At Berkemeyer we have been committed to the community and the environment since our establishment.
Because of this, we have chosen to carry out our profession as lawyers taking notice of the effects that influence the country and society, and thus we are committed to carry out CSR strategies, reaffirming our values and corporate ethics that we want to maintain as a firm.
Examples of our CSR commitment are our Proven Social Commitment and our actions bases on our Pro Bono Policies.
Historically, women have played a major role in BKM, occupying principal positions in the legal and administrative areas. Most departments are led by women with more than 15 years of experience, who have made a career in the firm. As a result, the firm has been named on publications such as Chambers Latin America, as the law firm with the highest number of professional women in law.
It is important to note that Berkemeyer offers different working hour possibilities, as there is a balance between work and personal life for women at the various stages of motherhood.
We value equal opportunities and we frequently sponsor professional and university lectures that are open to members of the public and private sectors, because we believe that such educational opportunities should be open to all lawyers.
As an example, our firm has signed a cooperation agreement with the Engineering Faculty of the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion (FIUNA), to assist them in the development of a Rules of Procedure document regarding Intellectual Property.
We assisted the Asuncion Archbishopric in the formation of committees regarding the organizational logistics that took place during Pope Francis’ recent visit to Paraguay.
We perform community actions to favor children, teenagers, and the arts, by participating in programs and contributing to the funding of hospitals and schools for children, as well as music and ballet foundations.
We assist women who are in situations of domestic violence, as well as cases of sustenance for children, and helping disabled persons acquire government benefits.
We are committed to the environment by applying new technologies to reduce waste, such as document digitalization.
The law firm BKM Berkemeyer was founded in 1951, with the goal to offer services and legal counsel in accordance to international standards. To fulfill this goal, BKM has defined as part of its goals to commit to the community through a “Pro-Bono” Program, in order to give free legal services to vulnerable people and groups, small enterprises, and social organizations, and to highlight women’s role in society.
The Pro-Bono Program was inspired by the practice of voluntary legal work in developed nations, with the aim to replicate this model in Paraguay, and specially to promote and cooperate with the development and growth of the country’s economy.
Because of this, our professionals have agreed to this commitment and established various strategic alliances with private and public entities to identify potential beneficiaries of our program.
Pro-Bono Program Objectives:
To PROMOTE Pro-Bono practices among all professionals that are part of BKM, as contribution to the community.
To LINK and MEDIATE between the citizenry and professionals, generation of encounter settings and work programs to satisfy all the legal needs of vulnerable people and groups, small enterprises, and social organizations, and
To SPREAD the organizational task among the private and public sector, as well as the civil society.
To achieve the aforementioned objectives, BKM organizes and delegates among the members of the legal teams, cases, trainings, workshops, and general legal counseling.
Work Areas:
- Corporate and Company Law,
- Labor Law,
- Intellectual Property Law,
- Competition Law,
- Anticorruption, and
- Tax and Fiscal Law.
Finally, we declare BKM’s commitment to grant value to equal opportunities and the fulfilment of the aforementioned objectives to realize the Pro-Bono Program.
“Women’s key role in teams and equal opportunities in work environments make gender diversity a cornerstone of SUCCESFUL enterprises”
Since the establishment of BKM | Berkemeyer in 1951, our firm was characterized for basing policies on respect of a person’s individuality, recognition of heterogeneity, and the elimination of any excluding or discriminating behaviors.
We believe that the diversity of our teams, an inclusive work environment, and equal opportunities are strategic concepts that must be a part of our way of doing business and that they bring to a company the value of being able to rely on collaborators of different cultures, ages, gender, marital status, nationalities, beliefs, and all the characteristics that make each of us unique in the work environment.
As a result, these policies allow team members the ability to develop themselves in their private and personal lives, and to give their best, while also avoiding any kind of discrimination in the workplace regarding access to employment, promotions, professional classification, training, remuneration, and finding balance between their personal, professional, and family lives.
These policies apply to all Firm collaborators, whether they are men or women, junior or senior partners, without any distinction and more so if they are protected by law.
BKM pledges:
a. To develop and apply the principle of diversity, inclusion and equality treatment and opportunity to all collaborators.
b. To avoid discriminatory situations, directly or indirectly, on all levels of the firm through the commitment of all collaborators, and
c. To engage all members of the firm with diversity, not only among themselves, regardless of their position in the firm, as well as in their relationships with clients, suppliers, and other interest groups.
