Legal heads at Lloyds Banking Group, Mondelez International and Societe Generale have signed up to join the UK In House Pro Bono Pledge.
The latest signatories to the pledge – which now extends to 25 companies, including Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Goldman Sachs and GSK, among others – comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of UK pro bono week at the start of November.
The pledge was co-founded in 2024 by the In House Pro Bono Group, the GC100 and the National Pro Bono Centre.
Kate Cheetham, chief legal officer at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “Legal expertise makes a real difference to people and organisations who can otherwise struggle to access justice and the legal support they need. It aligns strongly to our purpose of Helping Britain Prosper and I’m proud of the many colleagues who already volunteer their time and skills through pro bono work.”
She added: “Signing the pledge recognises that contribution and I believe will encourage even more pro bono activity across our legal team.”
The pledge comes as demand for free legal advice is outpacing the capacity to meet it, according to research by LawWorks and the National Pro Bono Centre. The number of enquiries to legal clinics in LawWorks’ network rose 17.5% to 106,000 in 2025, while the number of people who were unable to access free legal advice rose to 26,000 from 24,000 a year earlier.
Lindsay Sides, UK general counsel at Societe Generale, said: “Access to justice is a growing problem, as legal aid shrinks and the cost of advice climbs beyond the reach of those who need it most. Our lawyers have a carefully honed skillset, and there is real value, and real reward, in putting it to work in the service of people and organisations who would otherwise go without.”
She added: “Joining the In House Pro Bono Pledge reflects a simple conviction: that those of us with the expertise to help should use it, and that doing so openly and measurably encourages others to do the same.”
The pledge commits signatories to appoint a pro bono champion or champions and ensure those champions join the In House Pro Bono Group.
In addition, signatories must explain how the pledge will work internally, including how it integrates with existing CSR and ESG practices. They must also encourage at least 25% of their UK in-house lawyers to undertake a minimum of one hour of pro bono activities in year one of signing the pledge, rising to 35% in year two and 50% in year three.
Signatories must track pro bono work undertaken by hours and projects, while asking external law firms and chambers to provide details of their pro bono activities.
Sunil Sehgal, chief counsel for UK and Ireland at Modelez, said: “Pro bono gives our legal team a meaningful way to make a difference. Signing the pledge allows us to formalise our approach and helps us foster a stronger pro bono culture and community spirit across the firm.”
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