Rocket Lawyer CEO and founder Charley Moore told Law360 Pulse exclusively on Thursday that the former Uber employees reached out to the company in March for help with establishing the Ukraine Defense Fund as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
To show support for Ukraine, the company has also created a resource page for employers on how to protect workers in Ukraine and ceased operations in Russia after the country invaded Ukraine, according to Moore.
Moore said helping Ukraine is important to the company because it has a development center in Krakow, Poland, and team members based in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
"As a provider of legal services, we have a deep and abiding faith in the law and the rule of law, and that's why we felt as part of our ethos, mission and purpose to stop doing business in Russia based on [its] violation of international law and support our team in Ukraine and in Poland and the Ukraine Defense Fund," he said.
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, several BigLaw firms have ended business in Russia and offered pro bono legal aid to Ukrainian refugees. Firms that have closed offices in Moscow include Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Clifford Chance LLP, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright and Winston & Strawn LLP.
On the legal aid front, Morrison & Foerster LLP disclosed that it's providing pro bono counsel to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, including guidance on Western sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion.
Legal tech companies have also joined law firms in offering their services pro bono to Ukrainians. On Thursday, legal tech company Paladin announced that it's launched an online portal to connect pro bono attorneys with Ukrainians affected by Russia's invasion of the country and in need of legal assistance.
In March, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC's tech subsidiary SixFifty rolled out a free tool that automates immigration paperwork for Ukrainians living in the U.S. who want to stay in the country during the war.
Rocket Lawyer's online resource page for employers with workers in Ukraine includes information about available legal assistance, communications, relocation, countries accepting refugees and donations.
Moore said the decision to end business in Russia was only difficult to the extent that Russian people wouldn't be able to use Rocket Lawyer's platform to gain access to legal systems outside their country.
"We certainly regret any hardship that an innocent Russian Rocket Lawyer user suffers," he said. "Nevertheless, we could not in good conscience continue to operate in Russia, given [its] violation of international law."
The Ukraine Defense Fund did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.
--Editing by Steven Edelstone.
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