Latham Helps Launch Domestic Abuse Response Alliance

Latham is proud to be part of a new coalition of firms in the United Kingdom called the Domestic Abuse Response Alliance (DARA). Together, lawyers will offer pro bono legal advice and representation to survivors of domestic abuse in need of protective injunctions. DARA will receive referrals from the National Centre for Domestic Violence and will be hosted by LawWorks as one of its secondary specializations. One in four women in England and Wales experience domestic abuse during their lifetime. Every week two women in the UK are killed by a current or former partner and three die by suicide due to domestic abuse.

“The statistics are staggering,” said Sophie Lamb QC, the London partner who is leading the Latham team. “The pandemic has only worsened an already horrific crisis. We applaud Sam Cottman, Director of Pro Bono at Travers Smith, for bringing together this coalition and founding DARA, and we look forward to offering our assistance to survivors.”

In addition to Latham and Travers Smith, the other founding firms include Debevoise & Plimpton, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Hogan Lovells, Reed Smith, and Slaughter and May. DARA will also be supported by specialist family law firm Beck Fitzgerald, under the guidance of Jenny Beck QC (Hon).