navigate the early stages of starting a business, growing a team, and raising capital.

Access to Success

Access to Success provides resources to entrepreneurs on how to improve accessibility across Ontario and Canada. Lawyers in our Toronto office advised Access to Success on how they can organize their corporate governance, protect their intellectual property and employ individuals to assist with their programming. Our lawyers have also provided pro bono services to the companies that Access to Success incubates to answer fundamental legal questions and present on important legal issues in the accessibility space.

ALAS

A lawyer in our Toronto office provided pro bono summary legal advice to members of the artistic creative community through ALAS (Artists’ Legal Advice Services) relating to contracts, defamation, copyright, royalties and other issues arising in the course of their creative activity.

Alicia Elliott defamation representation

Dentons lawyers in Vancouver successfully defended Alicia Elliott, a well-known First Nations author in Canada who has been sued by Steven Galloway for defamation in respect of certain comments Ms. Elliott made in relation to the public allegations of sexual assault against Mr. Galloway. Dentons successfully represented Ms. Elliott throughout the legal proceedings, including the appeal of her successful SLAPP suit application. This case is nationally paramount, as it navigates the intersection between fair comment and public discourse on complex topics such as sexual assault and the broader impact on the First Nations community.

Bridge to Health Medical and Dental

Lawyers in our Toronto office assisted with the registration of various trademarks for Bridge to Health Medical and Dental, a group of medical and dental professionals with a common goal of preventing and relieving sickness and disability by implementing sustainable healthcare in some of the world’s most underserviced areas. Each year, the organization sends medical and dental brigades to underserved rural communities to provide on-the-ground patient care and educational programs to local residents concerning dental and public health initiatives.

Brighter Investments

Brighter Investment Ltd. provides financial and employment support to university students in West Africa. Lawyers in our Vancouver office provide securities law advice with regard to disclosure statements included in the company’s information memorandum.

Canada Strong Campaign

Dentons Toronto and Edmonton offices provided pro bono legal services in support of the Canadian fundraising and relief initiative led by Mohamad Fakih of Paramount Fine Foods and the Toronto Foundation to raise funds for the families of the victims of the Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 plane crash on January 8, 2020.

CARE

CARE and four other leading international NGOs began developing a privacy program adapted to the protection of personal information in the very specific circumstances they face. A global team of Dentons lawyers from Europe, UKME, Africa, Canada and the US, provided pro bono legal counsel to CARE and the other NGOs, bringing legal knowledge and experience to address issues surrounding validity of consent, data security, “know your customer” obligations, internal governance best practices, and data sharing.

Center for Reproductive Rights: Global mapping on barriers to telemedicine and self-managed abortion

A lawyer in our Edmonton office along with students and librarians from all of our Canadian offices, researched and provided the status of the law in Canada to the Center for Reproductive Rights, as part of its multi-jurisdictional comparative review. The aim of the mapping project is to enable advocacy for greater access to sexual and reproductive health services. This was part of a multi-region Dentons pro bono project, the results of which were reflected in a report published in 2022 titled Legal and Policy Barriers to Self-Managed Abortion.

CIJA Legal Task Force

Our lawyers are volunteering a range of legal services to LTF, a volunteer-based subgroup of The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs created in late 2023. LTF was organized for the purpose of combatting antisemitism across Canada.

Community First Foundation

Lawyers in our Vancouver office advised Community First Foundation’s board on governance matters, including compliance with the Society Act and by-laws, appropriate membership management, and disclosures of interested directors in material transactions. Our lawyers are also assisting with annual maintenance and other ordinary proceedings. The Foundation is a non-profit society and registered charity that offers programs in support of food security education and childhood nutrition, including the Backpack Buddies program – a tangible opportunity for kids to help other kids in their community.

Community Veterinary Outreach

Lawyers from the Ottawa office provide corporate, commercial and non-profit advice to Community Veterinary Outreach, a non-profit organization and Canadian registered charity whose mandate is to improve the health of homeless and vulnerably housed communities through veterinary care to their pets, and to connect their humans with health and social services through a one health model.

Corporate Compliance for BC Non-Profit Organization

Lawyers in our Vancouver office assisted and provided advice to Abreast in a Boat, a BC charity for breast cancer survivors, with respect to internal corporate compliance steps and filings with the BC corporate registry.

Dress for Success

Lawyers in our Vancouver office assisted with lease arrangements for Dress for Success Vancouver, an organization that empowers women and gender-diverse individuals to achieve financial independence and personal success through full and fulfilling employment.

El Pozo de Vida A.C.

A lawyer and students in our Toronto office provided Canadian legal advice for a global comparative law project including law firms around the world on child begging laws. The project compared child begging laws throughout various jurisdictions throughout the Americas and Europe with the goal of drafting a guide to support clarifying Mexico’s child begging laws, and examining how the issue of begging can be addressed. This work was featured in a flagship publication on comparative approaches to child begging legislation and regulation. El Pozo de Vida A.C. is a Mexico City based NGO focused on the prevention of human trafficking.

Estate Administration

A lawyer and paralegal in our Vancouver office handled the administration of a small estate on a pro bono basis for a low-income estate trustee and sole beneficiary facing the challenges of chronic illness.

Estate Distribution of Real Property

A lawyer in our Vancouver office handled the distribution of real property of a small estate on a pro bono basis for an elderly estate executor and sole beneficiary facing financial challenges and difficulties.

Eurasia Foundation

Lawyers in our Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto offices assisted Eurasia Foundation with a multijurisdictional research project.

