The Moscow office of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has advised the Mosaic of Happiness Fund in setting up a private integrated nursery school in Moscow that supports integration of children with disabilities and refugee children into the local society. The work on the project included adoption of the school regulation and admission rules, drafting frameworks of support, donation, volunteer and employment agreements.

Mosaic of Happiness Fund is a non-profit organisation founded in 2012. The purpose of the fund is to develop and maintain system projects to conceptually change the attitude towards charity in the country and support the most complex areas of assistance to those in need, who do not have adequate support and awareness.

Ekaterina Kokorina, who led the project for Mosaic of Happiness Fund, said: “It was a real pleasure to work with Debevoise, they have done a tremendous job amazingly expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to work on our project!”

The Debevoise team advising the Mosaic of Happiness Fund was led by partner Alyona N. Kucher, with senior associate Anna V. Maximenko and trainee lawyer Elena Y. Sevastianova providing day-to-day advice.

This project was introduced to the Moscow office by PILnet, the global network for public interest law.

Debevoise’s Moscow office regularly advises on a variety of pro bono projects to support children with special needs, as well as socially and economically deprived children. This has included pro bono projects advising on legal issues connected with introduction of a rehabilitation program for children with cerebral palsy, advising on the opening of a nursery school for orphan children, assisting with structuring donors’ support programs, and drafting purchase agreements for specific medical equipment.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. We deliver effective solutions to our clients’ most important legal challenges, applying clear commercial judgment and a distinctively collaborative approach.