Historically, women have had an important role at BKM, occupying the main legal and administrative positions. Most of the legal departments are led by women with more than fifteen years of experience and career acquired within the firm. As a result, the firm has been mentioned in publications such as Chambers Latin America as the Latin American firm with the highest number of female professionals in a law firm.

It is highlighted that Berkemeyer offers different schedule possibilities, taking into account the balance between work and personal life for women in the different stages of motherhood.

We value equal opportunities and frequently sponsor professional and university conferences, which are open to attendees from the public and private sectors, under the conviction that such educational opportunities should be accessible to all lawyers.

As an example, our firm has signed a cooperation agreement with the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción (FIUNA), to assist them in the preparation of an Internal Regulation on Intellectual Property (IP) matters.

We assist the Archbishopric of Asunción in the formation of committees for the logistics of the organization that worked during the recent visit of Pope Francis to Paraguay.

We carry out community actions in favor of children, young people and the arts, participating in programs and contributing to the financing of hospitals and children’s schools, as well as music and ballet foundations.

Assistance to women with situations of domestic violence, as well as in cases of child support and people with disabilities in obtaining government benefits.

We are committed to the environment through the application of the latest technologies, such as document digitization.

The Pro Bono Program was inspired by the practice of legal volunteering in developed countries, seeking to replicate this model in Paraguay and especially to promote and cooperate with the development and growth of the country’s economy.

That is why our professionals have assumed this commitment and developed various strategic alliances with public and private entities, to identify potential beneficiaries of our program.

Objectives of the Pro Bono Program:

PROMOTE Pro Bono practice among all professionals who join BKM, as a contribution to the community,

LINK and MEDIATE between citizens and actors in the profession, generating meeting points and work programs to meet the legal needs of vulnerable people and groups, micro-entrepreneurs and social organizations, and

DISSEMINATE the work of the organization among the public, private sector and civil society.

In order to fulfill the aforementioned objectives, BKM organizes and delegates specific cases, training, workshops and general legal advice to the members of the legal team.

Work areas

1. Corporate and Corporate Law;
2. Labor Law;
3. Intellectual Property Law;
4. Free Competition Law;
5. Anti-corruption; and
6. Tax Law.

Finally, we declare BKM’s commitment to give value to equal opportunities and the faithful fulfillment of the objectives mentioned to carry out the Pro Bono Program.

“The leading role of women in teams and equal opportunities in work environments make gender diversification the cornerstone of SUCCESSFUL companies.”

Since the foundation of BKM | Berkemeyer in 1951, our firm has been characterized by practicing policies based on respect for the individuality of people, in the recognition of their heterogeneity, and in the elimination of any excluding and discriminatory conduct.

We believe that the diversity of our teams, an inclusive work environment and equal opportunities are strategic concepts that must be part of our way of doing business and that provide a company with the value of having collaborators from different cultures, age, sex, marital status, nationality, beliefs, and all the characteristics that make each of us unique beings in work environments.

The result of these policies allows team members to develop personally and professionally and give their best, as well as avoid any type of labor discrimination in the areas of access to employment, promotion, professional classification, training, remuneration, reconciliation of work, family and personal life.

This policy applies to all the firm’s collaborators, men and women, whether they are partners, seniors or juniors, without any distinction and even more so those protected by law.

BKM is committed to:

a. Develop and practice the principle of diversity, inclusion and real equality of treatment and opportunities among all collaborators,

b. Avoid situations of discrimination, both direct and indirect, at all levels of the firm through the commitment of each collaborator and,

c. Commit each member of the firm to diversity, both in relations with each other, regardless of their position in the company, as well as in relations with clients, suppliers and other stakeholders.

Actions proven over time:

a. The BKM business group currently has 170 collaborators, of which 60% are women in leadership positions and members of the Board of Directors.

b. BKM has an equality plan focused on full equality of treatment between men and women when it comes to being part of the board of directors, salaries and opportunities for advancement within the firm.

c. Provision of technological tools that allow working from anywhere and measures to make the working day and organization of time more flexible.

d. Well-defined processes to avoid biases, especially in hiring and evaluation, and training for professionals involved in these processes to avoid them.

e. Talent program specifically aimed at women to boost their careers, focused on reinforcing management skills and enhancing female talent in certain professional stages.

