MSA in Society

As one of the most prominent actors in the legal industry, and a major business operator, we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to influence social change in a positive direction. MSA in Society is the third and final pillar of our sustainability framework.

Aside from our role as a business law adviser, we actively contribute to a better society through pro bono partnerships with several important organisations. We participate across a number of different areas including climate and the environment, social affairs and human rights. Under the umbrella of MSA Arts, we are also involved in several partnerships to promote a vibrant cultural life and to strengthen the role of culture in the business community and society at large.

The provision of pro bono advice is deeply embedded in our corporate culture and our staff are highly encouraged to get involved. We have supported many organisations since the firm’s foundation in 1990 and several hundred of our employees have contributed.

Partnerships

Centrum för rättvisa (“Centre for Justice”)

Centrum för rättvisa is a foundation dedicated to protecting the rights and freedoms of the individual in legal proceedings and by participating in the public debate on human rights. Its role includes investigating misconduct, informing individuals of their rights and acting as counsel in legal proceedings where the injured party is unaware of their rights or lacks the financial resources needed to protect them. Its tools are the legal protection of rights and freedoms enshrined in laws, statutes, the European Convention and EU law. The firm contributes with legal advice.

Fryshuset

The foundation Fryshuset is a religiously and politically independent non-profit organisation that supports young people and give them the opportunity to develop, find their identity and feel part of society. Fryshuset runs around 60 activities all across Sweden, from culture and entertainment to projects that meet the greatest social challenges of our time. Through its meeting places, the organisation enables young people to grow and develop on their own terms. The firm contributes with legal advice.

GAIN Sweden

GAIN (Girls Are Investors) is a UK charity with a mission to inspire and empower the next generation of women and non-binary investors by providing a platform for learning, career development and networking. The charity champions gender equality and strives to equip young women and non-binary students with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to succeed in the investment management industry. GAIN’s establishment in Sweden is its first outside the UK, and the firm contributes with legal advice.

Gapminder

Gapminder is an independent Swedish foundation with no political, religious, or economic affiliations. Gapminder identifies systematic misconceptions about important global trends and proportions and uses reliable data to develop easy to understand teaching materials to rid people of their misconceptions. Gapminder was founded in 2005 by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund. The firm contributes with legal advice.

IFS

International Entrepreneurs in Sweden (Stiftelsen Internationella Företagare i Sverige, IFS) supports entrepreneurs and business owners with a foreign background to start, run and develop businesses, and works to ensure favourable conditions for networking and entrepreneurship. IFS also awards the Newcomer of the Year prize, the purpose of which is to show that it is possible to succeed in Sweden, to decrease the experience of exclusion, and to highlight the added value that these individuals and role models bring to society. The firm provides legal advice and is represented on the board.

Race for the Baltic

Race for the Baltic is a solution- and business-orientated fund-raising project whose mission is to improve the health of the Baltic Sea. The foundation targets eutrophication – the biggest issue affecting the Baltic Sea – resulting in dead zones in bottom areas, algae blooms, fish mortality and low water clarity. Race for the Baltic was founded by Zennström Philanthropies and collaborates with researchers, government agencies, other non-profit organisations, private sector interests and entrepreneurs. By continuing to support positive initiatives, Race for the Baltic hopes and believes that the eutrophication curve will bend and that, by 2030, the Baltic Sea will be capable of self-purifying the quantities of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water. The firm contributes with legal advice and is represented on the board.

Stadsmissionen (“The City Mission”)

Stadsmissionen is an idea-driven organisation striving for a more humane society through social care, education and work integration. The organisation was founded in 1853 to help the most disadvantaged. Its vision is a society where everyone has the power to shape their own life, has access to a home, education and work, and experiences love and warmth. Mannheimer Swartling partners with Stockholm, Gothenburg and Skåne City Missions. The firm contributes with legal advice and is represented on the board.

Welcome to read more about The City Mission in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Skåne respectively.

Sweden for UNHCR

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads international efforts to protect people who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, conflict or persecution. UNHCR is dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. The firm contributes with e.g. legal advice and is represented on the board for Sweden for UNHCR.

UN Global Compact Network Sweden (GCNS)

GCNS is the Swedish network of the UN Global Compact – the world’s largest initiative for sustainability in the business sector. The Swedish network is a neutral, national platform for networks and organisations working to achieve a sustainable society, serving as a link between Swedish member organisations and the global network. The aim is to accelerate sharing of sustainable solutions, tools and initiatives. GCNS promotes and contributes know-how, practical guidance and shared experiences relating to the ten principles. Mannheimer Swartling provides legal advice and is represented on the board.

Öppet hus (“Open house”)

Öppet hus is a non-profit association promoting diversity. With a mentoring programme to support young people on their journey into further education and working life, the aim is to inspire confidence and motivation in young adults with a non-Swedish background. The mentoring programme creates internship places, summer jobs and longer-term employment for young people. Öppet hus also arranges activities such as workplace visits, CV training, study guidance and inspirational lectures. The firm contributes with legal advice and is represented on the board.

MSA Arts partnerships

Dramaten

The Royal Dramatic Theatre, better known as Dramaten, is Sweden’s national stage and one of the hubs of Swedish cultural life. The theatre operates under a mandate from the Swedish government, with a mission to, among other things, preserve theatre history as well as develop the art of theatre. Dramaten is thus the scene for classics, newly written theatre and theatre for children and young people.

The Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art is one of Europe’s leading actors for modern and contemporary art. The museum collects, preserves, shares and exhibits modern art from the early 20th century and photography from 1840 and onwards. Its vision is to, among other things, champion the arts, serve as a stimulating platform for people and art, and function as an agent of change in society.

Read more about the Museum of Modern Art here.

The Nobel Foundation

Alfred Nobel believed that people are capable of helping to improve society through knowledge, science and humanism. The Nobel Foundation’s main mission is to manage Alfred Nobel’s fortune in a manner that ensures a secure financial standing for the Nobel Prize over the long term and that the prize-awarding institutions are guaranteed independence in their work of selecting recipients.

Read more about the Nobel Foundation here.