Business law firm, DWF, has published its first Corporate Responsibility (CR) Review. The firm prides itself on a strong, company-wide culture of CR, and the new report showcases the firm’s values-led strategy and recent achievements.
DWF takes a distinctive approach to CR which is based around its clients, its people, the community and the environment. The firm’s strategy aims to embed this approach into everything it does, creating a common framework which reinforces a culture of integrity and trust across the firm.
The Review provides an insight into the ways in which the CR strategy is driving the business forward in a responsible and sustainable way. It also provides an overview of where the firm has been focusing its energy, passion and resources over the last 12 months.
One key initiative is DWF’s pioneering paralegal academy, which has been designed to provide a career path into the legal profession for young people as an alternative to attending university. The firm has also demonstrated its commitment to creating a more inclusive culture through its support of The ClearKit support package, an innovative on line resource developed by The Clear Company, to enable businesses to identify and remove barriers to recruiting and retaining disabled talent.
DWF supports its surrounding communities through a variety of social and environmental projects, many of which are carried out in partnership with specialist business responsibility charities, such as Business in the Community. The firm also conducted a community engagement survey last year to shape its activities for developing key themes for future activities.
DWF has already built up a strong reputation in the marketplace for its values-led approach to business. The firm was ranked ‘Best Legal Adviser’ in the Legal Week Client Satisfaction Report 2011 and voted ‘National Law Firm of the Year’ in the 2011 Legal Business Awards. It was also highly commended for having the Best Talent Management Strategy at the HR Excellence Awards 2012. Furthermore, DWF was a finalist in Business in the Community’s North West Community Impact Awards, which recognise businesses who have volunteered time, skills and experience to make a sustainable impact in education, employability, environment and health.
Ty Jones, Head of Values & Corporate Responsibility at DWF, said: “Our values shape who we are, what we do and how we do it. We’re extremely proud of the progress we have made over the last year and we will continue to demonstrate, in an open and transparent way, the extent to which our values impact on the way we do business. This Review is not an exhaustive presentation of everything we do to support our people, our clients, our communities and the environment, but it highlights our determination to focus on the things that really matter to us as a business.
“Creating a culture of Corporate Responsibility is fundamental to the success of our business strategy of becoming a top 20 law firm by 2015. We therefore remain determined to build and maintain Corporate Responsibility excellence into our day-to-day activities.”
Andrew Leaitherland, Managing Partner at DWF, added: “There is no doubt that we are a better business for placing strong values at our core, and it is fantastic that we have managed to move our Corporate Responsibility programme forward so quickly over the last 12 months.
“This Review is an important step in our continuing journey towards becoming a more responsible business, and it will help us to achieve our ultimate goal of fully embedding our values and making Corporate Responsibility an integral part of the firm’s DNA.”
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