Role:
I am the International Pro Bono Director at Hogan Lovells and responsible for the pro bono, social enterprise and social finance practices at the firm. My other work includes Board Membership of Mosaic, HRH Prince of Wales led initiative to support young Muslims and peers growing up in deprived areas and I sit on the Advisory Board of the Social Innovation Group at the British Council.
Why I am part of HL BaSE:
I have long believed that the ingenuity of enterprise could be harnessed to promote a better future for all. Whilst in the business world, entrepreneurs act as engines of growth, and I have always seen the potential of the movement of social entrepreneurs to use their creativity and drive to challenge fundamental inequalities in the global community.
This was the motivation that propelled me to seek out the specialist knowledge of my remarkable colleagues at Hogan Lovells and find a way to combine their expertise with the social innovation movement to address the complex needs of the most disadvantaged in society – it started with a tea pot.. .. my inspiration came from meeting and assisting Charlotte Di Vita MBE who in 1997 travelled to China to help revive a traditional 17th-century enamelling technique used in the Chinese Imperial Court. Charlotte traced a master craftsman who had been trained by court masters of the Forbidden City. In 1998 Charlotte designed a range of handcrafted and hand-painted miniature enamel collectable teapots. Demand for the product immediately exceeded supply and created secure employment and fair working conditions for over 300 Chinese artists and craftspeople. A remarkable story and a remarkable way to start my HL BaSE journey.
yasmin.waljee@hoganlovells.com
020 7296 2962