The firm’s commitment

General commitment

This firm is committed to eliminating discrimination and promoting equality and diversity in its own policies, practices and procedures and in those areas in which it has influence.

This  applies  to  the  firm’s  professional  dealings  with  staff  and  partners,  other solicitors, barristers, clients and third parties.

The firm intends to treat everyone equally and with the same attention, courtesy and respect regardless of their disability, sex, gender reassignment, marital status, civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, age, race, nationality, religion or belief or sexual orientation.

Regulation and legislation

In developing and implementing its equality and diversity policy, the firm is committed to complying with Chapter 2 of the SRA Handbook and with all current and any future equality and anti-discrimination legislation and associated codes of practice.

Forms of discrimination

The following are the kinds of discrimination that are against the firm’s policy:

(a)    direct  discrimination,  where  a  person  is  treated  less  favourably  on  the grounds of a “protected characteristic” (age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation) either because they have a protected characteristic, or are thought to have a protected characteristic or they associate with someone who has a protected characteristic;

(b)    indirect discrimination, where a policy or practice that applies to everyone particularly disadvantages people who possess a protected characteristic;

(c)    disability discrimination, where a disabled person is treated unfavourably because of their disability and this treatment cannot be justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.    This also applies to situations where reasonable adjustments are not made for disabled persons;

(d)    victimisation, where someone is treated less favourably than others because he or she has carried out, or is believed to have carried out, a “protected act” (i.e. bringing proceedings under the Equality Act 2010, give evidence or information in proceedings brought under the Equality Act, do anything that is related to the provisions under the Equality Act or make an allegation that another person has done something in breach of the Equality Act);

(e)    harassment, when unwanted takes place relating to a protected characteristic with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person and of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Harassment may involve physical acts or verbal and non-verbal communications and gestures. This will include physical, verbal and non-verbal acts.

In line with Chapter 2 of the SRA Handbook, the firm will not discriminate, nor victimise or harass, in the course of its professional dealings, groups of people on the grounds set out above; and will make reasonable adjustments to prevent those of the firm’s employees or clients who are disabled from being disadvantaged in comparison with those who are not disabled.

Employment and training

General statement

As an employer, the firm will treat all employees and job applicants equally and fairly and not discriminate unjustifiably against them. This will, for example, include arrangements for recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment, access to training opportunities, access to promotion and transfers, grievance and disciplinary  processes,  demotions,  selection  for  redundancies,  dress  code, references, bonus schemes, work allocation and any other employment related activities.

Recruitment and selection

This firm recognises the benefits of having a diverse workforce and will take steps to ensure that:

(a)    it endeavours to recruit from the widest pool of qualified candidates possible;

(b)   employment opportunities are open and accessible to all on the basis of candidates’ individual qualities and personal merit

(c)    where appropriate, positive action measures are taken to attract applications from all sections of society and especially from those groups which are under- represented in the workforce;

(d)    selection criteria and processes do not discriminate unjustifiably, other than in those instances where the firm is exercising permitted positive action

(e)    wherever appropriate and necessary, lawful exemptions (genuine occupational requirements) will be used to recruit suitable staff to meet the special needs of particular groups;

(f)    all recruitment agencies acting for the firm are aware of its requirement not to discriminate and to act accordingly.

Conditions of service

The firm will treat all employees equally and create a working environment which is free from discrimination and harassment and which respects, where appropriate, the diverse backgrounds and beliefs of employees.

Terms and conditions of service for employees will comply with anti-discrimination legislation. The provision of benefits such as working hours, maternity and other leave arrangements, performance appraisal systems, dress code, bonus schemes and any other conditions of employment, will not discriminate against any employee on the grounds of his or her gender, marital status, race, racial group, colour, ethnic

or national origin, nationality, religion or belief, or sexual orientation; or unreasonably on the grounds of his or her disability.

Where appropriate and necessary, the firm will endeavour to provide appropriate facilities and reasonable adjustments to conditions of service and facilities which take into account the specific needs of employees which arise from their ethnic or cultural background, gender, responsibilities as carers, disability, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

Progression and career development

Progression within the firm will be made without reference to any of the forbidden grounds and will be based solely on merit.

The selection criteria and processes for recruitment and promotion will be kept under review to ensure that there is no unjustifiably discriminatory impact on any particular group.

Whilst positive action measures may be taken in accordance with the relevant anti- discrimination legislation to encourage under-represented groups to apply for promotion opportunities, recruitment or promotion to all jobs will be based solely on merit.

All employees will have equal access to training and other career development opportunities appropriate to their experience and abilities. However, the firm will take appropriate positive action measures (as permitted by the anti-discrimination legislation) to provide special training and support for groups which are under- represented in the workforce and encourage them to take up training and career development opportunities.

