Four Bristol law firms have had their work in areas such as diversity, inclusion and sustainability recognised in a new national legal awards scheme.
Michelmores, Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD), Osborne Clarke and Burges Salmon are competing in the inaugural Legal 500 ESG UK Awards – with Burges Salmon and WBD going head to head for the ESG Firm of the Year title.
The awards celebrate the best ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives across the UK legal market, including private practice, in-house and the Bar.
Organisations and individuals will be recognised for their efforts to bring about change across all aspects of ESG, including diversity and inclusion and environmental and sustainability strategy.
Michelmores, which also has offices in London, Exeter and Cheltenham, has been nominated for the Best Law Firm Advisory Team: Environmental protection award, as well as for Social Mobility: Private Practice Champion of the Year and Social Mobility: Best Initiative to Attract and Retain Talent (outside London).
Transatlantic firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD), which has its second-largest UK office in Bristol, has been shortlisted in eight categories, including the ESG Firm of the Year.
The firm is also in the running for the Best Law Firm Advisory Team: Clean Energy and Disability/Neurodiversity: Best Initiative to Attract and Retain Talent awards.
Individual lawyers from the firm’s Bristol office to be shortlisted are Jon Bower – Environmental/Sustainability: Private Practice Champion and Sam Lee – Social Mobility: Private Practice Champion, while the firm’s responsible business manager Charlotte von Sicard, also Bristol-based, was also nominated by the judging panel within the ESG Rising Star category, which recognises individuals in the industry who are contributing across various areas of ESG.
WBD UK managing partner Paul Stewart said to be shortlisted in so many categories was a testament to its commitment to ESG.
“These nominations are the result of a lot of hard work by a huge number of people across the business who are driving positive change and making a difference, and I’d like to personally thank them for the amazing work they do,” he added.
Burges Salmon, employs more than 1,100 people across its offices in Bristol, Edinburgh and London, is also shortlisted in eight categories.
It will line up in the Firm of the Year, DE&I: Law Firm Initiative of the year, Ethnicity: Best Initiative to Attract and Retain Talent, Disability/Neurodiversity: Best initiative to Attract and Retain Talent and Social Mobility: Best Initiative to Attract and Retain Talent categories.
The firm’s expertise in clean energy, sustainability and environmental protection was also recognised in Best Law Firm Advisory Team: Sustainable Finance, Best Law Firm Advisory Team: Environmental Protection, Best Law Firm Advisory Team: Clean Energy.
Burges Salmon partner and Head of ESG Michael Barlow said ESG was central to both the firm’s culture and business philosophy.
“It is the guiding principle for how we interact with our clients, our people and our communities and what drives our commitment to being a responsible business as well as a diverse, accessible and supportive employer,” he added.
“Leveraging our market-leading ESG expertise, we work side-by-side with our clients to provide strategic and operational advice, guiding them as they meet their ESG obligations and working with them to unlock the opportunities there to be seized.
“In the past year, we’ve invested significantly in our ESG offering and brought to market a number of tools to consolidate all ESG guidance, legislation and resources into interactive and intuitive platforms, including an ESG Risk Review, ESG Corporate Disclosure and ESG Pensions tools and a Modern Slavery Statement compliance check.
“Understanding the unique place ESG lawyers have in the future, we also rolled out a training programme to support our lawyers engage in authentic, impactful and values-driven ESG conversations with clients.”
The Legal 500 ESG UK Awards 2024 will take place in London on 24 April.
