Page 20 - Inclusion and diversity – Partnering for change
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Our stories




          Case in point

          lifting inclusion and diversity


          across the legal industry






         “As the buyers of legal services we have a voice
          and can really have an impact.”


          Caroline Cox, Group Company Secretary and General Counsel, BHP






          While diversity in the legal
          profession has improved
          significantly over the years,
          it remains one of the least
          diverse of any industry.
          In March 2019, a group of general
          counsels (GC) from major global
          companies collectively signed a
          Diversity Statement, an initiative
          spearheaded by five founding
          GCs from Unilever, Shell, Anglo
          American, Vodafone and BHP
          (Caroline Cox). The Statement sets
          out the commitment of in-house
          legal teams to broaden diversity                          Watch more here
          within their companies, as well
          as to work in partnership with
          legal firms to help progress      Caroline Cox, Group General       HSF and BHP jointly hosted a
          their diversity efforts.          Counsel and Company Secretary,    series of inclusion and diversity
                                            BHP, wrote to the Company’s       knowledge-sharing forums
          The initiative is based on feedback   panel firms globally, to share   across Australia, and in London.
          and research which indicated      the Statement and explain BHP’s   Legal professionals discussed
          that, as ‘buyers’ of legal services,   involvement in the initiative. BHP   the practical actions they and
          in-house legal teams (the clients)   has long-standing relationships   their companies were taking in
          have a strong role to play in taking   with many of its panel law firms,   relation to inclusion and diversity
          an active interest in inclusion   and her letter received great     within their own teams, as well
          and diversity of law firms, to help   support. As an example, Herbert   as challenges, and what in-house
          drive change for the better across   Smith Freehills (HSF), one of   teams can do through their
          the industry. The Statement       BHP’s global firms, responded     actions to drive diversity within
          recognises that clients,          with some positive actions        the firms. Conversations ranged
          through their actions, policies    that, not only underlined HSF’s   from flexible work to mental
          and behaviours, can influence     commitment to inclusion and       health, as well as shared learnings,
          what happens within law firms.    diversity, but would also see the   while recognising that not all
          It’s also about clients and law firms   two companies work together   companies were at the same
          working together to share best    to further raise the profile of   point on the change curve.
          practices. To date, approximately   inclusion and diversity across
          100 companies and their GCs       the legal profession.             HSF has also created a dashboard
          have signed the Statement.                                          to help BHP track the diversity of
                                                                              teams at HSF who work directly


          BHP      Inclusion and diversity – Partnering for change   18  February 2020
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