WLG | impact '24: S.O.S Rio Grande De Sul
This year, Rio Grande do Sul suffered from severe floods that devastated the infrastructure of its cities, directly affecting its population and being classified as "the greatest climate catastrophe" in the state's history.
TozziniFreire, which operates in Porto Alegre, demonstrated its support and solidarity with the state in three areas – donations, pro bono assistance, and information – directing its efforts to help and assist the institutions and people affected by the tragedy.
1. DONATIONS FOR THE POPULATION
a) During the period of the floods, the state of Rio Grande do Sul faced a public calamity that required a swift and effective response to meet the basic needs of the affected population. The floods caused destruction of homes, loss of personal belongings, and disruption of essential services, leaving many families homeless and without access to food, drinking water, and hygiene items.
Society’s solidarity and support were crucial in helping Rio Grande do Sul overcome the challenges posed by the floods and rebuild the affected communities.
Through an internal donation campaign, we organized the simultaneous collection of non-perishable food, new and used clothing, household items, cleaning products, and water at all office locations.
The shipment of the collected supplies was handled by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) in Brasília and Campinas, and by Ação da Cidadania – a non-governmental organization that partners with the firm on various other projects – in São Paulo. By utilizing these intermediaries, we ensured that the supplies reached the population of Rio Grande do Sul despite the logistical challenges imposed by the floods.
Our Borges Lagoa unit in São Paulo sent two truckloads of supplies to the state. The first was broadly distributed to the local population, while the second was exclusively sent to our Porto Alegre unit’s employees whose homes were directly affected by the environmental tragedy.
In addition to donations obtained through internal campaigns, in partnership with Instituto Social Pertence – a non-profit organization that assists people with disabilities – our partners coordinated and donated above 100 mattresses to the organization.
b) We Donated Time
Volunteering and donating time were essential during the period of the floods in Rio Grande do Sul, as they play a crucial role in emergency response and in the recovery of the affected communities. The presence of volunteers strengthens the sense of solidarity and unity, showing affected families that they are not alone during this difficult time. The dedication and effort of these individuals were fundamental in ensuring that help reached those in need quickly, significantly contributing to the reconstruction and recovery of the impacted areas.
In our Porto Alegre unit, we provided constant and close support to the impacted professionals, including necessary psychological assistance. Our Human and Organizational Development area, supported by the institutional Health & Well-Being program, was attentive to the firm’s internal audience to ensure the mental health of everyone. Daily support for those in need was provided through individualized care routines.
Additionally, in other units, those who were able to contribute donated their time, focusing their energies on sorting and organizing the donations received and sending them to partner organizations.
c) We donated financial assistance to those affected by the tragedy.
Financial assistance to the state of Rio Grande do Sul and its population during the flood period was of utmost importance in mitigating the devastating impacts caused by this natural disaster. The financial resources were essential for reconstructing damaged infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and sanitation systems, as well as for ensuring the continuity of essential public services.
For the affected population, direct financial assistance allowed them to purchase food, medication, and other essential items, helping families to recover and resume their lives with dignity.
During the first few weeks following the tragedy, the firm’s employees were able to contribute directly to colleagues whose homes were affected by the floods. A donation channel was created, directing all collected funds toward rebuilding the lives of these individuals.
We also provided a direct donation pathway to Ação da Cidadaniathrough our internal and external communications channels. This organization, in addition to logistics for donations, also raised monetary aid for those impacted in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
2. PRO BONO ASSISTANCE
Pro bono services during the flood period in Rio Grande do Sul were of great importance in ensuring that victims had access to justice and their fundamental rights. This type of free legal assistance helps the affected population deal with emergency legal issues, such as obtaining social benefits, regularizing lost documents, and claiming insurance and compensation.
