What inclusion means to AG

At Addleshaw Goddard, we recognise the importance of nurturing an inclusive culture to help us attract, retain and enable our people to be the best we can be. 

We understand that diverse firms are more attractive to potential and existing employees and that culturally diverse teams are more innovative and agile. Cultural diversity is a key measure of our success and we commit to reporting progress to the Board on a biannual basis. 

Inclusion Programme Objectives

The overall objectives of AG's inclusion programme are:

• To continue to improve our culture by attracting the best talent from a range of diverse backgrounds
• To nurture a culture that centres on equality, inclusion and mutual respect for all, so that individuals stay with us, perform to their best and progress into senior positions
• To be a firm known for its flexibility, inclusivity and innovation when it comes to diversity and inclusion in the legal marketplace

AG Inclusion Strategy - a progressive approach

Our Executive Team and Board continue to give their full support to our inclusion strategy so that together we may foster a positive and inclusive working culture for all. Our revitalised strategic approach focuses on creating more opportunities for greater collaboration and encouraging higher levels of engagement and participation from our wider partnership and workforce.

Much of our success in recent years has been in the areas of Gender and Social Mobility, and we intend to continue providing a level of commitment to retain this level of success. We also plan to shift greater focus towards our Disability, Ethnicity and LGBTQ+ agendas.

There is also a commitment to encourage and enable existing employee networks and forums to lead on events and localised activities that promote an inclusive culture. 

We now have four employee networks including:

• Ability Forum (our disability and carers' network)
• AG Embrace (our race and ethnicity network)
• OpenAG (our LGBTQ+ network)
• The Vine (our gender balance network)

It is through continued collaboration and consultation with our employee networks that we can ensure our inclusion strategy remains authentic for our people. 

We ensure that diversity is represented at the most senior level of our business by our Board sponsor. We have appointed Inclusion Partners across the full set of inclusion portfolios (Gender, Ethnicity, LGBTQ+, Social Mobility and Disability) and also appointed Inclusion Advocates within each Group and Business Services Directorate to help with sustained engagement across the business. This approach demonstrates a visible and positive commitment from business leaders across the firm to role model and promote behaviours associated with an inclusive culture. 

Inclusive partnerships

We are a founding signatory to The Law Society’s Diversity and Inclusion Charter and co-founders of the Mindful Business Charter.

In support our Inclusion Programme we are active members of external diversity and inclusion networks and organisations including: Interlaw, Upskill Me, Pathways to Property, Stonewall, NOTICED, Queer Lawyers of Tomorrow, The Business Disability Forum, the Black Solicitors Network, City Solicitors Horizons, Stronger Together Leeds and PRIME (an alliance of law firms that has undertaken to broaden access to the profession.)