July 26th, 2019
To our stakeholders:
I am pleased to confirm that BKM Internacional Sociedad Simple (BKM | Berkemeyer) reaffirms its support of the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption.
In this annual Communication on Progress, we describe our company’s efforts and actions to continually improve the integration of the Global Compact and its principles into our business strategy, culture and daily operations. We also commit to share this information with our stakeholders using our primary channels of communication.
We have chosen to develop our profession of lawyers considering the effects that it entails in society.
We recognize this Communication is essential to be a positive example and inspiration for our colleagues, clients, suppliers and other stakeholders, and to challenge ourselves to make the Ten Principles of the Global Compact part of all the activities we have in the company. In this manner, we can evaluate our progress and think about future actions to improve our development and contribute to the global commitment we have made.
Sincerely,
Hugo T. Berkemeyer Rodríguez
Partner
BKM | Berkemeyer

BKM Internacional Sociedad Simple welcomes everyone, regardless of nationality, race, gender, civil status, age, sexual orientation or religion. We work for equal opportunities for people in the public and private sectors, and frequently sponsor professional and university conferences.
Employees are provided with a healthy, spacious, safe workplace with optimal hygiene conditions and all the necessary equipment and supplies.
Workers are protected against abuse in the workplace, while we have a good team of human resources attentive to each worker's needs, listening to their doubts, questions or discomforts.

We have a line enabled for discomforts, complaints or suggestions from employees for the company, trying to assist and help them solve these problems. Human Resources has the work of constantly revising policies and making sure there is a quality space for each employee. Also, BKM Internacional offers schedules according to the studies of each worker, allowing them to follow more comfortably with their work and student tasks.
BKM Internacional is committed to the education of children in Paraguay, a country with demographic bonus, which is a period during the demographic transition in which the proportion of people of working age (potentially productive) grows in relation to people in potentially dependent ages". This period is also known as the "window of opportunity". BKM Internacional has donated books to a library for children and adolescents with low resources.
This is where Las Abuela Tita Library was born, where institutions benefited from the donation of 90 books of all genres and various contents.
Takuaty School of the Santa Rosalia company of the city of Tobati
CEBINFA of the city of Fernando de la Mora
San José de Areguá School
Dr. Prof. Cantalicio Torres School of the Costa Fleitas company of the city of Aregua
San Blas School of the Guazuvira company of the city of Itauguá.
In total, 1700 children benefited.
We give value to equal opportunities and we frequently sponsor professional and university conferences, which are open to assistants from the public and private sectors, under the conviction that such educational opportunities must be accessible to all lawyers.
In 2018, an agreement was signed between TIERRANUESTRA and BKM | Berkemeyer to work together through the Sounds of the Earth program. The firm supports the Leadership School by awarding scholarships for youth, instructors and community leaders.
Community actions are taken in favor of children, youth and the arts, participating in programs and contributing with the financing of hospitals and nursery schools, as well as with Foundations of music and ballet. We have contributed to the following National Foundations for more than 25 years: Fundación Dequeni, Fundación San Joaquín y Santa Ana, Fundación Casa Cuna and Sonidos de la Tierra.
BKM Internacional helps women with situations of domestic violence, as well as in cases of child support and people with disabilities in obtaining government benefits.

BKM intends to apply moral, personal and professional ethics behaviors in all operations carried out by us. We believe in the rights of women and their important contribution to society. Historically, women have played an important role in BKM, occupying the main legal and administrative positions. Most legal departments are headed by women with more than fifteen years of experience and career acquired within the study. As a result, the firm has been mentioned in publications such as Chambers Latin America as the Latin American firm with the highest number of professional women in a law firm.
It is emphasized that BKM offers different schedule possibilities, considering the balance between work and personal life for women in the different stages of motherhood.
Our purpose for this year is to be able to apply more behavior patterns that reflect our commitment to respect human rights, within the company and in the relationship with our customers, suppliers, other colleagues and the whole community.
The Program BKM Pro-Bono, is an agreement between the Industry and Commerce Ministry in Paraguay, which benefits the micro, small and medium enterprises of Paraguay.