Founders Fund

A partner in our Toronto office worked with Founders Fund, an entrepreneur mentorship and resource hub for underrepresented female business founders, to provide female entrepreneurs with Canadian corporate legal advice and outsourced general counsel support. While this work began several years ago, our partner continues to support entrepreneurs with the exceptional challenges of starting and growing a business during a pandemic.

Fundacion Hormigas Argentinas

Through Trustlaw, a lawyer and students in our Toronto office contributed research and analysis on Canada’s privacy regime to Fundacion Hormigas Argentinas, an Argentinean non-profit working to create solutions for citizen participation to strengthen democracy. The client used Dentons’ work to prepare a submission to Argentina’s Congress on the modernization of its privacy laws in alignment with international standards. Dentons contributed to this comparative law submission alongside with firms in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Mexico, Spain, and Uruguay.

Generations

Lawyers in our Ottawa office assisted the global non-profit Generations with a review and update of its Employee Handbook in relation to its Canadian employees, after similar assistance provided by from Dentons US in relation to American employees.

Global Lawyers of Canada

Lawyers in our Calgary office—together with other stakeholders—have co-founded Global Lawyers of Canada, a non-profit organization that represents and supports internationally-educated and global-minded legal professionals through advocacy, community engagement and professional development.

Lawyers in our Vancouver office assisted with lease arrangements for Heritage Hall Preservation Society, an organization that restores, renovates and maintains heritage buildings for the benefit of non-profit organizations, community organizations and the community at large.

Greenwashing and Voluntary ESG disclosures

Lawyers and students in multiple Dentons Canadian offices contributed to a multi-region research collaboration between Dentons and PILnet that surveyed and provided a comparative analysis of laws applicable to voluntary corporate ESG disclosures and greenwashing across 19 global jurisdictions. This work was presented at a PILnet Forum in October 2023.

Heritage Hall Preservation Society

Hintalovon Foundation

The Hintalovon Foundation is a non-profit organization based out of Hungary with a mission to enforce and support the rights of children. Students in our Ottawa and Toronto offices collaborated with Dentons Europe LLP and Hintalovon to develop resource materials for child rights-focused pro bono partnerships between commercial law firms and non-profit organizations. The team prepared a report that recommends practices, identifies challenges, and highlights jurisdictional comparisons to aid in the global development of such pro bono partnerships.

IFEX

Our Firm advised IFEX, a network that advocates for free expression rights, on its international trademark strategy to support their team in handling Canadian trademark filings and to coordinate any filings internationally.

Investigative Journalists

Lawyers in our Toronto office provided pro bono services to a team of investigative journalists, advising on the applicability of Canada’s “responsible communication in the public interest” defence to defamation claims in the context of a money laundering investigation.

LEAF intervention in Charter and administrative challenge to New Brunswick’s pronoun and gender identity disclosure policy for Schools

A team of lawyers in our Vancouver office successfully represented the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (“LEAF”) in a motion for leave to intervene in the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s Charter and administrative challenge to New Brunswick's pronoun and gender identity disclosure policy. In October 2024, a new government came into power in New Brunswick and replaced the policy, restoring protections for transgender and non-binary youth. The case has now been discontinued.

LEAF intervention in Charter challenge to Saskatchewan’s pronoun and gender identity disclosure policy for Schools

A team of lawyers in our Vancouver and Toronto offices successfully represented the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (“LEAF”) in an application for leave to intervene in the UR Pride Charter challenge to Saskatchewan's pronoun and gender identity disclosure policy. After the litigation was initiated, the Province of Saskatchewan invoked section 33 of the Charter (the “notwithstanding clause”) in an effort to immunize the policy from judicial consideration. The trial judge determined that the invocation of section 33 does not oust judicial consideration in all respects. This decision was appealed by the Province, and LEAF was again successful in its application to intervene at the Court of Appeal. On appeal, LEAF argued that substantive equality and democratic accountability are core considerations when interpreting section 33 of the Charter, and support a determination that judicial consideration, and in particular declaratory relief, remains available even where the section 33 has been invoked. A two-day hearing took place in September 2024. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment.

Led By HER and Kering Foundation

Through TrustLaw, lawyers and students in our Toronto and Ottawa offices provided research and insight concerning Ontario workplace laws to protect and support victims of domestic violence as part of a multi-region research initiative of Led By HER and the Kering Foundation. The aim of the project is to identify good practices in workplace laws as an example for legislative change advocacy in other jurisdictions, and to advocate for employers to adopt good policies and practices in advance of legislation tackling domestic violence through workplace laws. Dentons’ Ottawa lawyer Catherine Coulter spoke at the July 2, 2020 conference during which the final report was released, and a copy of that report can be found here. In 2021, this pro bono work was recognized by the Canada Law Awards as the “Pro Bono Initiative of the Year”.

Little Warriors

Lawyers in our Edmonton office provided pro bono services to “Little Warriors” in connection with the acquisition of a ranch which will be operated as a residential treatment facility for young victims of sexual assault.

Minor Sport Association

Lawyers in our Toronto office assisted a local minor sport association in connection with an attempted boycott against its participation in regional league play.

Nanny Angel Network

Lawyers in our Toronto and Ottawa offices provided pro bono representation to Nanny Angel Network, a registered charity that provides free, specialized childcare to families living with cancer. Our work centered around intellectual property protection, to allow the charity to expand its services.

Permanent Resident application for Ukrainian family based on Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds

Lawyers in our Vancouver office supported a Ukrainian couple with three young children in their application for Permanent Residence in Canada based on Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds after being displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war. The family is not in a position to return to the Ukraine due to the loss of the primary applicant’s business as a direct result of the war and the ongoing threat of the war on their lives. The application emphasized the family’s successful integration into a new life in Canada, highlighting the best interests of the children, and for the family to remain in Canada permanently, as returning to Ukraine would pose severe hardship.

