Art Initiatives in Legal Sector

Law firms have incredible opportunities to engage in the Arts for the benefit of their lawyers and staff as well as for marketing and business development purposes.  Initiatives are various and below, we have listed some examples.

At FMC, our goal is simple: we wish to offer the opportunity to each lawyer and staff member to attend monthly events during which they can engage with artists, musicians, actors and writers and/or simply discover something different in the field of the Arts.

Taylor Wessing: this firm sponsors each year the Photographic Portrait Prize, one of the most exciting international photographic competition organized by the National Portrait Gallery in London opened to professionals, photography students and amateurs. This is part of the firm Corporate Social Responsibility programme. For the 2011 Photographic Portrait Prize, look at our blog entry here.

Rosenblatt solicitors: Ian Rosenblatt founder of the firm and passionate about opera launched in 2000 the Rosenblatt Recital series, a recital series for leading and up-and-coming opera singers financed by his firm. The recital which is now moving from St John's Smith Square to Wigmore Hall is an important part of the firm's marketing. Peruvian tenor, Juan Diego Flórez was first presented in the UK in the series.

Simmons & Simmons: the firm has been collecting Contemporary Art for 15 years. Stuart Evans, a former partner of the firm who is curating the Simmons & Simmons collection writes "Our aim has been to bring to young artists a showcase beyond the galleries in which their work is usually seen, and to provide ourselves and our clients with the opportunity to engage with what I believe to be some of the most interesting elements in contemporary art practice." The collection can be seen on the collection separate website.

Walker Morris : a Leeds based law firm which has been involved in several sponsorships as part of their corporate social responsibilities program including 'The Revolution Continues - New art from China at  at the Saatchi Gallery in London. This year they will sponsor an important local event, the first Yorkshire Business & Arts festival.

Allen & Overy: A&O launched Artbeat in 2003,  a community arts initiative .  Artbeat invites local students into Allen & Overy’s offices and commissions them to create artwork under the tutelage of professional artists.

To discuss this type of initiatives and many others, join our Bridging Art and Business group on LinkedIn.