Partners

Arrangements and procedures for selecting partners, their terms and conditions of partnership, access to benefits, facilities or services and termination arrangements will be reviewed and amended where necessary to prevent discrimination on any of the forbidden grounds.

Maternity rights available to partners shall be no less favourable that those required by legislation for employees.

Barristers and third parties

Barristers

Barristers should be instructed on the basis of their skills, experience and ability. The firm will not, on any of the forbidden grounds, avoid briefing a barrister and will not request barristers’ clerks to do so.

Clients’ requests for a named barrister should be complied with, subject to the firm’s duty to discuss with the client the suitability of the barrister and to advise appropriately.

The firm will discuss with the client any request by the client that only a barrister who is not disabled or who is of a particular gender, marital status, race, racial group, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, religion or belief, or sexual orientation, be instructed. In the absence of a valid reason for this request, which must be within the exemptions permitted by the anti-discrimination legislation, the firm will endeavour to persuade the client to modify their instructions in so far as they are given on discriminatory grounds. Should the client refuse to modify such instructions, the firm will cease to act.

Suppliers

All lists of approved suppliers and databases of contractors, agents and other third parties who, or which, are regarded as suitable to be instructed by those within the firm,  will  be  compiled  only  on  the  basis  of  the  ability  of  those  persons  or organisations to undertake work of a particular type and contain no discriminatory exclusion, restriction or preference. Reasonable measures are in place to ensure that sound equality and diversity policies are in place with those from whom the firm purchases goods and services.

Clients

The firm is generally free to decide whether to accept instructions from any particular client, but any refusal to act will not be based upon any of the forbidden grounds.

The firm will make reasonable adjustments to meet the different needs of particular clients arising from its obligations under the anti-discrimination legislation (such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Act 2010) and Chapter 2 of the SRA Code of Conduct 2011.

In addition, where necessary and where it is permitted by the relevant anti- discrimination legislation (for example, provisions relating to positive action or exemptions), the firm will seek to provide services which meet the specific needs and requests arising from clients’ ethnic or cultural background, gender, responsibilities as carers, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation or other relevant factors.

Promoting equality and diversity

This firm is committed to promoting equality and diversity in the firm as well as in those areas in which it has influence.

Employees and partners will be informed of this anti-discrimination policy and will be provided with equality and diversity training appropriate to their needs and responsibilities.

All those who act on the firm’s behalf will be informed of this anti-discrimination policy and will be expected to pay due regard to it when conducting business on the firm’s behalf.

In all its dealings, including those with suppliers, contractors and recruitment agencies, the firm will seek to promote the principles of equality and diversity.

The firm will make every effort to reflect its commitment to equality and diversity in its marketing and communication activities.

Implementing the policy

Responsibility

Ultimate responsibility for implementing the policy rests with the Partners of the firm. All employees and partners of the firm are expected to pay due regard to the

provisions of its equality and diversity policy and are responsible for ensuring compliance with it when undertaking their jobs or representing the firm.

Acts of discrimination or harassment on any of the forbidden grounds by employees or partners of the firm will result in disciplinary action. Failure to comply with this policy will be treated in a similar fashion. The policy applies to all who are employed in the firm including consultants, temporary employees and to all partners.

Acts of discrimination or harassment on any of the forbidden grounds by those acting on behalf of the firm will lead to appropriate action including termination of services where appropriate.

Complaints of discrimination

The firm will treat seriously, and will take action where appropriate concerning, all complaints of discrimination or harassment on any of the forbidden grounds made by employees, clients, barristers or other third parties.

All complaints will be investigated in accordance with the firm’s grievance or complaints procedure and the complainant will be informed of the outcome.

Collation, Monitoring and review

The policy will be collated, monitored and reviewed in a manner proportionate to the size and nature of the firm on a regular basis (and in any event at least annually) to measure its progress and judge its effectiveness. Monitoring information will always be used in anonymous ways and treated with the highest level of confidentiality.

We also collect data each year about the diversity of our workforce. We do this for several reasons:

• it is good practice to collate the diversity of our employees allowing us to analyse the composition of our workforce in comparison to relevant baseline data and to identify any under-representation
• the collated data can be used to review our recruitment, selection and progression procedures to ensure fairness and that under represented groups are encouraged to apply
• all law firms are required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to collect, report (to the SRA) and publish diversity data
• the Firm is interested in staff opinions as to whether it can do more to build an inclusive culture that works for everybody—this helps us make sure activities and future plans represent the interests of everyone in the firm

We will provide more information about diversity monitoring when we conduct our annual diversity monitoring exercise. We will store equality and diversity data about staff and Partners as confidential sensitive personal data.