PILnet

A Dentons lawyer in Ottawa together with a Dentons lawyer in Scotland worked with PILnet to provide a 3 part pro-bono training course on ESG for NGO’s (speaking on the topics of the inclusion and diversity in the workplace, the gig economy, and workplace violence and harassment). PILnet is a global NGO that builds networks and collaborations of public interest and private lawyers and then it uses that knowledge to strengthen civil society and the communities they serve.

Psychology Foundation of Canada / Strong Minds Strong Kids

Lawyers in Dentons’ Edmonton and Toronto offices assisted Strong Minds Strong Kids (SMSK), a charity focused on promoting mental health and resilience of children and youth, with trademark and other intellectual property matters to promote its brand and reputation, and also to rework its internal policies to enable SMSK to offer its programs directly to youth through digital means, which vastly expanded the number of children and youth it can reach and support.

Queen's Business Law Clinic

Dentons Toronto lawyers volunteer as Review Counsel with the Queen's Business Law Clinic (QBLC). QBLC operates year-round to provide legal services to a wide variety of individuals, small businesses, and not-for-profit organizations in southeastern Ontario who would otherwise have difficulty affording legal counsel. Our lawyers meet regularly with the students at QBLC to mentor, assist, and oversee their assigned cases.

Refugee Sponsorship Support Program: Afghan Refugees

Lawyers and students across all of our Canadian offices participated in the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program, a national pro bono program that assists Canadian sponsors and Afghan refugees with sponsorship applications for resettlement in Canada. Additionally, Dentons Canada LLP was a signatory to an open letter sent by 21 prominent national and regional law firms across Canada regarding the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Room Full of Spoons Inc.

Lawyers in our Toronto office represent the defendants in the years-long litigation between Wiseau Studio LLC and its principal Tommy Wiseau (collectively “Wiseau”) and Room Full of Spoons Inc. concerning claims that Room Full of Spoons Inc.’s documentary film entitled Room Full of Spoons infringes intellectual property rights in Wiseau’s cult film The Room. The Dentons Team successfully defeated Wiseau’s claims at trial. The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of the trial decision on procedural grounds, and the Supreme Court of Canada denied leave to appeal the dismissal. The Dentons Team has subsequently been successful in staying additional actions commenced by Wiseau against Room Full of Spoons Inc. concerning the documentary in the Superior Court of Justice and the Federal Court with the stay upheld on appeal to the Federal Court of Appeal as an abuse of process and res judicata.

SheBoot

Lawyers in our Ottawa office provide legal support to SheBoot a women-led bootcamp for women-led businesses. Through this engagement they provide legal consultations to women-led companies and legal support for the SheBoot program itself.

SLAPP application success for Alicia Elliott in Galloway defamation litigation

One of our Vancouver partners acted pro bono on behalf of Alicia Elliott, a well-known Canadian First Nations Canadian author who was sued by Steven Galloway for defamation in respect of certain comments she made in relation to the public allegations of sexual assault against Mr. Galloway. Dentons successfully represented her on a SLAPP suit application to stop the proceeding against her and in 2023 Dentons successfully argued the appeal and the SLAPP application dismissal as against her was upheld. This is a significant decision with national importance as it deals with the intersection between fair comment and public discourse around complicated topics such as sexual assault and the broader impact on the First Nations community. See: https://www.commerciallitigationblog.com/dentons-litigation-team-secures-victory-for-defendant-in-high-profile-defamation-action/ Rooney v. Galloway, 2024 BCCA 8.

Supporting Black-owned businesses

Dentons’ business and tax lawyers provided pro bono business and tax structuring advice to a Black-owned social enterprise with a platform dedicated to highlighting and supporting Black-owned food businesses within the Black community in Canada.

Supreme Court of Canada intervention for Social Planning Council of Winnipeg

A Toronto litigation partner represented the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg as an intervenor before the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) in Earl Mason, et al v Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, et al (Mason). Mason is one of several recent cases that offered an opportunity for the SCC to consider the application of Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v Vavilov, 2019 SCC 65, a pivotal SCC decision which clarified the standard of review in Canadian administrative law. The central issue in Mason is whether s. 34(1)(e) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act was reasonably interpreted by an administrative body to apply to conduct that does not have a nexus with national security. The decision in Mason is of significance in the immigration law domain and in administrative law generally.

TEC Source

An Edmonton partner provides advice to TEC Source, part of TEC Edmonton which is a joint venture of Economic Development Edmonton and University of Alberta. TEC Source is an advisory panel for startup business operations.

The Darling Home for Kids

A lawyer in our Ottawa office supported The Darling Home for Kids with respect to a construction contract for the renovation and expansion of their facility. The Darling Home for Kids provides high quality respite, residential and hospice palliative care services for children who are medically complex, many of whom suffer from progressive illness.

The Spanish LGBT Federation

In collaboration with TrustLaw, a team of lawyers, business service professionals and students from our Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver offices supported the Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gais, Transexuales y Bisexuales (Spanish LGBT Federation) to develop comparative legal research regarding the right to gender self-determination. Access the report here.

