Building a safer space: Pro bono legal support transforms governance for Asia’s leading transgender rights network

In the Asia and Pacific regions, gender-diverse people continue to face stigma, discrimination, and criminalisation of their identities. They endure various forms of violence, including conversion therapy and transphobic hate crimes.

To help combat this issue, TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono service, connected APTN, a network supporting the transgender community across Southeast Asia, with leading law firms to strengthen their policies, enabling them to better handle sensitive information from beneficiaries and volunteers.

To celebrate this project’s nomination for the Powered by Pro Bono award as part of the 2025 TrustLaw Awards, we caught up with representatives from three of the law firms working across the project: Nonabhat (Niab) Paiboon, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, Andrew Barton, Pro Bono Counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright, Janet Wang, Senior Corporate Responsibility Advisor at Linklaters and James Kingston at A&O Shearman, to delve deeper into the impact and vision that drives their work forward.

Why were you keen to work on this project?

“We were keen to work with APTN given their vital work supporting some of the most discriminated against and marginalised groups in society. This matter involved supporting APTN in developing some of their internal compliance policies in relation to data protection and whistleblowing. A&O Shearman was well placed to lead on this project because of our experience advising corporate and financial clients on their corporate governance arrangements – we were able to leverage that experience to help ensure that the work performed by APTN (and the sensitive data processed by them) is managed under a robust set of policies to the highest levels of compliance and corporate governance.”

_{– James Kingston}

Why is it important for law firms to do pro bono projects like this?

“Pro bono projects like this allow organizations to free up limited resources and focus on serving their beneficiaries whilst helping them to strengthen their organizational capacity. It also allows law firms to support their community, advance justice, and address legal gaps whilst enhancing lawyers’ skills and making a meaningful impact. ”

_{– Janet Wang}

How do you feel about the impact the work could have?

“Really pleased. The opportunity to support APTN on its IP and data protection issues has allowed us to leverage our legal expertise to create meaningful change, and we know that putting APTN on a surer footing with this advice will aid them in their efforts to combat discrimination and violence faced by gender-diverse individuals. That matters for our staff and our communities and it’s a privilege to be able to do our part to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable society.”

_{– Andrew Barton}

Do you have any specific learnings from the case about how to deliver a successful pro bono project that would be useful to pass on to other lawyers?

“One key learning from our project is the importance of having a strong pro bono infrastructure. This includes clear policies, dedicated committees, and staff focused on pro bono work. For example, having specific policies in place helps everyone understand their roles and responsibilities, ensuring the project runs smoothly. Committees can oversee the progress and address any issues that arise, while dedicated pro bono staff can manage the day-to-day tasks and keep everything on track. These steps made our project successful and can be valuable tips for other lawyers looking to deliver successful pro bono projects. ”

_{– Niab Paiboon}