Linklaters Warsaw, working pro bono, has assisted the Empowering Children Foundation on its purchase of property in Warsaw earmarked to be Poland's first specialist support center for children.
According to Linklaters, the Empowering Children Foundation "aims at providing all children a safe childhood and ensuring that they are treated in a manner that respects their dignity and subjectivity. It protects children from abuse and assists those who have experienced violence, to know their rights, believe in themselves and enjoy life. It supports parents and guardians on their path towards good parenthood, as well as professionals who work with children on an everyday basis. All actions of the Foundation have one common denominator: we protect children and give them power – every day. Its modern Child Advocacy Center will be a place offering comprehensive psychological and medical support to the youngest victims of mistreatment. Also, parents whose children are referred to the center will be able to use psychological and legal consultations, to be better able to support them. The Warsaw center is being set up on the basis of the best practices developed globally, and the inspiration for its creation came from the Child Advocacy Centers in the USA and Barnahus in Scandinavia.
Linklaters provided the foundation with legal advice on real estate and tax and reports that it supported it, "above all, in conducting a due diligence of the property, negotiating the contract of sale, and finalizing the property purchase transaction." The firm "will also support the foundation after the opening of the Child Advocacy Center, which is planned for the end of 2017."
The Linklaters team consisted of Ewelina Laskowska-Zołw and Mateusz Cieslak from the real estate law practice and Jan Jurga from the tax law practice.
”The foundation is building a support center for the youngest children, inspired by tried-and-tested solutions from similar centers all around the world," said Artur Kulawski, Managing Partner at Linklaters Warsaw. "I am glad that we can participate in this project, sharing our knowledge and experience.”
"Linklaters’ support is invaluable," said Monika Sajkowska, President of the Empowering Children Foundation. "The team was highly competent and donated their valuable time so that we can start helping children at a specialist, professional facility this year."