This research will help the Spanish LGBT Federation advocate for the proposed bill in Spain that aims to assist transgender individuals in obtaining legal recognition of their gender identity without approval by third-party medical professionals or a diagnosis of gender dysphoria as preconditions. At the request of the Spanish LGBT Federation, a comparative legal study involving a number of countries where transgender and gender identity rights have already been recognized was launched to effectively advocate for the right to gender self-determination to be included in the bill. Our Dentons team led the Canadian portion of this global comparative analysis, providing a summary of the federal and provincial legislative frameworks governing the right to gender self-determination involving many different contexts, including: citizenship and immigration; birth certificates; driver’s licenses and health cards; special treatment of minors; prisons; and sports.

World Vision Canada

Dentons has assisted World Vision Canada on several engagements with legal research to assist it in understanding the opportunities and challenges for developing Canadian supply chain legislation and transparency. This work included providing advice on the constitutionality and trade implications of modern slavery legislation, among other questions. World Vision Canada and Dentons were nominated for the “Collaboration Award” at the 2018 TrustLaw Awards, for their work together. Dentons assistance in this matter led to specific amendments in Canada’s proposed modern slavery legislation. A version of this legislation will come into force in January 2024.

YesHelp: connects displaced Ukrainian women and children to communities, support and volunteers around the globe.

Dentons students and lawyers from our Toronto and Ottawa offices provided the Canadian grassroots non-profit organization YesHelp with pro bono legal guidance in the areas of corporate, contract, data privacy, housing and insurance law, among other areas, to assist it in setting up a secure and easy-to-use mobile app of the same name, launched in October 2022, which connects displaced Ukrainians to communities, support and volunteers worldwide. The YesHelp app provides a safe and seamless space where Ukrainian women and children can connect with volunteers in their community to access donations, shelter, childcare, transportation, translation, pet care, and more.

Continuing Commitments

Access Pro Bono

Several Dentons Vancouver lawyers provide pro bono legal representation in association with the Summary Legal Advice Program, the Roster Program and the Vancouver Civil Chambers Duty Counsel Project, all of which are programs offered by Access Pro Bono.

British Columbia Coalition of Persons with Disabilities

Lawyers in our Vancouver office have provided a range of pro bono legal services to the British Columbia Coalition of Persons with Disabilities.

Calgary Legal Guidance

Over many years, Dentons lawyers have volunteered with and served on the Board of Calgary Legal Guidance, an organization that provides free legal advice to low-income people.

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

Dentons lawyers in our Calgary office show their support for the arts by providing pro bono assistance to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, a cornerstone of Calgary’s multi-faceted arts community.

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion

Dentons Canada is a founding employer partner and provides pro bono legal services to Canada Center for Diversity and Inclusion, an organization whose focus is to provide practical, sustainable solutions to help employers move forward towards true inclusion.

Canuck Place Children's Hospice

Dentons Vancouver lawyers provide general legal advice to the Canuck Place Children's Hospice which offers specialized pediatric palliative care for children living with life-threatening illness and support for their families.

Edmonton Community Legal Centre (ECLC)

As one of the leading financial contributors providing the largest number of volunteers to the clinic in Edmonton, Dentons has supported the ECLC as volunteer lawyers, as well as Chair and member of the Board of Directors.

Edmonton Concert Hall Foundation

A Dentons partner provides pro bono legal services as General Counsel for the Edmonton Concert Hall Foundation.

Edmonton Symphony Society

A Dentons partner provides pro bono legal services as General Counsel for the Edmonton Symphony Society.

Edmonton Women’s Shelter

Our lawyers provide volunteer legal services to the Edmonton Women’s Shelter, a charity that helps women and children who are victims of domestic violence.

Forget For a Moment Foundation

Dentons Ottawa lawyers are providing pro bono assistance to Forget For a Moment Foundation, a not-for-profit organization based in Ottawa whose mission is to collect funds to finance, build and ensure a part of the ongoing maintenance of natural structures in health care facilities. Forget For a Moment Foundation worked with the Montreal Children’s Hospital of the MUHC to establish a mosaiculture (topiary garden) and a living wall in one of the waiting rooms of their new facility to improve conditions for sick children waiting for medical help, and for parents or caregivers who wait with them.

Friends & Company Community Enhancement Society

Our Vancouver office provides ongoing corporate pro bono services to Friends & Company Community Enhancement Society, a not-for-profit organization that organizes LGBTA events to support the anti-bullying and teen suicide prevention initiatives of Out in Schools.

Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS)

Dentons participates in a mentoring partnership with the LAWS program at a local Toronto high school. LAWS is a partnership between the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Osgoode Hall Law School and the Toronto District School Board, and provides an education program aimed at supporting, guiding and motivating high school students.

Law Society of Alberta Pro Bono Committee

A Dentons lawyer serves as a member of the Law Society of Alberta’s Pro Bono Committee.

Momentum Community Economic Development Society

Our Calgary lawyers are providing pro bono assistance to Momentum, a not-for-profit organization based in Calgary whose mission is to assist individuals living in poverty with the development of their personal assets. Central to Momentum’s work in community economic development are the principles of the sustainable livelihoods model. The model is based on the notion that in order for a person to increase their financial assets and stay resilient, they need to build strength in five different asset areas: personal, physical, social, human, and financial.

Northern Magic Fund

Our lawyers provide pro bono legal advice to the Northern Magic Fund, an organization that gives funding to African schools.

Ontario Child Advocacy Project

Working with the Ontario Child Advocacy Project, we represent special needs children and their families to safeguard their public education rights in disputes with their schools. Our work includes protecting children from unfair dismissal from the classroom for emotional and intellectual disabilities and behavioural issues, ensuring access to appropriate special education services for children, and filing complaints with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. The Child Advocacy Project is a joint pro bono initiative of Pro Bono Ontario, The Advocates' Society and Justice for Children and Youth, the province's specialty legal clinic for youth under 18. Notably, a Dentons partner in our Ottawa office successfully represented an 11-year-old client before the Special Education Appeal Board and an Ottawa school board in her quest to remain in a specialized learning disability class.

