Supporting Black professionals: Norton Rose Fulbright Canada donates $100,000 for education, scholarships, and offers pro bono legal services for entrepreneurs

The funds donated will support the Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism and the BlackNorth Initiative, which the Council established to increase the pipeline of Black talent in leadership positions. The firm will also provide pro bono legal services for Black entrepreneurs.

Norton Rose Fulbright Canada is pleased to announce a donation of $100,000 disbursed over four years to the Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism and the BlackNorth Initiative (BNI), created by the Council to support Black professionals. Our firm has also entered into an agreement to provide pro bono services to Black-led businesses and Black entrepreneurs.

“We are committed to racial equity, raising awareness and ending the systemic anti-Black racism prevalent in our society,” said Charles Hurdon, Canadian Managing Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright. “This donation will support various initiatives and programs designed to empower young and upcoming Black talent to achieve their goals and reach leadership positions, securing a professional pipeline of future generations of leaders,” added Mr. Hurdon.

Providing this funding will allow affiliated organizations to build the momentum to reach their goals. Specifically, the funding will support student bursaries and scholarships, and more broadly, learning and education, as well as assist in organizational stewardship, granting, management and operating costs.

"We are thrilled to receive this generous donation and commitment of pro bono legal services from Norton Rose Fulbright," said Dahabo Ahmed Omer, CEO of the BlackNorth Initiative. "This contribution is a powerful testament to their dedication to fighting anti-Black systemic racism. It aligns perfectly with our mission at BNI to break down barriers and open doors for Black professionals and entrepreneurs.”

Norton Rose Fulbright Canada will offer pro bono services to small qualifying business owners and entrepreneurs. The pilot program will focus on assistance in the following areas:

• Legal services to support simple incorporations;
• Legal services such as corporate governance, commercial agreements, intellectual property, tax advice and litigation.

Applications for pro bono services can be made through BNI’s Black Entrepreneurship Growth and Innovation Network (BEGIN) portal/platform.

In July 2020, Norton Rose Fulbright became one of the first signatories of the BNI Law Firm pledge. The pledge is a call to action for Canadian law firms to commit to specific activities and targets designed to end systemic anti-Black racism.

Click here to read more about the actions Norton Rose Fulbright has taken since becoming a signatory of the BNI Law Firm Pledge:

• Created a Race Equity Council to represent and raise racialized firm members perspectives;
• Launched a career program designed for firm members who are Indigenous, Black, and racialized;
• Expanded its relationships and community-building work with Black students;
• Developed additional training resources on anti-racism and micro-aggressions;
• Establishing Origins, an employee resource group supporting racialized firm members; and making changes to how it collects demographic data to improve the firm’s disclosure rate and quality of its data for accountability reporting purposes. 

About BlackNorth Initiative

The BlackNorth Initiative is dedicated to eradicating anti-Black systemic racism in all facets of Canadian life, leveraging a business-first approach. Committed to removing systemic barriers that hinder the progress of Black Canadians, the initiative aims to foster an inclusive society for all. To learn more, please visit: https://blacknorth.ca/ and follows us on social media @blacknorthca.