Our Story

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Almudena Bernabeu and Toby Cadman met in 2011 and connected over their work on Syria. At the time, Almudena was a public interest attorney and Toby a practising barrister. Almudena had focused her practice in the public interest and non-profit sector on representing plaintiffs/victims seeking accountability. Toby, while initially a prosecutor, represented States and private clients but had remained consciously aware of the social dimension of his work. 

 

Despite their different backgrounds and practices, they agreed that the very people legal processes sought to serve - the victims - were often inevitably excluded; that when it came to litigation, lawyers often lacked the necessary expertise on the rights of victims in order to make a real impact. 

 

Almudena and Toby were determined to find a way to jointly serve victims and their communities more effectively, with a different approach. Together, they set out to assemble a team of highly regarded lawyers trained in both public and private litigation, with first-hand knowledge of national, regional and international courts and legal mechanisms. 

 

Guernica 37 was created: A unique group of legal practitioners: international, diverse, socially committed, and multi-disciplinary, with a wider and deeper reach to effectively serve victims.

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