Responsible business lies at the heart of our decision-making.

We believe that this, coupled with the human and high-performing partnerships we create with each other and our clients, is fundamental to our near and long-term success, both as a leading law firm and as a responsible employer.

We are constantly seeking to improve our ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) impacts and the sustainability of our business. We’ve been working hard on this on a wide variety of issues, from our numerous respect and inclusion initiatives at one end, to sustainability in our supply chain at the other. Working with our head of sustainability, our social efforts are led by a wellbeing and inclusion manager and an environmental impact assistant leads our environmental efforts, and both are supported by a number of colleagues across our business. Our high-level commitments are set out in our Code of Business which has been a public commitment since 2019.

Our focus now is embedding ESG even more into our culture and our DNA. ESG is who we are, not simply an action list.

We have chosen to be a member of and endorse the UN Global Compact and be an advocate of its Sustainability Goals as the focus of our ESG strategy and commitments. This has provided us with a meaningful focus and framework to bring together many of our existing initiatives, and it has also given us an opportunity and the ability to consider areas for improvement. ESG considerations and sustainability are the focus of all our decision-making across the business.

Key Contacts

UN Sustainability Goals

We actively embrace the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which shape our ESG strategy and commitments. These goals guide our efforts, bringing together existing initiatives and helping us to identify areas for improvement.

EcoVadis

We use the Eco Vadis platform to help us understand our sustainability performance and drive continuous improvement. For the second consecutive year, we are delighted to have been awarded a gold medal in EcoVadis rating system in recognition of our performance. Our score puts us in the top 2% of companies who submit – including all leading law firms and other professional services firms.

Connecting clients and communities

We’re not on this sustainability journey alone, and advise clients on their own ESG strategies. You can find out more about the services we offer, including our partnership with sustainability consultancy Thrive here.

And our Real World ESG hub offers a resource for those delivering ESG on the ground, helping you to understand how to bring about change and make smart decisions when it comes to shaping your response.

Responsible Business Report

Every organisation makes an impact on the planet and society.

And we all have an obligation to make that impact as positive as possible. As a firm, we are committed to becoming an ever more sustainable and responsible business. Each year we publish our Responsible Business Report which highlights our achievements and where there is still progress to be made.

2022-2023 Responsible Business Report

Our 2023 Responsible Business Report seeks to offer transparency and accountability by outlining the progress we have made during our financial year ended 31 July 2023 under four key headings;

• Responsible Business
• Environment
• Social
• Communities

We are pleased with what has been achieved, including a 47% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions and a representation of 35% women among our partners, while simultaneously recognising that there is more to do.

Please click the button below to read our Responsible Business Report in full.

Please click below to read our 2022 Responsible Business Report

Some of our latest initiatives: