Berlin – International commercial law firm CMS Germany was shocked by the attack on Ukraine. The firm and its staff wish to provide tangible assistance to people who are in need due to the war in Ukraine. The firm, its employees and the CMS Foundation have therefore launched a number of aid projects.
“We are deeply disturbed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We are extremely concerned about this attack on peace, freedom and democracy, and the resulting humanitarian crisis. Our firm moved quickly to launch specific relief projects for those affected,” said Dr Hubertus Kolster, Managing Partner of CMS Germany.
CMS Legal, the international umbrella organisation of the CMS law firms, provided immediate support to Médecins Sans Frontières with a donation of EUR 150,000. CMS’s global charity partner organisation is delivering medical supplies to Ukraine and the border regions, where it is treating the injured in mobile hospitals in some cases.
CMS employees in Germany, together with the CMS Foundation, have also contributed a total of EUR 100,000 as part of a firm-wide appeal for donations. These donations are supporting three projects. The “Freunde helfen! Konvoi” organisation transports medical supplies donated by hospitals and German manufacturers to Ukraine. “ArrivalAid” helps refugees from Ukraine to cope with their daily challenges in Germany. “International Justice Mission” provides emergency support at the border for people fleeing from Ukraine to Romania, while also raising awareness among refugees of the risk of human trafficking and seeking to protect them from exploitation.
The CMS Family & Friends scheme assists employees who have been personally affected by the war, whether through having family members living in Ukraine or close friends there. It provides individual solutions around travel, transport and temporary accommodation.
Initiatives have also been spontaneously launched at CMS locations across Germany. Substantial donations of items and money are being collected at several locations for the benefit of various aid organisations. Elsewhere, assistance mainly takes the form of providing accommodation and support for dealing with public authorities.
The CMS Foundation is in close contact with its network of non-profit cooperation partners so that prompt help can be delivered where needed. An immediate cash donation by CMS Germany enabled the Foundation to respond quickly.
The CMS Foundation is also supporting the personal involvement of CMS employees through its Welcome Programme. To provide tangible and direct help for refugees from Ukraine upon arrival and in coping with everyday life in Germany, the CMS Foundation is contributing to the cost of accommodating and sponsoring refugees. The Foundation has been able to help many arrivals in this way.
Lastly, CMS and the CMS Foundation are involved in “Immigration4Ukraine”, a pro bono initiative spanning multiple law firms and organisations. This legal aid platform for people from Ukraine is supported at the structural and professional level by CMS and the CMS Foundation, together with other law firms, Pro Bono Deutschland e.V., and UPJ e.V., a network of committed companies and non-profit organisations in Germany. The aim is to give initial legal guidance and advice to people in Ukraine who want to flee the country, as well as to refugees already in Germany. CMS has hired an employee specifically to provide strong support for the initiative.
Dr Hubertus Kolster commented on the aid projects: “I am very proud of the wide-ranging relief effort being delivered by our firm, and the huge commitment of our staff. By pooling our resources, we are aiming to assist people from Ukraine financially through donations, but also personally, for example by helping and accommodating refugees, and last but not least in our professional role through pro bono legal advice. We hope that our aid efforts will go some way towards assisting people in and from Ukraine who are caught up in this catastrophic humanitarian situation. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those involved for their outstanding commitment and support.”
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