The social initiative was the result of the 35-year celebration of the firm focused on intellectual property
Di Blasi, Parente & Associados turns 35 in 2022 and decided to celebrate the date in a very special way. Instead of holding a party with customers and partners, the firm decided to help finance a social project and the choice involved everyone from the bank.
In the World Cup season, the winning project also underwent a healthy and humanitarian competition to receive a cash prize to be applied to the winning proposal. To make the commemorative project possible, the Children’s Institute (CI), partner of almost three decades of Di Blasi, Parente & Associados Law, was summoned. The CI researched dozens of projects and selected 16 to present to the firm’s board. The managing partners, Gabriel Di Blasi and Paulo Parente Marques Mendes, and the executive director, Alexandre Prado, chose eight projects that presented a greater focus on entrepreneurship, innovation and technology.
“It is possible to change the reality of the people who are in need, since we are dedicated to it. Especially when we perform actions like this, uniting people for the same goal of transformation. I hope we can continue to work together” – said Pedro Werneck, co-founder and president of the Children’s Institute.
After the round of 16 and quarterfinals (when several projects became 16 and then eight), the final choice was decided to engage the employee team of Di Blasi, Parente & Associados. They voted for the project with which they most identified, from the values defended by the firm: innovative solutions, co-creation, high sustainable performance, and bossa, which represents the lightness and creativity of carioca.
“This initiative was carried out through a democratic and important process involving all members of the firm. This shows the sensitization of an intellectual property that thinks of social responsibility and reinforces solidarity, empathy, and commitment to others in our DNA. The partnership with the Child Institute has existed since our beginning and it is thanks to it that we could hold this celebration so special ” – celebrated the managing partner, Paulo Parente.
The winning project was from the Institute Incluir: transform, democratize and humanize. The NGO operates with social projects to promote the inclusion and social participation of people with disabilities through education, sport, and culture. Through partnerships with the public and private sector, national and international, they develop projects with the objective of expanding the access of people with disabilities to social spaces. The project “Accessible Literature” received 25.37% of the votes and seeks to bring PCD themes (people with disabilities) and accessibility through multi-format books, conversation rounds, and storytelling for children from public schools.
The project was recently recognized by UNESCO, the United Nations Body for Education, Science and Culture, and the founder and president of the Institute Incluir, Carina Alves, believes that the Di Blasi, Parente & Associates award is important to serve children and young people, with and without disabilities, and their families living in extreme social vulnerability:
“The institute was born of personal and professional resignification, a need to act with purpose. Receiving another recognition from such an important jury is a sign that we are on the right track. Gratitude.”
Thirty-five years ago, there was no talk about social responsibility such as today. But the managing partners, Gabriel Di Blasi and Paulo Parente, have always been concerned to help people in some way, especially children, not only in the personal aspect but in the professional as well. In building the legacy of the firm, many partnerships were made from this will for contribution. In addition to providing services to customers with non-profit activities and legal aid in the area of intellectual property, the firm also involves its employees in social responsibility projects, encouraging donations to various institutions and volunteer work. Some of the current partnerships are:
Children Institute: Organization of Civil Society of Public Interest (OSCIP in Portuguese) that sponsors projects in institutions of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, as well as educational and community development projects;
GRAACC – Fighting and winning the child cancer: created in 1991, Graacc is a non-profit institution to ensure that children with cancer are entitled to all chances of healing with quality of life;
For All: understanding that the first step to effective change is knowledge, the focus of the NGO is to sensitize the largest number of people about the universe of disability and bring the subject to the daily life of all;
Bees of Love: the group that performs volunteer work focused on citizenship, solidarity, and dissemination of positive actions in the world;
One by One: a non-profit organization that aims to provide social inclusion for low-income children with special needs by donating tailored wheelchairs.
The managing partner Gabriel Di Blasi was thrilled during the award because, according to him, it represents the incentive to innovation, which is the purpose of the firm. He believes that the initiative reinforces the legacy of Di Blasi, Parente & Associates with the commitment to the ESG agenda, which involves environmental, social, and modern governance practices, and expects this movement to inspire similar initiatives in society:
“I am truly thrilled to celebrate our 35 years of reinforcing social responsibility as a priority in our work. We decided to make a different celebration as a way of returning this to society and inspiring other offices and companies to become aware of ESG practices. And I hope this award for the Institute includes – as the most innovative elected by DBPA – can also contribute to the social inclusion of these children and adolescents in sports, education, and innovation.”