It is common for law firms to trumpet their diversity policies. Ask any what steps they have taken and you can expect to be deluged with marketing spiel. What is less common, however, is to hear what clients think.

Legal Week interviewed a dozen UK general counsel from major companies, including four FTSE 100 institutions, to name the law firms that have impressed them on their diversity and inclusion initiatives.

It follows the recent call to arms by US and UK GCs calling for law firms to show better progress on diversity or risk losing work.

Some of the in-house counsel refrained from nominating any firm, largely unimpressed by any of the efforts made. But most were able to point to at least a few firms they felt had made good progress.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Freshfields received the most nominations, with four naming the firm. One GC said the firm's gender diversity strategies had made "extraordinary leaps and bounds", while another said they were impressed by the firm's EDGE [Everyday Gender Equality] initiative. Set up last year, the initiative focuses on 10 everyday actions and how to approach them in the best way for gender equality in a workplace.

Natasha Good – corporate partner, core member of firm's inclusion team, Freshfields

One GC added Freshfields was "taking it very seriously", noting their use of the mindful business charter – a set of principles for businesses to ensure they are being mindful of people's wellbeing.

Other initiatives at Freshfields include a women's network, inclusive behaviour training that is currently rolled out to 220 leaders, and the Stephen Lawrence initiative which helps Caribbean men from underprivileged backgrounds get onto a legal career path.

The firm makes it a necessity that 30% of partner promotion candidates are women.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

BCLP received the second highest number of nominations. One GC pointed out the firm's work experience, school outreach, sponsorship and mentoring programmes, which they described as "genuinely collaborative". Another GC said its leadership takes gender and diversity "very seriously", adding that they are "actively engaging the GC community on this topic".

Lisa Mayhew (left) and Therese Pritchard (right), co-chairs BCLP

In May 2018, the firm met its target of having a 30% female UK-wide partnership; and in the firm's 2019 partner promotion round, 57% of the newly promoted partners were female and more than one fifth were BAME. Other standout points for the firm include the Mansfield Rule – which requires that female lawyers, lawyers of colour, and LGBTQ candidates represent at least 30% of the candidate pool for significant firm leadership roles.

CMS 

CMS "walks the walk" on diversity and inclusion, according to one in-house leader. With a couple of nominations, the firm has impressed GCs on legal panels, with one GC saying the female lawyers were noticeably involved in the cases and the meetings.

Initiatives include using progressive work allocation systems that use technology to eradicate bias in work distribution, a mentoring scheme, flexible and agile working policies, mandatory diversity and inclusion training, face-to-face unconscious bias training, mental wellbeing and resilience training for managers, and a market-leading maternity and shared parental leave programme.

CMS also has a 'time out, no questions asked' policy, which allows all staff the opportunity to take one month of unpaid leave, per year, no questions asked.

Eversheds Sutherland

"I was very impressed with how the whole team was gelling together – you could tell they were an inclusive team," said one GC about Eversheds. The GC added: "It's not just about having figures you can point to on BAME etc, it's about how the teams are collaborating."

Lee Ranson- co-chief executive officer, Eversheds Sutherland

Eversheds has a 27% female partnership and has set the target to reach 30% by 2021. The firm has a reverse mentoring programme for diversity, with approximately 400 people in the business currently being coached.

Additionally, every two years the firm bands equity partners against performance, and now includes a section for partners to say how they have supported and driven diversity and inclusion during the past two years. Co-chief executive officer Lee Ranson said there are consequences depending on their answers.

Also mentioned…

Slaughter and May

One GC highlighted Slaughters' relatively good gender pay gap reports, and said its 'best friend' referral firms are involved with its women's networks. Other initiatives include a mentoring scheme for women, panel events focused on diversity and inclusion, cross-company mentoring, leadership development programmes, and coaching for high-potential individuals. During the past five years, 37% of all new partners have been women, half of which have accessed one of these programmes.

Withers

One legal head said: "The way they work day to day also embodies [diversity and inclusion]: respectful dialogue and treatment within their teams is clear to see; idea sharing and responsibility given across seniority levels; and always a good spread of types of people and backgrounds in how they resource their teams."

Withers has a female CEO and eight women in senior management roles, a 40% female partnership, and for the past four yearly promotion rounds has had more than 50% women. Initiatives include using contextual recruitment system Rare, apprenticeship programmes, and 'Prime' – a work experience programme for less-privileged students.

Allen & Overy

One GC said they had noticed A&O extending its diversity and inclusion focus to encompass social and academic diversity. They added: "It's great to see their A&Out messaging so front and centre in their offices." The firm's initiatives include flexible working programmes, training for women, a reverse mentoring programme, sponsorship training and using data to track how well different people are moving through the pipeline. It also runs parents', ethnicity, women's, LGBTQ+, and family networks. The firm's executive committee is 40% female. 

Osborne Clarke

One legal director commended the firm for explaining why the teams are composed how they are when they pitch a team – even if explaining why it is all male.

Osborne Clarke's executive board this year is 50% female. The firm has a gender, LGBTQ, and BAME network, runs an international women's partner conference, rolls out unconscious bias training for anyone involved in decisions, promotions or recruitment, works with university programmes, and has a 'Stepping Up' programme in Bristol that works with BAME communities.

Cleary Gottlieb

The firm has "great young talent and they empower them to represent the firm", according to one in-house leader. The firm has LGBTQ+ and women's working groups, and a BAME network that has an 'Allies' support system that works with people to make them feel more comfortable talking about their sexual orientation. Other initiatives include unconscious bias training and 'respect at work' training, and a mental health champions network.

Others

Pinsent Masons, which operates bi-yearly unconscious bias training, and Hogan Lovells, where 47% of its 2018 trainees were BAME, were also named. As was Burges Salmon, which is starting to do blind recruitment, where no names are on CVs.

Two GCs highlighted the work of Dana Denis Smith from Obelisk – a legal service provider that puts flexible working forefront. Other "genuinely inspirational figures" named were Danise Nurse from Halebury, and Rajitha Boer from Yerra Solutions.