(L-R) Awards host Andrew Ryan; Linda Jones, head of employment, and Jonathan Bond, director of HR and learning, Pinsent Masons; Tom Pearson, commercial director, Legal Week

Finalists: Hogan Lovells; Bird & Bird (highly commended)

Pinsent Masons' efforts to boost gender equality at senior levels helped it lift this year's diversity award. The firm's Project Sky programme seeks to rethink traditional gender balance programmes, which tend to be preoccupied with specific targets, by instead removing the barriers that hinder female career progression in the first place and change the working culture so that the focus is on talent.

While Pinsent Masons requires gender-balanced shortlists for partner promotions, it has also made its leadership team accountable for seeking out talent and selecting those deserving of partnership, not just promoting those who shout loudest. In addition, it has sought to de-stigmatise flexible working practices by offering the benefit to everyone, not just mothers returning from maternity leave. It has also shifted its performance requirements for promotions from hours worked to a greater emphasis on financial performance and successful client relationships.

The programme is already delivering: since it was launched in 2013, a quarter of partners are now female, up from 19% at the start of the programme. Females also now make up almost half of the board, with four women compared to one in 2013.

"An ambitious programme getting good results. Focus on talent promotion rather than characterising as the 'woman issue'," said a judge.

• Click here to return to the full list of Legal Week Innovation Awards winners