Herbert Smith Freehills has launched a disability network after its 2014 audit revealed over 6% of the firm's London and Belfast employees have a disability.

The new network – HSF Ability – is open to all staff across the firm's international offices and provides an open forum to discuss all issues related to disability.

The network will be run by an organising committee comprising Alison Matthews, consultant and Ruth Patterson, associate as co-chairs and Daniel Hudson and Gillian Fairfield as partner co-sponsors, supported by the diversity & inclusion team.

There will also be a programme of events to promote education, networking and awareness raising.

The introduction of the network has been prompted by a gradual increase in the number of individuals declaring a disability in the firm's annual London/Belfast diversity audit. Just over 6% of the 1500 people surveyed this year were identified as having a disability.

HSF diversity partner, Ian Gatt Q.C. (pictured) said: "The establishment of this network will improve communication and education on disability within the firm. HSF Ability will help our staff and partners become disability aware and the network further strengthens our wide range of diversity and inclusion networks across the firm."

The firm is also in the process of rolling out a firmwide diversity initiative aimed at boosting the number of female lawyers making partner. Working with Wanda Wallace, the CEO of US consultancy Leadership Forum, the firm has developed five key programmes.

These include career planning for talented female lawyers with two to three years' post-qualification experience, coaching for female salaried partners aiming to reach the equity and a female lawyers network.

Last month HSF set a 30% target for female partners by 2019. The gender target is set in two stages: by May 2017 at least 25% of the partnership should be women, with the figure rising to 30% by May 2019.