We good corporate citizens – ESG report

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We good corporate citizens – ESG report

‘There is such a sense that we need to walk the walk. More so than I’ve ever seen before. This has captured the attention of many senior management partners. People are now taking ESG and diversity and inclusion as seriously as anything else in the firm.’

The view of Doug Bryden, Travers Smith’s head of risk and operational regulatory, certainly chimes with attitudes to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) imperatives held by senior corporate lawyers interviewed for our inaugural ESG report. Continue reading “We good corporate citizens – ESG report”

Record year for ethnic minorities in latest silk round but number of female applicants falls

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Record year for ethnic minorities in latest silk round but number of female applicants falls

Clydes, HSF, Freshfields and White & Case arbitration partners among new QCs

A record 22 applicants from ethnic minority backgrounds have been elevated to Queen’s Counsel (QC) in the latest round from a total 114 taking silk. But while the overall number of new silks is up 6% from 108 last year, the number of female applicants fell slightly. Continue reading “Record year for ethnic minorities in latest silk round but number of female applicants falls”

Different strokes – Three perspectives in championing diversity in corporate America

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Different strokes – Three perspectives in championing diversity in corporate America

Rachel Gonzalez, general counsel, Starbucks

Starbucks has a fundamental business tenet that we are creating a welcoming place for all people, and that means inclusion and diversity is critical to our success. We provide inclusion training and tools to managers to ensure we are preparing all leaders to foster a diverse culture based on merit. Continue reading “Different strokes – Three perspectives in championing diversity in corporate America”

Comment: Less dire than expected but profession may yet squander influx of BAME lawyers

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Comment: Less dire than expected but profession may yet squander influx of BAME lawyers

The good news is that up close the reality turns out to be not as awful as the cynics have feared. After all, for years the profession has avoided a frontal discussion of its record on ethnic diversity, choosing to submerge the topic within the umbrella of diversity and inclusion even as law firms became more intent on selling their progressive credentials.

And in fairness, avoiding that debate has been as much about a general British reticence to tackle issues of race head on with commentators and the media often treading with excessive delicacy in such matters. Still, the end result has been little frank discussion, certainly compared to the increasingly forthright debate on the profession’s record on female representation and retention or tackling social mobility. Continue reading “Comment: Less dire than expected but profession may yet squander influx of BAME lawyers”

The influx of BAME lawyers may yet be squandered

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The influx of BAME lawyers may yet be squandered

The good news is that up close the reality turns out to be not as awful as the cynics have feared. After all, for years the profession has avoided a frontal discussion of its record on ethnic diversity, choosing to submerge the topic within the umbrella of diversity and inclusion even as law firms became more intent on selling their progressive credentials.

And in fairness, avoiding that debate has been as much about a general British reticence to tackle issues of race head on with commentators and the media often treading with excessive delicacy in such matters. Still, the end result has been little frank discussion, certainly compared to the increasingly forthright debate on the profession’s record on female representation and retention or tackling social mobility. Continue reading “The influx of BAME lawyers may yet be squandered”