Diversity networks

It is important to us that Diversity & Inclusion are genuinely a part of the workplace, in our culture and in our cooperation with third parties. Freshfields achieved a position in the top ten on the Stonewall Equality Index, a benchmarking tool for ranking the best employers with discrimination-free working environments. Our internal company networks make up an essential part of our Diversity & Inclusion activities.

Halo
We have an active global LGBT+ network, Halo, which connects regularly, both globally as locally, as well as the as well as the Freshfields’ Halo Champions network. Halo Champions is a global network of staff that do not identify as LGBT+, but support and promote the equality of their LGBT+ colleagues. In 2018, Freshfields Paris reaffirmed our commitment signing a ‘Charter of LGBT Commitment’. The Charter was launched by L’autre Cercle (‘The Other Circle’), one of the leading French LGBTQ voluntary associations, along with the consulting firm Accenture.

Signatories to the Charter undertake to create an inclusive environment; to ensure equal rights and treatment for everyone regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity; support victims of discrimination; and measure progress and share good practice to change the overall working environment.

Women’s Network and Every Day Gender Equality
Our ‘Every Day Gender Equality (EDGE)’ Commitment is a powerful initiative developed by our Women’s Network to empower people to take very practical, everyday actions to create tangible changes to foster true equality. These include calling out non-inclusive behaviour, ensuring client and team events are gender-inclusive, using gender-neutral language and promoting diversity of thought.

Learning & Development

Top talents never stop developing — our tailor-made career development programme will support you in this. Our programmes support you in developing professional excellence, a confident personality and strong management skills. We want to provide you with everything you need for a successful career.

Our range of activities include learning through involvement in top cases, international assignments and training in the six key pillars of Legal Expertise, Professional Development, Business Skills, Language Skills, Diversity Development and Executive Development. You will have access to a pool of renowned specialists and speakers, including partners from our law firm, keynote speakers from client circles, experienced coaches, and management experts from renowned business schools.

Responsible Business

Our advice reflects who we are at Freshfields: our character, our values and our ethos. At the core of our business strategy is our claim to provide our clients with excellent, responsible and sustainable advice.

Our concept of responsible business is reflected throughout our entire organization. From the management culture within our partnership to sustainable action beyond the boundaries of the law firm. As a responsible company, we conduct business in an ethical, safe and environmentally-sound manner. We also strive to minimize any adverse impacts on our world.

We partner with advice agencies and other local charities to deliver advice and representation to individuals in need. We owe them the same professional duties and treat them in the same way as our fee-paying clients.

Mental Wellbeing

Freshfields attaches great importance to the mental well-being of our people. We continuously strive to create an environment that is characterized by open communication and an honest approach to mental challenges. Freshfields is driving this conversation at all levels of the company around the world in many ways and has established various programmes aimed at preventing and/or finding ways to address potential mental stress.

Inclusive Culture

To deliver the best experience for our people and the best service to our clients we must recruit from the widest talent pools, seek to ensure that all feel valued in the workplace, and are able to achieve their maximum potential through appropriate development and support. We must do all we can to attract, retain and progress our top talent globally, working together to build inclusive teams.

We have developed a number of initiatives to ensure that we promote an inclusive culture where everyone has the opportunity to make progress. Examples of these initiatives are:

• Inclusive Leadership Training – a training program for partners and managers worldwide. It is designed to help leaders find out how to reduce bias in talent decisions and strengthen inclusive leadership skills.
• Reverse Mentoring – a program we launched in January 2019 in partnership with our internal diversity networks. This six-month mentoring program involves mentoring managers by a younger, more versatile colleague.