Harbottle & Lewis LLP

As a firm, we are committed to ensuring that our employees are diverse and reflect both the society around us and the clients we serve. We recognise that the degree to which people feel included and respected will directly correlate with the success of the firm. We have an active DE&I Committee at the firm which is the vehicle in place to deliver the DE&I strategy in alignment with the firmwide strategy set by the Board. This DE&I Committee is made up of a cross-section of the firm, including the Director of People & Culture, three partners and four employees.

Supporting the DE&I Committee and acting as a bridge between them and the people across the firm, we currently have four network groups; LGBTQ+ & Allies, Sex & Gender Equality, Social Mobility and Ethnic Minority. These networks actively raise awareness of their respective DEI stream throughout the firm by way of knowledge sharing, events and taking a collaborative approach to the review and introduction of firmwide practices and procedures.

We have also carried out a comprehensive review of our parental policies which resulted in developing a new and inclusive parenthood policy that incorporates all paths to parenthood. The firm also increased its enhanced paid parenthood leave offering from 22 to 26 weeks.

The firm has invested in both partner and employee DEI training and recently ran development sessions for all employees and partners in conjunction with diversity consultancy Language Matters. These sessions focused on problematic language in relation to all underrepresented communities with an objective that we all become more thoughtful allies for each other and the clients we represent.

We continue to partner with Aspiring Solicitors and use Rare’s contextual recruitment system; an applicant tracking system seen as a market-leading social mobility measuring tool for graduate recruitment in the legal industry. Our social mobility work experience programme, in partnership with the Sutton Trust, has gone from strength to strength. This programme aims to improve social mobility in the UK so that young people are given the chance to fulfil their potential regardless of their circumstances, their school or where they live. Each summer we welcome six students into our office to take part in a variety of sessions including legal talks and presentations, a Q&A session with lawyers, shadowing trainee tasks, attending a CV and skills workshop as well as completing a written task and a presentation.