Managing our impact on the wider community

CSR: diversity

By respecting and including every individual we will encourage innovation and creativity and contribute to the firm's objective to become a truly client-led organisation. 

Diversity is a challenging issue and we accept that to meet our objectives a continual process of incremental change needs to take place.  Putting together policies and procedures is vital, but these are only a part of the process.  We must also implement and manage programmes that we feel suggest an open and inclusive culture. 

Respecting that much more needs to be done, below are some of the initiatives in which we are already engaged.

• An established equal opportunities policy is in place for the benefit of all employees and our HR team regularly reviews all policies and procedures in light of new legislation.
• In 2003 we launched an employee commitment statement, designed to set down basic principles which would encourage diversity within the workplace.
• Our community affairs programme fosters numerous links with communities local to our London office, one of the most diverse in Europe.
• We have participated in the “Diversity and the Legal Profession – Summer Associate Programme”. 
• We were amongst the recruiters taking part in a two-day event hosted by the charity Blind in Business.  The event is designed to help blind graduates hone their interview and job application skills.
• We have a flexible working policy in place to encourage and facilitate work/life balance.
• All recruitment, development and promotion decisions are based on objective work-related criteria. Interviewers are trained on discrimination legislation and best practice; competency-based interviews are conducted as part of the recruitment process
• A broad flexible benefits package is available to attract and reward people with all preferences and needs.
• The firm operates under an inclusive dress code policy.