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Lloyds Banking Group, Mondelez International and Societe Generale have become the latest major UK employers to join the In House Pro Bono Pledge, committing to embed pro bono across corporate legal departments, and taking the total number of signatories to 25.
Co-founded by the In House Pro Bono Group, the GC100 and the National Pro Bono Centre, the Pledge launched in April 2024 and is endorsed by sector bodies including LawWorks and Advocate.
A growing coalition of leading corporates has joined since launch, including Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Goldman Sachs, GSK, IHG Hotels & Resorts, ITV, London Stock Exchange Group, Ocado Group, Taylor Wimpey, United Utilities and Whitbread.
The Pledge comes at a time of urgency, according to research by LawWorks and the National Pro Bono Centre. Demand for free legal advice is outpacing the capacity to meet it: enquiries to clinics in the LawWorks network rose 17.5% year-on-year to over 106,000 in 2025, while the number of people who went without advice rose to around 26,000, up from 24,000 in 2024. In addition, research for the NPBC from Pragmatix Advisory indicated that if pro bono support ceased, 87% of legal support charities would either close, scale back or reduce the number of clients able to access their services.
Against this backdrop, the sector relies heavily on pro bono support from legal professionals to expand clinic and not-for-profit capacity. Beyond pledging in-house pro bono time, the Pledge requires signatories to ask their primary external law firms and chambers to detail their pro bono activities and be clear about their support for pro bono.
The announcement coincides with the publication of updated guidance on the Pledge, available here, to support signatories and other in house teams in putting the undertakings into practice.
The Rt Hon. the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, said: “The In House Pro Bono Pledge exists to make participation practical and measurable for busy legal teams. It encourages a culture of pro bono work and highlights the important role that it plays in improving access to justice and supporting communities.”
Kate Cheetham, Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary, Lloyds Banking Group, said: “Legal expertise makes a real difference to people and organisations who can otherwise struggle to access justice and the legal support they need. It aligns strongly to our purpose of Helping Britain Prosper and I’m proud of the many colleagues who already volunteer their time and skills through pro bono work. Signing the Pledge recognises that contribution and I believe will encourage even more pro bono activity across our legal team.”
Sunil Sehgal, Chief Counsel UK&I, Mondelez International, said: “We’ve given back to our consumers and the communities we operate in for over 200 years. Pro bono gives our legal team a meaningful way to make a difference. Signing the pledge allows us to formalise our approach and helps us foster a stronger pro bono culture and community spirit across the firm.”
Lindsay Sides, UK General Counsel, Societe Generale, said: “Access to justice is a growing problem, as legal aid shrinks and the cost of advice climbs beyond the reach of those who need it most. Our lawyers have a carefully honed skillset, and there is real value, and real reward, in putting it to work in the service of people and organisations who would otherwise go without. Joining the In House Pro Bono Pledge reflects a simple conviction: that those of us with the expertise to help should use it, and that doing so openly and measurably encourages others to do the same.”
The framework translates intent into action through seven undertakings. By signing the Pledge, signatories commit to:
1. Appoint a Pro Bono Champion(s).
2. Ensure the Champion(s) joins the In House Pro Bono Group.
3. Indicate whether the Champion would like a designated mentor from the Group.
4. Outline how the Pledge will operate internally, including integration within CSR/ESG.
5. Encourage at least 25% of UK-based in-house lawyers to undertake a minimum of one hour of pro bono in year one, rising to 35% in year two and 50% in year three.
6. Track pro bono work undertaken (hours and projects).
7. Ask key external law firms and chambers to provide details of their pro bono activities and be clear about their support for pro bono.