Blakes has worked closely with the Canadian Special Olympics organization on a pro bono basis for many years, providing support as directors and officers and advising on a wide range of corporate and sports legal matters.
Blakes provided pro bono legal services to the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Calgary, Alberta. The Firm was also the title sponsor for curling, one of the eight sporting events held at the Games.
An initiative promoted by the equality effect, 160 Girls seeks to compel the enforcement of existing laws in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi that prohibit sexual assault and bring light to the epidemic of sexual violence against women and girls. Blakes was instrumental in helping 160 Girls achieve a landmark victory in May 2013, where Kenyan law enforcement officials were ordered to investigate and prosecute crimes of sexual violence. In 2017, 160 Girls was recognized by the United Nations for advancing women's rights.
Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland facilitates life-changing relationships that inspire and empower girls to reach their potential. A Blakes partner is a member of the honourary advisory board. We also have a team of Blakes lawyers who provide pro bono advice in the areas of employment, governance and financial services.
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For many years, Blakes has provided corporate legal advice to BGC in various cities. More recently, we assisted the clubs in Vancouver and Delta/Richmond, B.C., with a consensual merger to expand and enhance the services they provide to children, youth and families in need.
Blakes has represented the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) in six interventions before the Supreme Court of Canada. The cases involved a wide variety of issues of public importance, including internet defamation, wiretaps, election advertising, warrantless searches, religious membership and freedom of information. Our submissions helped the court define the issues and resolve the cases in keeping with Canada’s fundamental legal principles.
Inclusion Canada (formerly the Canadian Association for Community Living) is a national federation of 13 provincial-territorial associations and over 300 local associations working to advance the full inclusion and human rights of people with an intellectual disability and their families. Since 2001, Blakes has been providing pro bono assistance to the organization and helping bring awareness to the exclusion and stigma surrounding intellectual disability
Blakes supports the Canadian Cancer Society in its fundraising work across the country, including the Run for the Cure and Daffodil Month. The Firm also advised the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation on its 2017 merger with the Canadian Cancer Society.
In 2020, Blakes began providing pro bono legal services and support to Connected North, an initiative to improve educational outcomes in remote Indigenous communities. The initiative enables students to join engaging and innovative programming through state-of-the-art interactive videoconferencing technology. Connected North makes the bounty of educational opportunities in Canada more accessible and inclusive.
Blakes was proud to provide legal advice to This Is Our Shot in their campaign to reduce vaccine hesitancy and improve awareness of COVID-19 vaccination through media campaigns and educational programming.
The Firm has partnered with Together Project, a non-profit effort to match government-assisted refugees with welcome groups of volunteers who secure housing, schools and physicians and provide less tangible social support.
In partnership with Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC), Friends of Ruby in Toronto and Skipping Stone Foundation in Calgary, Blakes lawyers and students provide direct client service to Two-Spirit, trans and non-binary individuals navigating the process of changing their identifiers and obtaining affirming and accurate identification.
Blakes contributes to environmental initiatives by actively supporting social entrepreneurs such as Evergreen. This national non-profit transforms public spaces in our cities to build a healthier future for people and our planet. Its Brick Works project in Toronto was a derelict industrial site that it transformed into an environmental centre showcasing sustainability and green design. Since 2004, over 100 Blakes lawyers have played critical roles in guiding the project to fruition.
Since 2007, over 200 Blakes partners, associates and law clerks have provided pro bono legal assistance to Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC). Blakes teams have also participated in HFHC construction projects, including a partnership with several LGBTQI2S+ clients to build a home for a family in Scarborough, Ontario, through HFHC's PrideBuild initiative.
Blakes has worked with the International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP) to provide pro bono assistance to governments in Africa. In Liberia, we helped restore the country’s legal system and advised on a community impact agreement regarding palm oil production. In Senegal, we trained government officials on environmental impact assessments and social responsibility in mining projects. In Zimbabwe, we trained lawmakers on detecting, investigating and preventing economic crime. And in Malawi, we prepared a training handbook to assist courts and regulators with forestry issues.
Blakes worked with the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation to establish a Canadian not-for-profit corporation, Convergence Blended Finance, Inc., to connect, develop and support blended finance investments in developing countries. Blakes has also taken the lead in coordinating other pro bono efforts supporting Convergence across the Lex Mundi network with lawyers in the U.S., the U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Hong Kong, South Africa and other jurisdictions. We assisted with registering Convergence with the Ontario Securities Commission to roll out its full capabilities.
Since 2006, Blakes has partnered with Parkinson Society British Columbia to advise individuals with Parkinson’s, develop general resources to spread awareness of the legal rights of individuals with Parkinson’s and provide corporate governance advice. Many of the cases Blakes supports involve fighting discrimination in the workplace and reducing barriers to services or facilities generally available to the public.
PREVNet is a national network of leading researchers and organizations working together to stop bullying in Canada. It is also a world leader in bullying prevention. Blakes provided pro bono legal counsel to help PREVNet develop publicly available resources for parents and educators looking to create safe and inclusive environments for children.
Ronald McDonald House seeks to provide a home away from home where seriously ill children and their families may heal better together. Blakes has provided pro bono services to Ronald McDonald House in Toronto and southern Alberta for a number of years.
Right to Play is an international not-for-profit organization that uses the power of sport and play to improve the lives of children in disadvantaged areas of the world. Since 2006, Blakes has assisted Right to Play in various matters, including helping it become a recognized international leader in the not-for-profit humanitarian sector.
