Hunters Law LLP

Diversity and Inclusion is part of the DNA at Hunters. As a firm where families and private clients form a principal part of our client base, we reflect the modern family, acting for many families across several generations.

Our value statement is:

“The firm is committed to promoting equality and diversity for all members of the firm and job applicants and to running its business in a way which encourages equality of opportunity and respect for diversity.

We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals are able to make the best use of their skills, free from discrimination and harassment, and in which all decisions are based on merit.”

We believe that every person at Hunters has a responsibility to ensure that diversity in practice means inclusion and dignity at work for all.

As a firm we recognise that diversity generates better strategies, better risk management, better debates and better outcomes. We appreciate that there is a substantial body of research which shows that diversity brings increased profitability, increased creatively, stronger governance and better problem-solving abilities.

We have made a significant investment this year to enable all applications for positions within the firm to be made online. The software we are working with was chosen because of the improvements it can bring to the promotion of diversity at Hunters. It enables all the applicants’ personal details (name, gender, address, hobbies etc) to be redacted, so that the applications are considered and filtered blind, and on merit alone. This ensures that unconscious bias will play no role in the selecting of applicants for
interview. The software also allows us to consider the characteristics of those applying to us. For example, if on studying the data it becomes clear that the number of disabled people applying to us is below the national average, then we can focus next year on reaching out to disability job boards and
charities.

Over the last few months we have been collaborating with other industry leaders to help formulate a questionnaire for our colleagues to measure how included they feel within the firm, and whether they feel free to be their authentic selves and able to do their best work.

Our advice to clients is based on diversity in action. This is perhaps best evidenced by the numbers, which reflect diversity at every level of seniority: 33% of our partners, 63% of our senior associates, and 70% of our associates are female. In total, 51% of Hunters lawyers are women – a true gender balance.

The national workforce is made up of BAME people, and for the last two years 18% of Hunters’ colleagues are BAME.

During the next few months, we hope to consider the make up of our staff in terms of education, disability, caring responsibilities, and consider whether there is more we can do to promote and support diversity.

This is a continuous conversation.

We would like to be in a position over the next few years where the diversity in our firm exceeds the average statistics quoted by the Law Society. We want to achieve the most diverse and inclusive workplace we are capable of because this is the right thing to do, and also there is a business case for it –
we want the best talent working for us to improve our profitability.

A key priority over the coming months is to make our approach to diversity and inclusion more visible to those outside of the firm – we appreciate that there is significant work to do on this front.

Our diverse lawyer profile is the product of years of sustained commitment to diversity, but we do not stand still in continuing to pursue and enhance a diversity strategy. The Hunters Family mediation team is one example. Comprised of two men and a woman, they deliver a diverse range of mediation experience to our clients, each bringing their own distinct expertise and approach to a broad range of complex financial, family and personal dispute matters to ensure that each case is considered holistically.

Much of our work has an international element. This requires understanding the diversity of our clients who come from many different cultures. Cases in the past year have involved Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Singapore, Cyprus, Abu Dhabi, France, Canada, Italy, the US and Russia. A significant number of
our HNW and UHNW clients are based offshore and require specialist cross-border estate planning advice. Most of our UHNW clients have assets in multiple jurisdictions and we are adept at dealing with the issues that presents. We also regularly give advice in relation to trusts and estates spanning multiple jurisdictions.