Linklaters LLP

Defining our vision and approach

Our global vision is to be known as a bold and pioneering firm for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) – a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture where everyone feels they belong, fairness is embedded, and our diversity is celebrated. We recognise that our approach to DEI must start well before people reach our doors and continue long after they leave us - that’s why we aim to make an impact at all points of the career life cycle.

To help us focus and measure our efforts in DEI, we have prioritised six strands of diversity globally. Our aim is to ensure proportional representation of these groups and equality of opportunity in our workplace. In our local offices, we also identify additional priorities to suit local context. For instance, Mental Health is an additional priority area in a number of regions.

• Gender: We are committed to creating an environment in which women have an equal opportunity to reach their potential and all genders feel supported in balancing their responsibilities inside and outside of the workplace.
• Race & Ethnicity: We want our firm to reflect the races, ethnicities, cultures and nationalities that exist in the countries and communities in which we operate.
• Social Mobility: We strive to be a place where personal background, social identity and socio-economic circumstances are not barriers to success.
• LGBTQIA+: Our aim is to create an environment of inclusion and belonging for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.
• Age & Life Stage: Our changing workplace means that people of different age groups and life stages will work together and require different working arrangements over their careers.
• Disability/DiversAbility: We want to be a firm that recognises, harnesses and celebrates the unique strengths and abilities of people living with physical and mental health challenges and neurological differences.

It starts at the top

We know that diversity and inclusion make us a better business – that’s why our DEI ambitions are an integrated part of our overall business goals. We have a dedicated DEI strategy, backed up by comprehensive Action Plans, that is a central part of our overall firmwide strategy. Our Global People Committee, a sub-committee of the Executive Committee, is responsible for driving forward our strategy and accounting for progress to the Board.

We also understand that our leaders set the tone and define the culture of DEI we are striving for. We have two Global Diversity Partners, Nik Kiri and Paloma Fierro, who sit on our Global People Committee. In addition, we have appointed Senior Champions, who are members of our Partnership Board and Executive Committee, to lead on each priority strand: they are responsible for raising awareness and driving cultural change in our firm.

From global ambitions to local relevance

We understand the importance of creating local relevance for our global DEI agenda. That’s why in addition to our DEI leaders mentioned above, our efforts are supported by a network of c.30 local Diversity Partners. Based in each of our international regions, these Partners help set expectations, create context and give cultural nuance to our global ambitions and interpret and implement our strategy in their region.

Taking action on DEI

To achieve the ambitions we have set for our ourselves, we strive to identify those initiatives and actions that will yield the greatest impact for our firm and accelerate our progress towards becoming a diverse and inclusive culture. We do this by talking and engaging with our people, rigorously scrutinising our data and holding ourselves to account to our values as a responsible business.

Some of our key global initiatives include:

• Making Links is our umbrella brand for social mobility recruitment initiatives. Making Links launched in the UK in 2019 and has programmes aimed at school aged children and first year university students, and has since expanded across Europe and Asia.
• Our award-winning Women’s Leadership Programme is a structured career development course designed to help us create a sustainable pipeline of female talent for Partner and Counsel roles in our firm.
• Our 2020 Race Action Plan set out our pledge to anti-racism with a focus on UK & US. We have now expanded the plan across our global network, taking into account local nuances.
• Our ‘Neurodivergence in the Workplace’ training for colleagues on four of the more commonly diagnosed forms of neurodivergence - ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia. This in-person training explains how we can move from a stigma to strength mindset when discussing Neurodivergence in the workplace.
• Quarterly Global LGBTQIA+ Townhalls, led by our Executive Champions, create space for our global LGBTQIA+ community to come together in a safe online forum, hear updates and share experiences.
• Our DEI Billable credit policy which allows colleagues to attribute billable credit to hours spent on DEI activities. This highlights the importance of individual contributions to DEI efforts and ensures that contribution to DEI is accounted for in performance bonuses.