• On March 5, 2019, the Labor Law Seminar for MIPYMES was held, which was in charge of Attorney Verónica Recalde in agreement with the Vice Ministry of MIPYMES and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC)

• Last Thursday, March 21, 2019, we were in Coronel Oviedo supporting “La Ruta Mipyme” within the framework of the BKM /BERKEMEYER agreement with the Vice Ministry of MIPYMES of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

The event organized by the MIC aims to provide the necessary tools for the development of MSMEs, with a range of services offered such as training talks, business consulting, business development service tables, fairs, and spaces for product exhibitions, all of which are part of the work plan.

On this occasion, Attorney Rossana Colmán gave a talk on Intellectual Property.

• With the commitment to strengthen MSMEs and within the Probono Program, on April 2, 2019, Berkemeyer signed a cooperation agreement with the UIP in which they agree to carry out activities of interest to the entrepreneurial ecosystem that deploys its businesses in collaboration with the industrial union, in order to promote advice for the development and growth of those entrepreneurs.

Professionals will be made available to the UIP in talks or round tables that may be required by the organization, free of charge, addressing legal aspects to create a company, financial structure, labor organization in SMEs, tax aspects, or other topics that may be required by the union.

• In agreement with the Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals of Formosa within the “Pro-Bono” Program, Berkemeyer participated in the 4th International Congress – Women with Value, which had an excellent turnout, and Attorneys Jaqueline Querciola and Noelia Correa served as moderators.

• Within the “Pro-Bono” Program, last Thursday, April 11, 2019, Berkemeyer gave the “Labor Seminar for MSMEs” at the Chamber of Commerce and Services of CDE with the support of ORMIC Alto Paraná organized by the Vice-Ministry of Mipymes, and was presented by Attorney Verónica Recalde.

• Within the “Pro-Bono” Program, last Friday, May 17, 2019, Attorney Federico Valinotti accompanied the IRAGRO-IRP Tax Update Talk organized by the Vice-Ministry of Mipymes and the Government of Misiones.

• Within the “Pro-Bono” Program, representing BKM Berkemeyer, Attorney Federico Valinotti gave an Informative Talk for MSMEs on May 21, 2019, about the new tax provisions in force. The event was held in the Auditorium Hall of the Government of Presidente Hayes.

• Last Friday, May 31, 2019, the III NATIONAL CONGRESS OF ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTING was held in the Miraflores hall of the city of Villarrica. The organization was in charge of the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the National University of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo (UNVES). Attorney Federico Valinotti participated in the event.

• Grandma Tita Library

Within the Pro Bono program, Berkemeyer seeks to bring children closer to books and make it a free and intuitive experience, so that the book is a tool to relate to others and facilitate the habit of reading.

Hence the birth of the Grandma Tita Library, where institutions benefited from the donation of 90 books of all genres and diverse content.

• Takuaty School of the Santa Rosalía company in the city of Tobati

• CEBINFA of the city of Fernando de la Mora

• San José School of Areguá

• Dr. Prof. Cantalicio Torres School of the Costa Fleitas company in the city of Aregua

• San Blas School of the Guazuvira company in the city of Itauguá.

In total, 1700 children benefited.

When the educational community asked about the origin of the donation, they were given a letter, the content of which read as follows:

Any city, every day of every year.

This is a slow letter, I started writing it a long time ago, with the intention that many children read it.

I am a girl, who has taken flight, and with the help of time, I have become a mother, then a grandmother.

I am me, a grandmother, flesh, blood, skin, a body that walks, an idea, a thought that dreams.

That dreams of lulling a child, a grandchild, a hope with a story.

Then I dreamed that I am the sun that warms and makes you forget the sorrows, I dreamed that I am the barefoot and tired night.

When I woke up, I wanted to make a house, without windows, or doors, without walls, or a roof, without keys, or forgetfulness, a library, so that all the children, my grandchildren, fit in it, there they read a story, a story of eternal love.

With love.

Grandma Tita.