We were the first city firm to appoint a female Joint Managing Partner (well over 20 years ago now) and are proud of the diversity reflected at all levels across our business. Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all is a priority for our leadership team, including our current Joint Managing Partner, Adrian Sim, who is an active member of our LGBT+ community. We work hard to maintain the culture where individuals, of all genders and from all backgrounds or minority groups, thrive and succeed. As a firm and as individuals we do all we can to treat people fairly and with mutual respect, whether they are colleagues, clients or suppliers. This commitment enriches our work and our working lives, and we absolutely believe it has played a key part in our success over the years.
We are committed to providing a workplace where no employee or partner, is treated less favourably because of their personal characteristics (including age, disability, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender affirmation, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.)
Here are some examples of our current and ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion:
- Bristows is a long standing signatory to the Law Society’s Diversity and Inclusion Charter
- We have an active Inclusion Group in place which is headed by three partners and itself has a diverse membership composition garnered from all areas of the firm. The Inclusion Group meets every 2 months and reports on its activities to the partnership.
- There is an annual Inclusion plan for the firm which is devised and implemented through the Inclusion Group. Progress against the plan is reported to all staff annually at the AGM.
- Bristows works closely with Aspiring Solicitors – an organisation dedicated to assisting people from underrepresented groups in the legal profession
- Around two thirds of our staff, including almost a third of our equity partners, are female: one of the highest ratios for a UK commercial law firm
- Half our senior management team are women
- Around one-fifth of our workforce describe themselves as being other than white or British
- We have had an LGBT+ and allies network within the firm for several years - the Turing Network - and a number of our partners identify as LGBT+
- We launched the firm's Women's Network during Women's History Month 2020
- We ask all staff to complete and return a Diversity monitoring survey annually and publish the results both internally and externally
- We are signatories to the PRIME initiative and also work with various further education careers services to support and encourage STEM students
- Our Lyda Network is an initiative dedicated to celebrating, and promoting issues surrounding, race and ethnicity
Learn more about our initiatives here
