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During this season of hope and thanksgiving, we are taking the opportunity to highlight some of the pro bono work that our team have been involved in this year. HSF Kramer's worldwide pro bono team has delivered more than 100,000 hours of pro bono assistance in the last year, and Hugh Le Gear, an Associate in our London Real Estate Disputes practice, is one of the firm's stand out pro bono contributors. Hugh has taken the skills he has gained from his contentious Real Estate practice and applied them to support and improve the lives of individuals experiencing housing issues, as well as to support the firm's pro bono clients with their contentious property issues, ensuring they can continue to deliver vital frontline services.
In 2024, Hugh was part of the original group of HSF Kramer volunteers who helped set up a housing clinic in partnership with east London anti-poverty charity, Toynbee Hall. The clinic aims to empower residents of East London with free legal advice on issues like disrepair, evictions, homelessness, rent increases and social housing. As a result of Hugh's early leadership of the Toynbee Hall Housing Clinic and against a backdrop of a nationwide housing crisis and limited availability of free legal support, we have been able to assist over 130 individual clients with free, high quality legal advice. Hugh's assistance continues to support volunteers in responding to clients today and ensures that residents of East London have a service that they can trust will protect their interests and empower them to understand their rights.
In line with the approach of HSF Kramer's pro bono practice to assist both individuals and NGOs, Hugh also provided outstanding support to a Citizens Advice Bureau in East London. During the Covid pandemic, the Bureau was closed but continued to receive high water bills which totalled in excess of £80,000, suggesting a leak. The water company confirmed the leak was outside the client's boundary and therefore they were not responsible for the bill. Despite repeated requests for reimbursement, the client was ignored by the water company. Hugh was instructed by the Bureau, reviewed the evidence and prepared legal correspondence which was sent to the Water company and worked tirelessly towards finally recouping the funds in full.
Members of our Corporate Real Estate team have also been active on the pro bono front, helping Crisis UK, the national charity dedicated to ending homelessness. Founded nearly 60 years ago, the organisation works directly with people experiencing homelessness, offering practical help and advocating for systemic change. In a significant shift, Crisis has now announced that it will enter the housing market as a landlord, marking the first time in its history that it will own and manage homes.
The charity plans to purchase one-bedroom properties in London and Newcastle, with an ambition to acquire 100 homes within three years and expand to at least 1,000 over the next decade. By establishing a not-for-profit landlord model, Crisis aims to directly house people accessing its services, while continuing its policymaking and advocacy to raise awareness of the root causes of housing insecurity. Chief Executive Matt Downie explained the rationale: “The reason behind this is simple and clear – you can't end homelessness without homes”.
A cross-practice London team led by Paul Chases and Alexandra Spafford and including Casey Dalton, Matteo Yoon, Andrzej Fanner Brzezina and Ruaridh Brown advised Crisis UK on the key real estate, tax and charity law considerations, as well as on the structuring options for the venture. Paul Chases commented: "We are delighted to have been Crisis' trusted partner on this critical new venture. Our firm has a long history of providing frontline pro bono legal assistance to those seeking safe and stable housing, and a better understanding of their legal rights. We are proud that our work with Crisis on this venture and other projects helps to deepen our ties to the frontline organisations delivering real impact to those in need".
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