Foley Deepens Commitment to Chinese Community with Funds from Firm and its Employees.
Foley will contribute funds to build safe elementary schools in China after a 8.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the province of Sichuan on May 12, killing thousands of school children buried under non-earthquake-proof schools.
Foley and its employees have made a joint donation of more than 500,000 RMB to the Red Cross Society of China, which will administer the construction of earthquake-proof schools in Sichuan. The firm plans long-term support for the schools it is funding, including providing additional aid once the students return.
“Foley’s donation will help ensure that the tragedy suffered by so many school children can be avoided in the future,” said Foley CEO Ralf Boer at the opening of the firm’s Shanghai office on June 2. “This donation reflects what Foley people are all about: we care, we provide aid, comfort and financial support to those in need, and we support and give back to the communities in which we live and practice, including our newest community – Shanghai and Greater China.”
The firm has done considerable legal work with the Chinese government, including serving as the international legal counsel for the 2007 Special Olympic World Games Executive Committee (GEC) in Shanghai. Foley provided international intellectual property counseling to the committee for the Opening Ceremony, which was staged and broadcast worldwide. In addition to providing legal counsel, the firm demonstrated its belief in the underlying spirit of the games and its athletes by donating 1 million RMB to the Special Olympics.