FREE ADVICE: Dewey Ballantine, Linklaters and Clifford Chance in a variety of projects

A trio of law firms in the City this week unveiled major pro bono projects of very different natures, including one to help set up a permanent US memorial to British victims of the 11 September attacks.

US firm Dewey Ballantine announced last week that lawyers from its London and New York offices are acting pro bono for the St.

George's Society of New York to establish the British Memorial Garden in New York.

The gardens, which will be located in Hanover Square in Lower Manhattan, will commemorate the British nationals who lost their lives in the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the thousands of British servicemen and others who died alongside their US comrades in war.

Plans for the garden, which will be designed by renowned British landscape architects Julian and Isabel Bannerman, were unveiled last week at a reception in New York and include a sculpture by Anish Kapoor.

Dewey Ballantine is advising on the formation of a not-for-profit organisation, the British Memorial Garden Trust, and on obtaining for it tax-exempt and charitable status in the US.

The firm is also providing ongoing legal services to the trust, including corporate, real estate and intellectual property advice.

The London office is advising on the formation of a separate UK charitable entity, which will raise funds to help establish and maintain the British Memorial Garden and provide support to the British victims of terror.

London partner Adam Dann said: 'We are delighted to be able to have the opportunity to be of assistance in establishing this important charity which, we hope, will bring some comfort to the relatives and friends of those who have lost their lives through acts of terror and war.'

Meanwhile, Linklaters has launched a free legal advice service in Hackney, east London, in partnership with Hackney Community Law Centre and Hackney Voluntary Action.

Called Hackney Legal Connections, it aims to aid small businesses and community groups which would otherwise be left without any access to legal help.

Around 40 Linklaters staff have so far volunteered for the project, which was facilitated by the Solicitors Pro Bono Group.

Emma Aynsley, the law centre's volunteer services co-ordinator, said: 'The law centre does not have enough funding to help small businesses or community groups, although we know there is enormous demand for this advice.'

And Clifford Chance is this week undertaking its first-ever global community initiative, enlisting offices worldwide to collect books for Book Aid International during this week's 'bring a book to work week'.

The firm's goal is to collect one book from everyone at the firm - Clifford Chance has some 7,500 partners and staff worldwide.

The books will be sent to London and passed to Book Aid with a donation to assist with storage, sorting and transportation costs.

Book Aid distributes books to more than 40 developing countries.

Neil Rose