Russell McVeagh backtracks on claim of doing ongoing free work for Women's Refuge

Wednesday, 28 February 2018

Embattled law firm Russell McVeagh has removed a claim on its website that it provided ongoing free advise to Women's Refuge. (File photo).

Under-fire law firm Russell McVeagh has removed incorrect claims from its website that it worked free-of-charge for Women's Refuge.

Women's Refuge's national office only found out about the law firm's claim when it was contacted by Stuff this week following allegations that surfaced about inappropriate sexual behaviour towards students working in a summer law clerk programme at the firm.

The website claims - now removed - were that Russell McVeagh provided 'ongoing pro bono legal advice' to Women's Refuge Charitable Trust.

Russell McVeagh chief executive Gary McDiarmid said, through a spokeswoman, on Wednesday that the firm had done some pro bono work for a women's refuge about two years ago, but never for the national office.

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The reference to 'on-going' work was a mistake and the reference to Women's Refuge had now been deleted from the write-up.

Women's Refuge national spokeswoman Ruth MacIntyre called Russell McVeagh on Tuesday and asked why the mention was there.

She accepted the firm's explanation – that it had made an error but it once gave free legal advice for a person who wanted to set up a charitable trust for the purposes of starting a refuge for women.

Russell McVeagh also mentioned it did ongoing pro bono work for Cure Kids and the Breast Cancer Research Trust, among others.

Phillipa Green, general manager for Breast Cancer Cure – formerly The Breast Cancer Research Trust – said the organisation did not have a formal agreement with Russell McVeagh.

'But they have in the past assisted us with pro bono activity on an ad-hoc basis,' she said.

'As this relationship is not in any way a formal agreement, we can not see any reason to re-consider the pro bono arrangement at this time.'

Cure Kids chief executive Frances Benge said Russell McVeagh had done pro bono work reviewing contracts and employment law advice, but pointed out the organisation had no current engagements with the firm.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand International Film Festival Trust, which has Russell McVeagh as a sponsor, plans to meet the law firm next week to discuss the future of that sponsorship.

Russell McVeagh said it was 'pro-actively' speaking to all the organisations it sponsors.

McDiarmid said in mid-February that the law firm received the inappropriate sexual behaviour allegations more than two years ago and immediately conducted a full internal investigation, and initiated a formal process.

Those who were the subject of allegations left the firm after the investigation, he said. 'Out of respect for the privacy of the women involved, we have no further details to share.'