Additionally, pro bono legal support contributes to the protection of the rights of workers and small businesses affected, assisting in the economic and social recovery of communities. By offering these services, TozziniFreire not only promotes the sustainable development of the community but also reinforces its commitment to social responsibility and positive social impact.
a) In our content hub on our website, we have made available the "GUIDE TO RIGHTS AND INFORMATION FOR FACING THE CRISIS IN RIO GRANDE DO SUL”, which provides information and guidance for those affected by the environmental crisis that is impacting the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The material includes guidelines for recovering documents, financial management, health and safety care, among others. Over time, periodic updates have been made to keep pace with the initiatives and/or actions taken by authorities and/or individuals involved in addressing the impacts.
b) We created an "Emergency Fund” to support Rio Grande do Sul.
c) We launched the "Pro Bono Service Campaign” for society.
TozziniFreire Advogados offered free legal guidance to civil society organizations, projects, entities, or individuals wishing to structure emergency support initiatives, crisis management, or mitigation of the impacts resulted from the rains in Rio Grande do Sul. The pro bono service was provided for non-profit initiatives.
3. REAL-TIMEINFORMATION FOR THE ENTIRE SOCIETY
During the floods in Rio Grande do Sul, it was crucial to ensure that the population received accurate and up-to-date guidance on safety measures, evacuation routes, and support points. Information plays a vital role in times of crisis.
The dissemination of correct information helps coordinating efforts. With transparency, effective communication is essential to combat misinformation and fake news, which can further exacerbate the situation by spreading rumors and false information.
In critical moments, connectivity and access to reliable sources of information are fundamental for saving lives and supporting the recovery of affected communities. For this reason, we created a page on our website with special newsletters offering legal guidance aimed at supporting all those in need. The page has already received over 5,300 visits and is still live.
The newsletters are organized into sections by legal matter or themes. Below are some highlights of the contents:
To assist individuals and legal entities that wish to make donations, we launched the "Secure Donations” section, consisting of two newsletters: How to Make Donations Safely and Donation Campaign – Tax and Social Security Aspects.
Our Labor & Social Security area created seven newsletterscovering topics such as: Labor Law – Emergency Measures; Government Severance Indemnity Fund (FGTS) calamity withdrawal; Brazilian Ministry of Labour and Employment (MTE) Ordinance No. 729/2024 – Suspension of FGTS Collection; Social Security Aspects Related to the Floods in Rio Grande do Sul; MTE Ordinance No. 838/2024 – Suspension of Administrative Measures in Occupational Safety and Health; Emergency Labor Law – Recommendations MPT4; and MP (Provisional Measure) No. 1,230/2024 and Ordinance No. 991 of the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
In the White-Collar Crimes practice, two additional pieces of content were published: Thefts and Robberies of Cargo and Guidance for Victims of Sexual Violence.
The Tax area produced three newsletters: Changes in Tax Legislation Related to the Floods in Rio Grande do Sul; RecuperaPOA 2024; and Tax Transaction PGFN SOS RS – PGFN/MF Ordinance No. 1,032/2024.
We also made available the following newsletters from other practices of law:
· Insurance and Reinsurance – Extraordinary Measures Newsletter;
· Government Contracts and Projects – Provisional Measure No. 1,221/2024;
· Infrastructure & Energy – Electricity distribution in a state of public calamity; Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) makes rules more flexible for energy commercialization in Rio Grande do Sul; Waiver of airport fees for humanitarian aid flights; Recommendations for fuel resellers; and ANEEL authorizes the use of efficiency resources for the reconstruction of the distribution network in Rio Grande do Sul;
· Life Sciences & Healthcare – Exceptional and temporary actions in healthcare;
· Corporate – Financing with lower interest rates.
Internally, to strengthen our commitment to the state of Rio Grande do Sul, we developed a series of communication materials aimed at promoting our efforts, thereby generating even greater impact in the communities we are part of, as outlined below:
· We created email signature marketing templates for all employees;
· We developed a LinkedIn header with a QR Code directing users to our content hub, allowing our employees to incorporate this image into their profiles on the platform;
· We created a PowerPoint presentation containing a QR Code to direct people to our content hub and it was used in meetings and events;
· We designed a virtual meeting background to foster solidarity through the networks of our employees.