Corporate responsibility

Our internal values, as much as any external forces, determine our approach to corporate responsibility. Three simple desires underpin all our activities. We aim to:

• ensure that people who cannot afford legal advice have access to justice
• encourage a culture of community involvement and engagement
• minimise our environmental impact

This commitment is underpinned by the belief that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and that we should actively contribute towards creating a more inclusive society where people, from all backgrounds and viewpoints, can fulfil their potential.

A dedicated team keep CR high on our agenda, managing and overseeinag our programme. This has seen our people – and the firm as a whole – be a force for positive change in the community and environment around us.

The opportunity to make a difference is not just good for the community but also for the development of our people. We encourage employees to take part by offering for them to commit up to 24 hours every year to community investment projects, which our lawyers record as accountable time.

In the UK close to 40% of our employees participated in our community investment (legal and non-legal volunteering) programme in 2007 and the value of the pro-bono legal work we carry is £1.67 million. 

We are a founder member of the Legal Sector Alliance - the aim of which is to use our experience to help reduce the environmental impact of the entire legal sector, and in 2007 our UK offices reduced energy consumption by 13% on the previous year.
 



Winner, Citizenship and Volunteering
The Guardian Public Services Awards 2008