Pro Bono Law Alberta

Actively involved with Pro Bono Law Alberta, Dentons lawyers have continued to serve on the Board as members. In 2012, a Dentons Edmonton lawyer was a member of the Advisory Board and a Dentons Calgary Partner Emeritus was the guest speaker at the Annual Meeting of Managing Partners in Calgary law firms, presenting A Roadmap to Adequate, Effective Access to Justice.

Pro Bono Law Alberta - KB Amicus Program

The Calgary office is a founding member of Pro Bono Law Alberta's KB Amicus court assistance program. Our lawyers attend Masters and Justice Chambers at the Court of King's Bench and act as amicus curiae, or "friend of the court" to assist unrepresented litigants and the court. Our lawyers also provide legal advice on a limited retainer basis for unrepresented litigants, including special sessions for bankruptcy matters.

Pro Bono Law Alberta (PBLA) Civil Claims Duty Counsel Project

As one of the founding participants in the PBLA Civil Claims Duty Counsel Project, several Dentons lawyers in Calgary and Edmonton provide pro bono summary legal advice, procedural information and assistance with court appearances to low income individuals in the Provincial Court - Civil Division. These lawyers have contributed in a material way to the successful launch of the project in these two cities. The significant founding contribution of Dentons Edmonton lawyers was recognized with PBLA's 2013 Pro Bono Project Award.

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) Appeals Assistance Project

Working through this PBO project, Dentons Ottawa litigators participate on a roster to represent litigants, on a pro bono basis, in various appellate courts.

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) Case Matching

On referral from PBO, Dentons’ Toronto office litigation lawyers together with summer and articling students provide pro bono assistance or representation to low income, vulnerable Ontario residents with consumer and other disputes, often involving litigation in Small Claims Court.

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) Consumer Protection Pro Bono Settlement Conferences

Many Dentons Toronto litigation lawyers and students assist low income individuals at Small Claims Court settlement conferences in consumer protection cases.

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) – Free Legal Advice Hotline

Lawyers in Toronto and Ottawa volunteer on the PBO Hotline to provide summary advice to low income individuals across the province of Ontario. Volunteers help callers understand the nature of their legal problems, interpret documents, respond to letters, improve draft documents, and make informed decisions or take next steps on their own.

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) Investing in Justice Campaign

In addition to providing pro bono legal services through various PBO projects, Dentons is a founding leadership contributor to PBO's Investing in Justice Campaign designed to fund PBO programs and services that collectively provide critical legal assistance to tens of thousands of low-income and disadvantaged Ontarians.

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) Ontario Court of Appeal Amicus Duty Counsel Roster

Many Dentons Toronto advocates participate in this PBO project to assist unrepresented litigants and Court of Appeal judges by serving as amicus duty counsel on motions in the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) partnership with UJA and CIJA

Through participation in this new PBO initiative created in 2024, lawyers in our Toronto office provide advocacy assistance to families experiencing antisemitism in Ontario’s public schools.

PBO Trial Matching Project

As an extension of our pro bono legal services in various other PBO projects, lawyers from our Toronto office are participating in PBO’s Trial Matching Project, where self-represented litigants with a notice of trial in Toronto’s Small Claims Court can apply to PBO and be matched with us as pro bono trial counsel. This program provides critical legal assistance to low-income and disadvantaged Ontarians.

Pro Bono Québec (PBQ)

As a founding participant and continued supporter of Pro Bono Quebec, Dentons Montréal lawyers have been active in various PBQ initiatives, as volunteer lawyers, serving on the Selection Committee to determine applicant eligibility for pro bono services, and providing pro bono legal representation and assistance in Civil Small Claims Court of Québec.

REACH Canada

Lawyers in our Ottawa office provide ongoing pro bono legal services through REACH Canada, an organization aimed at improving the lives of persons with disabilities.

Social Benefits Tribunal (SBT)

In 2010, Dentons was honoured with a Platinum-level 2010 Lexpert Zenith Award: Celebrating Pro Bono in the "Political Pro Bono" category for successfully representing grandparents before the Social Benefits Tribunal in their appeal of a decision to cancel benefits under the Ontario Works Act for their grandson’s care. Dentons has continued its pro bono legal assistance and representation to grandparents through its partnership with PBO and its work for CANGRANDS, a national non-profit grass roots organization supporting grandparents caring for grandchildren in “kinship families.” Since 2010, Dentons has continued to represent many “kinship families” in appeals before the Social Benefits Tribunal to restore statutory benefits to grandparents and other relatives who care for their grandchildren, nieces, and nephews when the biological parents are unable to do so. The initial precedent setting decision and the body of jurisprudence successfully applying it in subsequent appeals continue to inform a more liberal and purposive interpretation of the Ontario Works Act, which protects those individuals who, without any legal obligation to do so, care for children who are otherwise destined for the foster care system.

Start Proud (formerly Out on Bay Street)

Dentons Toronto lawyers are pro bono counsel to Start Proud, a not-for-profit organization that provides professional development opportunities to 2SLGBTQ+ students and young professionals as they transition from school to career. Dentons supported Start Proud in its incorporation as a not for profit corporation pursuant to the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act and regularly advises Start Proud on corporate governance and commercial matters. Dentons participates in Start Proud’s programming as a long-standing sponsor, including as a key supporter of its annual conference and a partner in planning and hosting professional development activities for 2SLGBTQ+ law students.

The Advocates' Society's LSUC Pro Bono Duty Counsel Project

Dentons litigators volunteer as duty counsel for unrepresented lawyers appearing before the Law Society of Ontario's Hearing Panel in disciplinary proceedings.

UBC Law Students Legal Advice Program (LSLAP)

Dentons Vancouver lawyers meet with students to prepare them for clinics offered by LSLAP, a non-profit society run by UBC law students who provide free legal advice and representation to clients who would otherwise be unable to afford legal assistance.

United Way

Working with the organization for many years in all of our offices, we initially helped the United Way incorporate in the Greater Toronto Area in 1956 and more recently helped the United Way of Ottawa revise its by-laws. We currently act as honorary counsel to the United Way, advising on numerous corporate, intellectual property and trade marks, pensions, labour and employment, litigation, trust and estate, tax and real estate matters.

Past Matters

Altruvest

We provided pro bono legal services to Altruvest, an organization dedicated to improving the governance of charitable organizations in Canada. Our lawyers also served on Altruvest’s Board of Directors for several years.

Appellate Work

Dentons' Montréal office has handled numerous pro bono appeals for individuals who could not afford a lawyer in the Tax Court of Canada, Quebec Superior Court, Court of Quebec and the Supreme Court of Canada. Dentons Vancouver lawyers handled a pro bono appeal intervention for Women’s Legal and Education Action Fund (LEAF). More recently, a Dentons Ottawa lawyer acted pro bono as a Supreme Court of Canada agent for an intervention by the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, and is also participating in the CBA/PBO roster of former Supreme Court of Canada law clerks available to provide pro bono assistance with leave applications.

Asian Society for the Intervention of Aids (ASIA)

Dentons lawyers in our Vancouver office provided pro bono insolvency and wind up assistance to the Asian Society for the Intervention of Aids (ASIA). Since 1995, ASIA has promoted the health of Asian communities by decreasing the impact of HIV/AIDS through multilingual, culturally appropriate services.

Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa

Dentons serves as Honorary Legal Counsel to the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa.

Campaign for the Abolition of Solitary Confinement

Lawyers and students in our Ottawa and Toronto offices provided research advice to the Canadian Campaign for the Abolition of Solitary Confinement, a campaign to work with federal, provincial and territorial governments to abolish, or at least reduce, solitary confinement practices within the Canadian detention system.

Camp Renewal

Dentons lawyers in our Toronto office gave pro bono corporate and risk-protection advice to Camp Renewal as it carries out its mission of providing a weekend camping retreat for adults whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking (CCEHT)

Lawyers in Toronto contributed pro bono services to CCTEHT’s incorporation and registration as a charity, enabling the creation of a new national charitable organization dedicated to ending all types of human trafficking in Canada. Dentons lawyers in Ottawa and Toronto have provided pro bono assistance to the CCTEHT regarding various laws and legal issues relevant to its design and operation of a national human trafficking hotline, which was launched in May 2019, and also supervised law students doing additional legal research for CCEHT through Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC). This hotline provides an avenue for victims and survivors to get assistance and for members of the public to report incidents human trafficking. News of the hotline’s launch was featured in Law Times article, Canada-wide anti-human trafficking hotline launched.

Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA)

Through the CCLA, Dentons lawyers in our Toronto office have represented complainants on a pro bono basis in three G-20 police disciplinary hearings. For more information on the first successful representation, please read the press coverage of November 21, 2013, as well as the Canadian Lawyer article, Giving back.

Canadian Jewish Congress

Utilizing its tax, corporate, real estate, pension, labour and intellectual property expertise, Dentons Canada has played a leading role in the reorganization of the advocacy arm of the Canadian Jewish community by providing pro bono assistance to the Canadian Jewish Congress as it winds down a distinguished tradition of advocacy in Canada.

Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights

Lawyers in our Toronto office worked with Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR) and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in drafting a submission to the Canada Revenue Agency, which resulted in the acceptance of CLAIHR’s application to re-register as a charity under the Income Tax Act. CLAIHR seeks to contribute to the protection of human rights globally through carrying out and commissioning legal analyses of international human rights, contributing to the advancement of education of Canadians on human rights issues, and using and developing international human rights instruments and institutions both domestically and internationally.

CANGRANDS Kinship Support Group

In connection with our Social Benefits Tribunal case work, Dentons provided pro bono legal assistance to CANGRANDS, a national non-profit organization concerned about eligibility issues in respect of the temporary care allowance under the Ontario Works Act for low income grandparents caring for their grandchildren. Click here to read a news release regarding the GrandParenting documentary that was screened in the Dentons Toronto office on September 8, 2013.

Centre for Spanish Speaking People (CSSP)

The CCSP legal aid clinic provides summary advice and representation to Spanish speaking people on a variety of issues people living in poverty typically face. In addition to helping the clinic preserve its funding by convincing Legal Aid Ontario of the clinic’s access to qualified lawyers to supervise its front-line services, we helped a client establish entitlement to Canada Pension Plan ("CPP") disability benefits.

Chelsea Ocelots Women's Recreational Soccer Team

A Dentons partner in our Ottawa office helped prepare all materials in support of a successful appeal to The Canadian Soccer Association by Québec resident members of a senior women's recreational soccer team, whose requests to the Association Régionale de Soccer de l'Outaouais for interprovincial transfers and releases to play in the recreational women's division of the Ottawa Carleton Soccer League were denied.

Confidential Client

Lawyers in our Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto offices provided competition law advice to a not-for-profit organization concerning an initiative to increase the availability of affordable private unbundled duty counsel services to unrepresented litigants in family law matters in Ontario.

