Trainees from nine City law firms have joined forces to launch a ground-breaking pro bono initiative in Brussels, led by US/UK firm Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw.

The firms will work together to provide EU and competition advice to European charities and not-for-profit organisations and bring cases before the European Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights.


A UK/Brussels pro bono committee, to be chaired by a law firm partner, will be set up in October to oversee the project.


It will include representatives from CMS Cameron McKenna, Clifford Chance, Coudert Brothers, Dechert, Eversheds, Linklaters, Lovells, and Nabarro Nathanson.


The committee will seek EU funding to set up a pro bono Web site that will enable lawyers in Brussels and London to respond to requests for help from charitable bodies. It also aims to provide a newswire giving updates on relevant areas of law.


Andrew Jackson, the trainee solicitor at Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw responsible for organising the project, said: 'It is unprecedented for a group of trainees from different law firms to come together like this. The project could potentially lead to European-wide co-ordination of pro bono work, with different law firms working on different areas of a case.'


He added: 'The initiative is a response to the lack of available pro bono work for the hundred or more UK lawyers and trainees based in Brussels. Our research has shown that there are many worthy charities and not-for-profit organisations, such as the European Public Health Alliance, which need advice on competition and cross-border trade.'


The initiative has received support from the Solicitors Pro Bono Group and the Attorney-General's pro bono envoy Michael Napier.