EY Law Ireland

EY Law Ireland: A Commitment to Excellence and Inclusivity

At EY Law Ireland, we are dedicated to building and fostering the leading people culture in our profession. Central to this culture are our principles of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DE&I), which empower us to deliver a team of outstanding professionals with a rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. This diversity not only enhances our creativity and innovation but also enables us to provide our clients with the most forward-thinking approaches available, ensuring that we can effectively support them in tackling their most pressing challenges.

Our DE&I Journey

With the backing of our partners at EY Ireland, we have embarked on a DE&I journey that spans decades. While we have made significant strides, our commitment to enhancing DE&I throughout the organisation remains unwavering under our global NextWave strategy. We believe that investing deeply in our people through learning, experiences, and coaching is essential to helping them achieve their professional and personal potential. This investment not only benefits our individuals but also strengthens our collective capability as a firm.

A Distinct Competitive Advantage

Our people culture is distinct and serves as a significant competitive advantage. It’s about creating an environment underpinned by values that our partners and all our people commit to, fostering mutual accountability and execution. We believe that everything starts with attracting the best talent, and we set the bar high, whether recruiting on campus or hiring experienced partners. Our rigorous selection process ensures that we bring in individuals who not only possess the necessary skills but also align with our values and culture.

Commitment to Community and Social Responsibility

A society where people feel culturally and socially accepted and are paid and treated equally is our vision. This year, we have continued our commitment to people and communities through investment in creating employment opportunities and enabling individuals to realise their potential. We have invested €6 million in learning and development programmes and supported community initiatives through fundraising and pro bono work.

Collaborating with EY Ireland, we are committed to supporting them in their ambitious efforts to enhance the EY4AII employment programme, which aims to reduce barriers to entry. As a standalone law firm, we are proud to support our colleagues at EY Ireland who employ 11 graduates from the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID), as well as 50 individuals who participated in their Refugee Access Programme (RAP) and 47 benefiting from the mentoring partnership with the Open Doors Initiative. Additionally, we have expanded our Transition Year initiative and Summer Internship Programme to provide more support for underserved communities.

Innovative Solutions Through Diversity

Our diverse teams are equipped to offer innovative problem-solving and original ideas that can help your business grow and succeed. We understand that varied perspectives lead to more comprehensive solutions, and we actively encourage collaboration across different backgrounds and experiences. This collaborative spirit is embedded in our culture and is essential for driving the best outcomes for our clients.

Global Integration and Responsiveness

As a member of the global EY Law and EY family, we are recognised as the most globally integrated professional services organisation — in our mindset, actions, and structure. This integration allows us to respond more quickly than our competitors and assemble broad, experienced teams around the world, regardless of where you do business. By acting globally, we can deliver better, more consistent quality, ensuring that our clients receive the highest standard of service no matter where they are located.

Commitment to Employee Development

We dedicate considerable time and resources to making EY Law Ireland a great firm to work for. This commitment is reflected in our comprehensive training programmes, mentorship opportunities, and supportive work environment. By harnessing the best talent, we create a competitive advantage in the marketplace. This advantage is echoed by our people, our competitors, and increasingly, our clients, who recognise the value of our inclusive, game-changing and dynamic culture.

Making a Positive Impact on Society

Inclusion means making a positive impact on wider society. We continue to do this by supporting our global and local EY networks through the longstanding EY Ripples programme, which gives our people opportunities to work with emerging businesses, young people, and marginalised groups. With our strong alliance with EY Ireland, we have also expanded our sponsorship programme for sports and the arts and supported a range of charities, raising over €109,000 for our charity of the year, the Irish Cancer Society.  Overall, EY has contributed €570,000 to charities during FY24.

Continuous Improvement in DE&I

As we continue to evolve, we remain steadfast in our commitment to DE&I, recognising that it is not just a moral imperative but a business necessity. We understand that an inclusive workplace fosters creativity, drives innovation, and ultimately leads to better business outcomes. Our goal is to ensure that every individual feels valued, heard, and empowered to contribute to their fullest potential.

EY Global and EY Ireland’s DE&I teams continue to support EY Law Ireland in tracking progress towards our representation goals. EY’s Gender Projection Tool is now being used by recruitment and strategic talent partners to gain insights into gender dynamics within our firm, aiding our journey towards gender parity. We collaborate closely with our colleagues at EY Ireland to ensure a diverse and vibrant culture at EY Law Ireland that is welcoming, equitable, and just.

Closing the Gender Pay Gap

Closing the gender pay gap is a top priority of this collaboration, and we are committed to making continuous improvements to achieve this goal. By fostering a supportive and fair environment, we aim to empower all our employees to reach their full potential and contribute to the ongoing success and innovation of our firm. We are committed to ensuring our firm policies promote gender balance. In this regard, we have special leave policies supporting fertility treatment and will introduce additional policies in 2025 to enhance our flexible working culture.