Diversity and inclusion at Freshfields

Individuals. Together.

Across the firm we are working together to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can achieve their potential

It is important for us to create an environment where difference is valued, to encourage all of us to work and lead inclusively. We know that focusing on diversity and inclusion is not just the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do, helping us to attract and retain top talent and meet our clients’ needs. We seek to embed our inclusion and diversity efforts in to our everyday activities across the firm.

We believe that we need to have targeted initiatives and programmes, but also continue to evolve our efforts to recognise the complexity and interwoven nature of diversity, so are seeking opportunities to bring together different groups, both within the firm and in partnership with external organisations. We have been developing a number of initiatives to ensure we foster an inclusive culture where everyone has the opportunity to progress. Examples of this include our inclusive leadership workshops, a programme aimed to help leaders explore how to mitigate bias in talent decisions and strengthen leadership skills, and our reverse mentoring scheme.

Whilst we are making progress, there is more to do. Our priorities (belong, engage, excel) include a focus on a culture where all feel they belong, engaging with colleagues, clients and collaborators to drive change, and providing a platform for diverse professionals to excel.

We are proud to work with many external organisations who share our focus and have made a number of external commitments to diverse representation and inclusion. Examples include; we are currently seeking Mansfield Rule certification in the US; we have joined the Valuable 500; signed up to the UN global standards for conduct for business for LGBTI inclusion and were founding signatories to the Rare Race Fairness Commitment in the UK.