Building a pro bono legacy: DLA Piper Santiago’s four-year journey of impact

Over the past four years, our Santiago office has handled more than five times as many pro bono matters and has quadrupled its total pro bono hours, compared to the prior period.

With each of the office’s lawyers engaged in at least one pro bono matter, our Santiago office has supported more than 50 nonprofit organizations, each with diverse missions and visions. These initiatives include assisting nonprofit organizations focused on national housing solutions, developing social impact bonds to raise education standards in public schools with high vulnerability rates, supporting organizations dedicated to the protection of native wildlife, and complementing governmental child protection and shelter programs.

The Santiago office has also prioritized supporting small businesses within Chile. As part of the office’s two-year collaboration with Corporación Co-Emprende, developed alongside corporate volunteers from major local companies, DLA Piper lawyers assisted Chilean entrepreneurs in navigating legal aspects of establishing their businesses. The office also launched an annual Legal Day, through which our lawyers provide legal guidance to entrepreneurs. In 2024, the team assisted more than 40 individual entrepreneurs and expects to advise 70 in 2025.

In collaboration with New Perimeter, the Santiago office has organized two pro bono seminars at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez for law students who otherwise may not be exposed to pro bono work. Further, in March 2025, the office launched a Pro Bono Internship in collaboration with the Faculty of Law at Pontificia Universidad Católica. As part of this pilot program, two law students will join the office to work exclusively on pro bono matters for three months.

"It is a privilege and a meaningful challenge to work on projects that create real social impact in Chile. Being part of a team of lawyers so deeply committed to serving their community with excellence and purpose has been truly inspiring."

– Associate Camila Fajardo (Santiago)