INTERNATIONAL
Twinning with Palermo Bar Association
A
fter an overdue return to London for our friends from the Palermo Bar Association, we finally hosted Michele Calantropo, President of their International Committee at a signing ceremony on 1 April. This cooperation agreement formalises our long-standing friendship and collaboration with the largest law society in Sicily. It also provides our members with new opportunities to engage with colleagues and strengthen our relationships with European counterparts. WHLS is planning a reciprocal visit to Palermo in the near future. Please get in touch if you are interested in joining this delegation.
International Update
T
he WHLS International Committee held a well-attended black-tie dinner at the National Liberal Club on 1 April. This event was in conjunction with the UIA (The International Association of Lawyers) and was the culmination of the twoday international conference on family law co-hosted by the Law Society of England & Wales. It was excellent to meet and socialise with colleagues again from across Europe and as far afield as South America. We also managed to raise over £700 cash on the night for the Krakow Bar Association’s Ukraine Appeal. If you are interested in building your professional network or contributing to the great work our International Committee does, please contact cwhlawsoc@gmail.com to express your interest.
16 | CENTRAL LONDON LAWYER
Lawyers assist Ukraine D
uring the Westminster & Holborn dinner in the National Liberal Club at the end of the UIA conference on 1 April, guests heard from Kinga Konopka and Joanna Wsolek of the Krakow Bar with which WHLS is twinned. The Krakow lawyers told guests about the initiatives of their members in supporting lawyers in Ukraine. Their members have been assisting refugees in finding accommodation, giving legal advice, and responding to the requests for help from small bar associations which are cut off from the central depots where the big shipments of humanitarian aid arrive. They have already organised three vehicles filled with medicine, clothes, food and blankets to take to towns in Ukraine. Guests in the dinner donated over £700 and €130 in cash, and many took away the information to make direct bank transfers. It was a clear way that lawyers could help lawyers. Ambulance on its way The money raised has been used to buy and supply an ambulance with medical supplies and has gone with volunteer doctors to the Ukrainian city of Mykoleiv, between Odessa and Cherson. An announcement was made paying tribute to the support of WHLS members during the international webinar with the Ukrainian National Bar Association (UNBA) on 20 April. Another way of helping is in providing legal advice on immigration rules. During the 20 April international webinar organised by the FBE with panellists from Poland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Austria and the UK participants heard from President of the UNBA Mrs Lidiia Izovitova. These experts answered questions from the UNBA, and the webinar was very successful and the recording can be found on the FBE website for anyone interested in assisting refugees to find safe havens across borders.
