Baker McKenzie

When It Comes to People

We are committed to diversity and inclusion in our people, support and development of their talent, and dignity and safety in our workplaces. Baker McKenzie also is a signatory to the UN Global Compact, a voluntary global initiative in which we have committed to align our policies and operations with ten principles in the areas of human rights, fair labor, the environment and anti-corruption.

Diversity and Inclusion

Baker McKenzie was founded on the idea of diversity. From our earliest days, we have strived to nurture a respectful, inclusive environment that encourages diverse individuals to thrive personally and professionally as full contributors to the success of the Firm and the clients we serve. We do not permit or tolerate discrimination in our workplaces. This means:

• All personnel decisions must be: a) respectful of differences among employees and potential employees, b) based on factors relevant to their ability to perform the work they are, or would be expected to do, and c) in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
• This includes decisions related to the recruiting, hiring, assignment, compensation, training and development, promotion and dismissal of personnel, as well as other terms and conditions of employment.
• Applicable local laws, which we follow, vary, but differences that we strive to overlook in personnel decisions include race, color, creed, religion, citizenship, national origin, ethnicity and/or cultural background, age, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy and disability.

While our approach to diversity and inclusion is multi-faceted, three areas where we have specific policies are:

Ethnic & Cultural Diversity

Ethnicity means different things in different countries, so a single approach to ethnic and cultural diversity is ill-advised. This is why we build practices from the ground up, taking local cultural sensitivities into consideration wherever we practice law. Despite the challenges, we have a strong desire to address a lack of equity around the world and encourage each of our offices to define race/ethnic diversity in a way that suits their local culture, politics, clients and business environment.

Gender Diversity

We believe women must be leaders at all levels of our Firm. We seek to foster women leaders in our senior global roles but we are also focusing on ensuring that women are leaders of our most significant client relationships. Since 2012, we have adopted a gender policy designed to encourage the recruitment and retention of more women, and provide greater opportunities and support for women to assume leadership roles. At the partner level, we have set gender diversity aspirational targets – we are working to ensure that women comprise at least 40% of local/national partners and at least 30% of principals and those in leadership positions.

LGBT Diversity

Everyone should feel comfortable in the workplace, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. We are committed to creating and maintaining an open and supportive working environment. This includes equal opportunity for advancement and development within the firm regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and the equal provision of benefits to same and opposite sex partners or spouses.

We have made great strides in encouraging equality in our Firm and in engaging in these crucial conversations on a global basis. Our seven basic principles include:

Principle 1. Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality;
Principle 2. Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support human rights and non-discrimination;
Principle 3. Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers;
Principle 4. Promote education, training and professional development for women;
Principle 5. Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women;
Principle 6. Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy; and
Principle 7. Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality.