Inclusion

We are proud of our commitment to attracting, developing, and retaining people from a wide range of backgrounds and fostering a respectful, inclusive, high-performing culture where everyone can thrive. This is at the heart of what we do and who we are, and it is underpinned by our values – human, bold, and outstanding – and our vision to be a world-leading international law firm known for our insight and diverse perspectives. 

We support a range of employee-led networks as part of our commitment to a culture of respect and inclusion. Our networks are open to everyone and offer additional ways to connect with colleagues, learn and exchange ideas, and engage with clients and communities. 

We have a range of networks including our Black Employee Network, Christian Network, Disability Network, Family Network, Gender Equity Matters Network, Jewish Network, IRIS Network (for LGBTQ+ and allies), Multiculturalism Network, Muslim Network, Military/Veterans Network and Social Mobility Network. Contact us for more information.

To support the progress we’re making on gender diversity, we:

• Focus on inclusive leadership behaviours
• Provide tailored development at each stage of the career lifecycle
• Provide support for everyone returning from parental leave
• Ensure that we are proactive in providing career development opportunities for all.

In the UK, our Black Talent Programme has been designed to build structured career pathways for Black trainees and associates in London. Developed in collaboration with the firm's Black Employee Network, the programme has been created to support career opportunities and skills development. Read more about the programme here.

In the US, our Racial Justice Initiative supports pro bono opportunities focused on racial injustice and inequality, including criminal justice reform. Read more about our Racial Justice Initiative here.  

The Racial Justice Initiative (RJI) Scholars program offers 1L law (first year) students from select New York City-area law schools an opportunity to kickstart their legal careers by exposing them to the practice of law in a real-world setting with supervision and support from the firm’s lawyers. Read more about our Racial Justice Initiative Scholars program here.

We have long been committed to advancing a culture of partnership and reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. Read more our commitments here.

As a global firm, we’re proud supporters of LGBTQ+ inclusion. That’s why we’re consistently awarded Stonewall Top Global Employer status, recognising us as a leading global employer for LGBTQ+ inclusion. In the US, we recently earned a perfect score on the 2025 Human Rights Campaign’s annual Corporate Equality Index.

We are working hard to ensure that, wherever our people are located, they feel safe, included and affirmed for who they are. As part of this we've supported research on LGBTQ+ business travel.

In the US, we have played a leading role in LGBTQ+ rights impact litigation for more than 25 years, including serving as co-counsel with Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (Lambda Legal) in the New York State marriage equality cases and with the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT and AIDS Project in the student-rights case that inspired the Broadway musical The Prom. Find out more about our pro bono work here.
 

We offer parents and carers access to resources and advice to ensure a supportive experience for those taking and returning from parental leave. Our Family Network is a forum for those with caring responsibilities to come together and share their experiences. 

We continue to enhance our market-leading parental leave entitlements including:

• In Asia, our market-leading parental leave policy allows all employees to share primary childcare responsibilities with a partner.
• In Australia, 26 weeks of paid parental leave for all eligible parents, including additional paid leave for fertility treatment and surrogacy.
• In the UK, our parental leave policy offers 12 weeks' paid leave for co-parents, in addition to full pay for mothers during the first 24 weeks of parental leave or adoption. We also provide neonatal care leave for all parents. 
• In EMEA, we have a range of parental leave policies to mirror the local market.
• In the US, all eligible employees, regardless of parenting role, are entitled to 12 weeks' paid parental leave, in addition to any paid disability leave relating to pregnancy and/or delivery.  

We recognise the importance of being a disability-inclusive employer, and our Disability Network provides a forum for communication, peer support and education.

We have a global commitment to making workplace adjustments to recognise the personalised needs of our people.

Our aim is to be a firm where all our people work in ways which are both rewarding and sustainable over the long term and where they can openly discuss mental health as well as easily access mental health support through a range of tools and resources.