Dorothy Ley Hospice

In addition to serving as past President and members of the Board of Directors for the Dorothy Ley Hospice in Toronto, for more than a decade, Dentons lawyers provided corporate, real estate and employment legal advice and services in a range of matters associated with opening the Hospice’s new free-standing residential palliative care centre. In 2008, Dentons was awarded a corporate award of recognition for its outstanding contribution to the Hospice.

EARTH University

We assisted EARTH University establish a charitable presence in Canada. Located in Costa Rica, EARTH offers a four-year undergraduate program in agricultural sciences and natural resources management and provides a world-class scientific and technological education that emphasizes values, ethical entrepreneurship and environmental and social commitment.

Engineers Without Borders Canada

A partner in our Ottawa office assisted Engineers Without Borders Canada in documenting a convertible loan to a company in Africa.

Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre

Lawyers in our Toronto office provided pro bono assistance to the Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre with respect to GST and HST issues.

Fire Aid

Lawyers in our Calgary and Edmonton offices exclusively handled, on a pro bono basis, all of the legal work associated with the Fire Aid benefit concert, which was held on June 29, 2016, in support of the community of Fort McMurray and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. All proceeds from the concert were donated to the United Way to fund the rebuilding effort in Fort McMurray.

Flip Your Wig

For three consecutive years, Dentons lawyers and staff in our Toronto and Ottawa offices joined members of the justice community and general public in Ontario for Flip Your Wig for Justice, an awareness and pledge-based fundraising initiative in support of access to justice in Ontario. For one day, participants wore traditional judicial or wacky wigs to show their support for six non-profit access to justice organizations who founded this campaign.

Hike Ontario

Dentons lawyers in our Ottawa office have provided pro bono assistance to Hike Ontario, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to encourage walking, hiking and trail development in Ontario.

HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO)

Our Toronto office provided research and summary legal guidance to community legal clinic HALCO to enable HALCO to assist its client with realty tax and corporate tax default remedies.

Human Rights Legal Support Centre (HRLSC)

Our Toronto lawyers participated on the HRLSC pro bono duty counsel roster from inception. Through the roster, they have acted as counsel in a number of mediations under limited scope retainers, to help individuals who believe they have experienced discrimination resolve their human rights disputes pending before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

Intelligent Community Forum Canada (ICF Canada)

Our lawyers in Toronto assisted with the incorporation and organization of Intelligent Community Forum Canada (ICF Canada) as a not-for-profit corporation. The mandate of ICF Canada is to educate and assist towns, cities and regions in Canada on the benefits of using information and communications technology to build prosperous, inclusive and sustainable communities.

International Legal Foundation (Canada)

Lawyers in our Vancouver office have worked with the International Legal Foundation (Canada) in its effort to incorporate. The federal organization seeks to help post-conflict countries, like Afghanistan and Nepal, establish fair criminal justice systems through free legal services to those in need and programs for those involved in re-establishing and running the criminal justice system.

Lawyers Without Borders

Our Ottawa office represented the Lawyers Without Borders organization in a challenge against its registered trade-mark.

Montréal International Sustainable Trading Post

As a result of a Leave for Change posting in Burkina Faso, one of Dentons' Ottawa partners provided pro bono legal services for the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation to set up the Montréal International Sustainable Trading Post, a federal non-profit company to promote and develop shea butter and other products with the goal of creating economic benefits for the producers, communities, environment and economies of the partnering countries of West Africa.

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada

Lawyers in our Toronto office served as Honorary Legal Counsel and provided services from 1980 to 2015.

National Capital Outaouais Ski Team

In Ottawa, Dentons lawyers represented the National Capital Outaouais Ski Team before the Tax Court and Federal Court of Appeal.

Neighbourhood Legal Services

Lawyers in our Toronto office assisted community legal aid clinic Neighbourhood Legal Services in the successful representation of its client in connection with income tax disputes arising out of immigration issues.

Ottawa Neighbourhood Services

Lawyers in our Ottawa office provided pro bono legal counsel to Ottawa Neighbourhood Services, a non-profit organization that has been assisting—for more than 80 years—the working poor in the City of Ottawa by collecting and distributing essential goods, such as clothing and home furnishings, at nominal or no cost.

Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue (OSCR)

A Dentons Ottawa associate is providing corporate pro bono assistance to OSCR, a local non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of local stray and feral cat population.

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) Law Help Ontario

Our lawyers in Toronto and Ottawa provide a range of services to unrepresented low-income litigants with civil cases before the Superior Court of Ontario. Dentons lawyers in Toronto have participated from the inception of PBO's Law Help Ontario and regularly volunteer on the PBO Hotline, providing legal advice to Ontarians with everyday civil legal needs. In Ottawa, our lawyers began volunteering in this project following its expansion to Ottawa. Partner Barbara Grossman shares her support of Law Help Ontario programs in PBO's 5th Anniversary video.

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) Small Claims Court Duty Counsel Project

More than a dozen Dentons litigators provide pro bono legal representation to individuals through PBO’s Small Claims Court Duty Counsel Project in Toronto and Ottawa, with assistance from Dentons summer and articling students.

Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC)/Dentons Tax Advocacy Project

In partnership with Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC), Dentons launched a pro bono project at the University of Toronto chapter of PBSC for the pro bono representation by students of unrepresented litigants before the Tax Court of Canada. The first of its kind in Canada, this project garnered recognition for its innovation, winning the 2011 Lexpert Zenith Award for Law Firm Contribution to Legal Education. For the duration of the Firm’s participation, this initiative was implemented in law schools in Toronto, Montréal and Edmonton, making this program a truly national access to justice initiative.