BKM Internacional implements work policies based on equality and honesty. We are against all forms of child, forced and compulsory labor. We do not discriminate age, sex, sexual orientation or religion in choosing people to work with us, and we seek to guarantee equality of opportunity and treatment; training, salaries and benefits.
Our minimum salary levels are above the minimum amount established at the national level. We believe in our employee’s abilities and base our salary standards on their own capacities and preparation.

We look for mutual agreements, with constructive negotiations, beneficial for both parties, thus resolving possible conflicts, and taking profitable solutions.
The diversity of our teamwork, an inclusive environment and the equal opportunities are the strategies of our business and the key to count on stakeholders with different cultures, age, sex, civil status, nationality, beliefs.
We have the mission to engage each member of the firm with the diversity in the relationships between them, regardless of their position in the company, as well as in the relationships themselves with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders.
BKM Internacional chooses its employees considering a list of requirements such as: professional training, merits, aspirations and specific faculties of the position. We are always committed to professional training and guidance, and our employers have freedom to quit their job when they want.

We provide technological tools that allow working from anywhere and measures to make flexible the working day and the organization of time.
BKM International currently has 170 employees, 60% are women in management positions and members of the Board.
BKM has an equality plan in full equality of treatment between men and women when it comes to being part of the board, results and opportunities for escalation within the firm. Also, we have a talent program aimed at women to boost their careers.

BKM Internacional is entering and familiarizing itself with the principles of environmental care and recognizes the growing linkages among various environmental issues: climate, water, food; as well as their connections to social and development priorities. It is a company preparing for a more sustainable future and becoming part of the solution, caring for climate change. We believe that addressing the climate challenge opens new opportunities for societies to grow and prosper, and that influences other people to commit to environmental care.

We are committed to the environment through the application of the latest technologies, such as the digitalization of documents and water care.

BKM Internacional intends to take sustainable actions in all tasks that may be related to climate care, such as paper savings, water care, tree plantations and other actions to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair damage. In BKM we print as little as necessary and recycle papers.

We are strictly committed to avoid and possible corruption practices. Almost all our work activities are orientated to prevent all kinds of corruption.
BKM Internacional adopts and develops anti-corruption measures and practices to protect its reputation and the interests of stakeholders.

Almost all the company's activities are related to the protection of intellectual property rights and general practice. All work done by the company focuses on good practices and rejects all types of corruption, including extortion and bribery.
On July 20, 2018 was held the Seminar “Fight Against Piracy in Paraguay” organized by the Department of Anti-Piracy of our Law Firm, directed by representatives of the public sector.
Consequently, it was made an update on the information concerning piracy problems in our country, as well as training regarding this matter.
The Seminar consisted of the presentation of emblematic cases by the Fiscal Agent of the Specialized Unit and Intellectual Property Carmen Gubetich of Cattoni and by the Head of the Specialized Department Against Violence of Intellectual Rights, Mr. Rodolfo Santacruz.
BKM intervenes in a wide spectrum of matters, including, among others: Fraud, Money Laundering, Corruption, Computer and Intellectual Property Crimes, Tax Crimes, Insurance Fraud, Customs Crimes. The BKM team is in a unique position to intervene in incidents involving simultaneous criminal, civil and administrative actions, working together with references from other specialties, relying on the experience and resources of all the practice areas of the Study.
National and multinational companies from different economic sectors are obliged to comply with strict rules on prevention of money laundering, anti-corruption, registration and information, so this practice has become an aspect of critical importance. In that sense, the Study carries out strategy and diagnostic studies linked to the adequate knowledge of the client and their activities, and then design compliance programs that best meet their needs. All this focused on the anti-money laundering of assets, money or goods, ethics, anti-corruption, competition protection, among others.

The BKM Internacional counts on the following strategic alliances to fight corruption: International Anticounterfeiting Coalition, Inter-American Copyright Institute, among others.
For about a decade, BKM has been the Law Firm selected by TRACE lnternational lnc. in Paraguay. TRACE is a global forum of experience and programs that concentrate resources that allow companies to install compliance systems appropriate to their risks. It has the mission to advance commercial transparency worldwide.
We offer local and foreign companies a service focused on anti-money laundering regulations, advising on legal compliance and the design, implementation and audit of their compliance programs (internal policies and procedures to prevent, detect and sanction violations of certain standards and principles voluntarily adopted by companies).