Nicolas is a full-time pro bono partner, and Head of Pro Bono and Corporate Responsibility (CR) for DLA Piper in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. Nicolas sets the strategic direction of the firm's pro bono programme and leads the firm's thinking on Corporate Responsibility in these regions.

Nicolas ensures the firm remains a leader in corporate responsibility by having an ongoing positive impact with respect to our clients, our employees, our community and the environment. He also ensures that our CR programme delivers value to the firm through operational efficiencies, client retention, increased employee engagement and productivity.

Nicolas’ pro bono legal practice is focussed mainly in the area of human rights law. His expertise includes UN treaty body engagement, including the preparation of shadow (parallel) reports analysing the extent to which treaty rights have been protected and realised in various signatory nations states. He also has experience preparing individual communications to the United Nations Human Rights Committee and other United Nations treaty bodies, and has advised governments on a range of human rights matters, including the implementation of major human rights treaties and fulfilment of UN reporting obligations.

Nicolas is a trusted advisor to leading global non-profit organisations, aid agencies, charities, NGOs and governments.

Nicolas regularly works with the in-house legal teams of our corporate clients to develop pro bono opportunities for in-house lawyers. He has a significant depth of knowledge of the practical, legal, regulatory and insurance issues facing in-house lawyers in the delivery of pro bono services. In 2009, Nicolas established a new professional indemnity insurance scheme for the National Pro Bono Resource Centre in Australia which provides free cover to in-house and government lawyers wishing to participate in pro bono work. The policy has released a very substantial dormant pro bono capacity in Australia, since up to one third of lawyers now work in-house or in government roles. The policy also provides a very high standard of protection to clients who are represented on a pro bono basis.

Nicolas serves on the board of New Perimeter - DLA Piper’s non-profit affiliate, established in 2005 - to enable the firm to deliver large scale, high-impact pro bono projects in developing and post conflict countries.

Nicolas was recognised as one of Australia's '40 hottest lawyers' by Australasian Legal Business in 2010.

Clients

• ActionAid International
• Amnesty International
• Habitat for Humanity
• Humane Society International Inc
• Oxfam Australia Pty Limited
• Médecins Sans Frontières Australia
• Australian Red Cross
• World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)