mARCH 2012 8 World Report - UK & Ireland

Law Society equality plan addresses

changing legal landscape

The Law Society has set out its framework for equality and diversity for the next four years.

The 2012-15 Equality & Diversity Framework

outlines the measures needed to accelerate the rate of progress towards equality of opportunity, greater diversity of the profession and effective, inclusive working practices.

Over the next four years, the Law Society

will influence those who shape the business environment in which solicitors operate and work with the regulators to support mechanisms that promote and monitor compliance and ensure equality of opportunity and respect for diversity.

The Law Society will be working closely with

the profession to ensure the Framework’s core goals and objectives are met. The Society will also step up its direct engagement with minority solicitors through the delivery of its ‘Career Barriers Action Plan’ and the establishment of dedicated divisions for minority lawyers and women lawyers being launched later this year.

The new framework, which replaces that of

2009-2011, will provide a valuable foundation for the work ahead as the profession moves into an unprecedented period of change with the introduction of Alternative Business Structures and entity based regulation.

To address some of the issues, the Society has

in place the flagship Diversity and Inclusion Charter, an instantly recognisable public statement of commitment by its signatories and a framework for positive action across all strands of diversity. Already law firms representing one-third of solicitors in private practice have signed up. Last year, the Society launched the Flexible Working Protocol, presenting a powerful business case and support to firms that wish to implement such practices.

Law Society president John Wotton said

while the Framework highlighted gaps and issues that need addressing, it was encouraging to see such positive actions from the signatories of the Diversity Charter.

“That so many firms are prepared to make

a public commitment, put their own practices under scrutiny and make necessary improvements is evidence that changes are happening.

“The Law Society will continue to champion

change in the profession and knowledge of equality and diversity issues through accredited standards and a robust set of performance measures.”

company to work for The most comprehensive survey of workplace opinion in Britain has revealed that Lewis Silkin LLP is The Sunday Times Best Company to Work For in the legal sector. The firm was 19th overall, jumping 24 places in the UK table and leapfrogging last year’s top legal practice Mishcon de Reya, according to The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list, published in a dedicated 80-page supplement with The Sunday Times on March 4.

The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to

Work For survey is compiled from results given by employees to 70 questions related to workplace culture, covering their company’s leadership; their personal wellbeing; career development; pay and benefits; their feelings towards colleagues, managers and the company as a whole; and giving something back to the community and environment.

At Lewis Silkin, managing an

extraordinarily large workload, saving the firm money or delivering an outstanding service are some of the ways that qualify staff for a biannual bonus. Not surprisingly, the company’s best factor score is in the Fair Deal section of our survey where the practice ranks eighth overall. Top ten results show contentment with pay and benefits compared to others within the organisation, a 69% positive result, and people in similar posts at other law firms (67%). However, healthy bank balances aren’t the only aspects of office life that make Lewis Silkin one of the top 20 Best Companies to Work For. The firm has taken a stand against the long hours culture

www.lawyer-monthly.com Lewis Silkin named the best legal

traditionally associated with the legal business. Accordingly, targets for the number of hours worked are up to 40% less than some competitors. Six out of 10 employees are women and while team members work just over 34 hours a week on average, managers put in less than 38, which may explain why the firm jumped 24 places up the list this year.

There is sound evidence that employees

at Mishcon de Reya are proud to work for the company. They score this area of our employee survey 85% positive and even profess to loving to work for the practice (79%). There are development programmes in place at every stage of an employee’s career. Managers and monitoring partners meet staff on a regular basis to discuss performance, promotion criteria and succession planning. Naturally, colleagues feel they have a positive future ahead of them in the firm (77%).

A new entry into the legal table is

Withers, a firm with a workforce of 430 people, 120 of whom have notched up between 10 and 44 years of service. Staff feel colleagues care a great deal about each other (83%) and are fun to work with (81%). Two-thirds of the staff are women and the firm was shown to have the highest number of female partners in a recent diversity survey of the legal practices.

Full lists available on thesundaytimes.co.uk/best100companies New tax avoidance law to be

announced It has been reported that the next budget will see UK chancellor George Osborne announce a clamp down on corporate tax avoidance.

The Guardian has reported that

Osborne will announce the new so called ‘generalised anti-avoidance rule’ in light of the Treasury’s closing down of two tax avoidance schemes which Barclays bank used to save £500 million of tax costs.

A spokesman from the Treasury commented: “We want to have a

relationship of trust with businesses on their tax behavior,” according to The Telegraph.

Commenting on the closing of the tax

avoidance loopholes, Barclays said in statement, earlier this week: “This situation arose when Barclays voluntarily disclosed to HMRC in a spirit of full transparency that it had repurchased some of its debt in a tax efficient manner."

The UK Budget 2012 is expected tobe presented towards the end of March.