Herbert Smith works hard to be a positive force in our communities.
As a firm we aim to promote fairness, opportunity and community involvement, to reduce our environmental impact, and to create a culture in which individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, both fulfil their potential and help others to do so, inside and outside work.
Our commitment to developing a rich culture is evident in many ways – through the diversity of our people, the broad scope of our pro bono and community activities, and our sponsorship initiatives.
Within the firm, we have an Inclusivity Group that promotes diversity at every level. We collaborate with organisations such as the Black Solicitors Network, the Group for Solicitors with Disabilities, Blind in Business, Stonewall, Race for Opportunity and Opportunity Now, as well as the Solicitors Regulation Authority's department for Equality and Diversity.
Recently, Herbert Smith won the first ever commendation for diversity at the LawCareers.Net Training and Recruitment Awards 2007.
Our widely admired corporate responsibility (CR) programme includes a range of initiatives, policy reviews and regular monitoring of our relationships with clients, employees and the wider community. As an active member of Business in the Community (BITC) – a movement of over 700 companies pledged to continually improve their positive impact on society – we take practical steps to practise and encourage responsible behaviour. In recognition of our long-term commitment to regeneration, Herbert Smith was awarded a “Business in the Community Silver Jubilee Big Tick” by BITC Awards for Excellence 2007.
We have a strong reputation for providing legal services on a pro bono basis to individuals and community groups who lack the resources to pay legal fees. These initiatives range from advising on day-to-day legal issues through the Citizens Advice Bureau, to advising “death row” prisoners in the Caribbean. At the same time, our award-winning community investment programme, which began nearly 20 years ago, enables people at Herbert Smith to make a real difference by tackling disadvantage and discrimination in a wide range of innovative and imaginative ways.
As our people profiles show, everyone in the firm is encouraged to volunteer for community projects such as mentoring children at local schools, helping homeless people, and supporting a refuge for women and children who have been victims of domestic violence.
This volunteering is not just an adjunct to what we do – it’s an integral part of our collective spirit, culture and identity as a firm.