Refugee Sponsorship Support Program: Syrian refugees

Lawyers in our Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver offices participated in the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program, a pro bono program that assisted Canadian sponsors with Syrian refugee sponsorship applications.

Reprieve

Dentons Canada conducted research and provided information for submission to the Court in Pakistan on the ability in Canada to reopen criminal convictions on the basis of fresh evidence after all appeal rights have been exhausted. Dentons’ offices in other common law jurisdictions provided similar assistance to Reprieve whose request arose as a result of the wrongful conviction assistance it is providing to an individual facing execution in Pakistan.

Salvation Army British Columbia Pro Bono Program

Our Vancouver lawyers volunteered throughout the year at the Salvation Army British Columbia Pro Bono Program's legal clinics, providing advice on civil litigation matters, until the program ceased operations in November 2012.

Simbi Foundation

A lawyer and articling student in our Toronto office advised Simbi Foundation, the creators of BrightBox classrooms for remote areas (a remote, free-standing, solar-powered classroom that has been repurposed from a shipping container), on how they can expand their business operations in Canada as a charity and the legal considerations involved with such expansion. Simbi Foundation provides support for underserved and refugee communities who face challenges accessing quality education. The firm has also advised on how Simbi Foundation licenses its intellectual property and procures services to grow its reach and help more students in Canada and around the world.

Sloane's House Pediatric Recreation and Respite Care Centre

Our Toronto lawyers are assisting Sloane's House Pediatric Recreation and Respite Care Centre in its incorporation and application as a registered charity in Canada. The purpose of Sloane's House is to provide short-term respite care for children with medical complexities in Ontario. In addition to serving as a respite care centre, Sloane's House will provide an engaging environment for its residents, including therapies and activities provided based on each child's unique developmental needs.

Smiling Land Foundation

In addition to providing general advice, Dentons helped the Smiling Land Foundation incorporate and register as a charitable corporation. Based in Ontario, the foundation raises money for a range of causes in Newfoundland and Labrador, including raising money for the Daffodil House residence for cancer patients travelling to Saint John's for treatment.

Stop the Traffik

Our Toronto office assisted Stop the Traffik, a UK-based charity, in partnering with Faith Alliance to End Human Trafficking to bring the GIFT box project to Toronto during the PanAm Games. GIFT box, which was first launched during the 2012 London Olympics, is a project initiated by Stop the Traffik and the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking to raise awareness and gather knowledge about human trafficking.

The Commonwealth Secretariat

Our Toronto office assisted this intergovernmental agency with research and authentication of Canadian legislation for its Legal Knowledge Exchange Portal, which will serve as a repository of model laws, best practice guidelines, policy recommendations, core legislative documents and selected national laws in specific thematic legal areas relevant to the work of the Secretariat. This portal will ultimately be accessible online by the public.

The International Alliance for Women

Lawyers in our Toronto office provided pro bono assistance to The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) in respect of corporate and tax law issues. TIAW is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to encourage, develop, fund and implement programs that foster economic empowerment and advancement for women around the world.

The Shevchenko Foundation

A lawyer in our Edmonton office serves as President and has provided more than 20 years of pro bono work in support of the Shevchenko Foundation, a national, chartered philanthropic organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion and development of the Ukrainian Canadian cultural heritage. On behalf of the Foundation, our partner acted as mediator, negotiator, draftsman and signatory during the creation of a historic redress agreement between the Canadian government, the Ministry of Heritage and Multiculturalism, and the Foundation that outlined a shared vision for the acknowledgement, commemoration and education of Canadians on the experiences of the 70,000 Ukrainians and other affected communities who were negatively impacted by the War Measures Act during World War I and beyond (1914-1920), and in highlighting the contributions that Ukrainian Canadians have made to building Canada. Our partner’s efforts were subsequently featured in a 2017 award-winning documentary titled, “That Never Happened” that was shown at the HOT DOCS Cinema in Toronto.

Toronto Jewish Free Loan Casa

Our lawyers provided services to the Toronto Jewish Free Loan Casa, an organization that offers interest-free personal, business and student loans to individuals in need.

Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC)

Our Toronto lawyers helped TRIEC obtain charitable status. In addition to the Firm’s pro bono work, more than 50 Dentons members have participated in the TRIEC program as mentors. In 2009, a Dentons Toronto partner was awarded a TRIEC Special Achievement Mentoring Partnership Award for outstanding contributions to TRIEC. In 2010, Dentons was honoured by TRIEC with the CBC Toronto Vision Award for Immigrant Inclusion, one of TRIEC’s Immigrant Success (IS) Awards, in recognition of its innovative six-month Legal Professional Internship, aimed at bridging the gap by providing hands-on experience to an internationally-trained lawyer seeking Canadian professional employment.

TransFair Canada Inc.

Lawyers in our Ottawa and Toronto offices supervised Pro Bono Students Canada volunteers placed with TransFair Canada Inc. to update and amend its Canadian licensing contract, obtain charitable status, and review its governing structure and bylaws. TransFair Canada Inc. is a not-for-profit certification and public education organization that works to expand the market for Fair Trade Certified products in Canada.

Uniterra’s Leave for Change Program

For many years, Dentons lawyers used their legal skills and knowledge to help non-governmental organizations in developing countries through their participation in Leave for Change. Dentons became the first law firm participant in this leading international volunteer program and had been an active supporter for a number of years, sponsoring Dentons members (staff, paralegals and lawyers) to participate in international development projects. In 2011, Dentons' involvement in this program earned the Firm a Lexpert Zenith Award for Law Firm as Employer.