As a leader in our field, we are rightly held to high standards in all we do. We are committed to inspiring the trust of our stakeholders by making Responsible Business a central part of our strategy.
We believe that our licence to operate, the sustainability of our business, and the achievement of our vision, are dependent on our ability to inspire trust and earn the confidence of all our stakeholders – our clients, our people, and civil society. To do this, we must act responsibly, creating long-term value and supporting those individuals' and groups' future success.
There’s also an important point here about individual development. Those of our people who are involved in this type of activity – whether it’s pro bono advice, mentoring local students, or working alongside clients on an environmental initiative – all have a much broader, more considered view of business life, and develop a wider range of really valuable life and business skills.
Feeling that you can have a positive impact on some of the more pressing issues facing society is also hugely motivating. That’s an important aspect of ensuring that everyone here feels that Clifford Chance is a really great place to work.
Our reporting for the year 2021/2022 showcases how our Responsible Business strategy is deeply embedded in our daily work. We take this opportunity to thank our clients (paying and pro bono) and recognise our people, whose efforts make Clifford Chance a leading international law firm known for the quality of the advice that we deliver and the responsible way that we deliver it.
read moreAs the world becomes more complex, we must give our clients the perspectives and insights they need to meet their challenges and realise their visions. For our clients to succeed, Clifford Chance has to be a place where our people can perform at their peak and give our clients the best advice they can get.
To do this, we seek out, develop, and nurture people who are as diverse as our ever-broadening client base. It is crucial that we provide an inclusive culture where people from diverse backgrounds work effectively together – and where we can be our authentic selves at work and be confident to develop our potential. Our women’s network, Accelerate>>>, cultural and faith-based groups, and our Arcus network for LGBT+ colleagues and allies, together with thriving local and global groups, help encourage an inclusive, integrated culture in our firm.
Our lawyers, partners and business leaders are from a huge range of backgrounds and they are able to succeed equally regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or any other factors. We recognise that expanding our variety of viewpoints is essential if we are to continue generating the brightest ideas and innovations – and because we are committed to widening access to the legal profession. We attract candidates from the broadest range of backgrounds, and encourage them to build careers here.
And across the firm, at every level, we encourage open, honest conversations about how we can realise our ambitions and continue to make Clifford Chance a great place to work. By working together to build a workplace that respects and includes everyone, we will enable one another to deliver our best – for ourselves, and for our clients.
At Clifford Chance, we believe that inclusion is a core value of the law and, specifically, of our firm's values. We understand that inclusion is good for our staff and their families, our firm and our clients, and society. Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration, and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.
We recognise that a true diversity of talent and experience is an essential ingredient in our success.
Our annual Arcus Pride Art exhibition has become one of the largest corporate supported exhibitions of artworks by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBTQ+) and supporter artists. The year 2022 marked the return to in-person celebrations under the theme of community, with events and exhibitions held in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Newcastle (UK), New York, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Warsaw and Washington DC. It reminds us of how important community is both as a support for each other and as the foundation of change.
"Art and the law have always been central to LGBTQ+ advancement so for us at Clifford Chance, it is the perfect combination for an inclusion campaign. This year with our theme of community, our exhibitions reflect how artistic expression can create visibility, advocate for fairness, highlight injustice and foster understanding." (Tiernan Brady, Global Director of Inclusion)
As part of our commitment to disability inclusion, we are proud to be supporting the International Paralympic Committee on #WeThe15. This is sports' largest human rights campaign, which aims to end discrimination and transform the lives of the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities who represent 15% of the global population. To celebrate the launch of the campaign, in 2021 we supported the bake sale organised by The Nest Bakery in Hong Kong where our teams enjoyed their delicious cookies prepared by staff with learning disabilities. The Nest Bakery was founded by The Nesbitt Centre, one of our long-term non-profit partners in Hong Kong. They aim to empower adults with learning disabilities through vocational education and social enterprises.
Our colleagues on the ENABLE network also volunteered to lead a fitness class in collaboration with the Love 21 Foundation to support the International Day of Person's with Disabilities. The Love 21 Foundation is a Hong Kong-based charity empowering the Down syndrome and autistic community through sport, nutrition and holistic support programmes.
In recognition and celebration of the month of Ramadan, during which a special emphasis is placed on charitable giving and supporting the community, our teams in Australia worked with Brothers In Need and prepared 150 care packs for the homeless community in Sydney. The care packs provided various non-perishable and sanitary items.
Brothers in Need give the care, sustenance and life changing hope to the elderly, homeless and other less privileged communities in Australia.
On International Women's Day (IWD), our offices across the region came together for a month-long, global campaign of events and initiatives to champion equality and celebrate advocates for gender equality.
The theme for 2022 is #BreakTheBias and we launched the 'Breaking New Ground' podcast series to highlight many of the ways we are working to break the bias as a firm and how we continue to drive forward these important themes and discussions as part of our permanent campaign for inclusion. A recent episode featured Clifford Chance's Global Director of Inclusion Tiernan Brady, Regional Managing Partner for Asia Pacific Connie Heng, and partner in our Hong Kong Capital Markets Group Angela Chan.
A recent episode featured Clifford Chance's Global Director of Inclusion Tiernan Brady, Regional Managing Partner for Asia Pacific Connie Heng, and partner in our Hong Kong Capital Markets Group Angela Chan. Together, they explore the role of inclusion targets and how they help us dismantle some of the barriers that prevent us from being as inclusive as we would like to be.
Listen to the podcast