Time tested actions:
a. BKM business group currently counts with 170 collaborators, from which 60% are women in leadership positions and Board Members.
b. BKM possesses an equality plan that focuses on absolute equality of treatment between men and women when it comes to be a part of the board, wages, and advancement opportunities in the firm.
c. Availability of technological tools that allow working from anywhere and measures to make the workdays and time management more flexible.
d. Well defined processes to avoid biases, especially in hiring and evaluation, and training of the professionals in charge of said processes to avoid them.
e. Talent programs specifically aimed at women to boost their careers, which focus on strengthening their leadership skills and enhance female talent in certain professional stages.
On March 5th, 2019 the Labor Rights for MIPYMES (Micro-, Small-, and Medium- Companies) Seminar took place, which was supervised by atty. Verónica Recalde in agreement with the Vice-minister of MIPYMES and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC).
The past Thursday, March 21st, 2019 we were in Coronel Oviedo supporting “The MIPYME Highway” within the framework of the agreement between BKM/BERKEMEYER and the Vice-ministry of MIPYMES of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
With the commitment to strengthen the MIPYMES and within the Pro-Bono Program, on April 2nd, 2019, Berkemeyer signed with the UIP a cooperation agreement in which they agree to carry out activities of interest for the entrepreneurial ecosystem that unfolds their business in collaboration with the industrial syndicate, as a way to promote counseling for development and growth of these entrepreneurs.
The UIP will be provided professionals for lectures or round table discussions that may be necessary for the organization, at no cost, that cover legal aspects for the creation of a company, financial structure, labor organization of small and medium-sized companies, taxation aspects, or any other subjects that may be required by the syndicate.
In agreement with the Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals of Formosa within the “Pro-Bono” Program, Berkemeyer participated in the 4th International Convention – Women with Value, which had an excellent turnout, were moderated by attys. Jaqueline Querciola and Noelia Correa.
Within the “Pro-Bono” Program, on the past Thursday Apr 11th, 2019, Berkemeyer held the “Labor Seminar for MIPYMES” in the Chamber of Commerce and Services in Ciudad del Este with the support from ORMIC Alto Paraná organized by the Vice-ministry of MIPYMES, with a lecture by atty. Verónica Recalde.
Within the “Pro-Bono” Program, on the past Friday May 17th, 2019, atty. Federico Valinotti joined the Talk for IRAGRO-IRP Tax Update organized by the Vice-ministry of MIPYMES and Misiones Governance.
Within the “Pro-Bono” Program, in representation of Berkemeyer, atty. Federico Valinotti gave an Informative Lecture for MIPYMES on May 21st, 2019 about the new current fiscal dispositions. The event took place in the Auditorium Hall of the Presidente Hayes Governance.
On the past Friday May 31st, 2019, the III NATIONAL CONGRESS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING took place in the Miraflores Hall of the city of Villarica. The Faculty of Economic Sciences of the National University of Villarica del Espíritu Santo (UNVES) was in charge of the event’s organization. Atty. Federico Valinotti participated in the event.
Grandma Tita Library
Within the Pro-Bono Program, Berkemeyer looks to bring children closer to books and for this to be a free and intuitive experience, so that books become tools for children to relate to each other and reading habits are formed.
From this idea the Grandma Tita Library is born, where institutions have benefited from donations of over 90 books of different genres and diverse content.
- Takuaty School of the Santa Rosalia Company of 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 of the city of Areguá
- San Blas School of the Guazuvira Company of the city of Itaguá
In total, 1700 children have benefited from the Program.
When the educational community asked where these donations came from, they were handed a letter that said the following:
Any city, every day of every year.
This is a slow letter, I started writing it a long time ago with the hope that a lot of children will read it.
I am a girl that took flight, and with the help of time, I became a mother and then a grandmother.
It is me, a grandmother, flesh, blood, skin, a body that walks, an idea, a thought that dreams.
That dreams of lulling a child with a story, a grandchild, a hope.
Then I dreamt that I am the sun that warms and drowns the sorrows, I dreamt I am the night, barefoot and tired.
When I awoke, I wanted to build a house, without windows, nor doors, nor walls, nor roof, nor key, nor forgetfulness,
A library, where all children have a place inside, my grandchildren, and read a story there, a story of eternal love.
With love,
Grandma Tita
We have also contributed to these foundations for over 25 years:
- Fundación Casa Cuna.
- Fundación Dequení.
- Fundación San Joaquín y Santa Ana.
- Sonidos de la Tierra.
- MIPYMES.
- SUACE.
- ARJP.