Pro bono collaboration within the legal community’s response to displacement from Ukraine

Anna Kalinichenko specializes in banking law and financial law. She advises international and Ukrainian clients in a variety of cross-border and local transactions (including bilateral and syndicated loans, project finance and the issuance of bonds), participating in a number of debt restructuring projects and providing clients with regulatory advice. Anna joined the pro bono legal team at DLA Piper, where she supports the activities of the Warsaw office and works closely with Özgür Kahale's European pro bono leadership team. In addition to providing legal advice, she also participates in the DLAGranica project, launched in response to the migrant crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border and assistance in the Ukraine crisis.

Jasmine Simperingham is currently the Global Project Coordinator (Forced Displacement) based in Geneva. She is working with the global legal community to advance refugee rights pro bono and to facilitate partnerships with refugees and others affected by displacement that use the power of law to increase access to rights, justice and solutions. Jasmine joined the team in September 2020, coming to PILnet with over 15 years of international experience in the refugee response, human rights and justice sectors. This includes more than 8 years experience with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as well as experience in the legal and justice sectors working for government authorities in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Jasmine holds a Master of Laws (Hons), a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws, specializing in international human rights and international criminal law.

Phil Worthington is Managing Director of European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL), which was established in 2016 and provides free legal assistance to asylum seekers in Greece (four offices), people arriving in Poland from Ukraine (five locations in Warsaw) and asylum seekers crossing the Poland-Belarus border (two offices). In total, ELIL has assisted over 18,000 asylum seekers and worked with more than 400 volunteer lawyers. Phil has helped set up two collaborative pro bono projects, each with six participating firms. Prior to founding ELIL, Phil worked as a commercial lawyer in London.