Our approach to responsible business
Our vision for our responsible business program is to do our part to help create a better and fairer world, while delivering on our purpose of helping our clients, our people and our communities to thrive.
Our approach is focused on the following four core pillars:
Community
We strive to make a positive contribution to the communities in which we live and work through our pro bono, volunteer and charitable activities, using our talents and time for the benefit of others.
Environment
We are committed to taking action to play our part to protect the environment and aim to continuously improve our environmental performance.
People
We empower our people by creating a values-led, diverse and inclusive culture, provide structures to support wellbeing and invest in everyone’s future through learning and development.
Governance and ethics
We safeguard the highest levels of professional standards and integrity throughout our governance structures and commitment to ethical business practices.
Community
We strive to make a positive contribution to the communities in which we live and work through our pro bono, volunteer and charitable activities, using our talents and time for the benefit of others.
Environment
We are committed to taking action to play our part to protect the environment and aim to continuously improve our environmental performance.
People
We empower our people by creating a values-led, diverse and inclusive culture, provide structures to support wellbeing and invest in everyone’s future through learning and development.
Governance and ethics
We safeguard the highest levels of professional standards and integrity throughout our governance structures and commitment to ethical business practices.
Global partnership with the International Rescue Committee
Over the course of our global partnership with the International Rescue Committee (‘IRC’), we have recorded 2,800 pro bono hours on more than 55 different matters for the IRC across multiple jurisdictions and involving colleagues from around the globe.
Access to justice
As a law practice, our commitment to pro bono and access to justice remains a pillar of our responsible business program. This past year, our lawyers represented hundreds of nonprofit and individual pro bono clients, with a particular focus on supporting refugees and children’s rights. Stories from across the firm can be found in our responsible business reports.
Global challenges, local actions
Through our institutional giving programs and charity partnerships, we reached over 360 community-based organizations with financial support this past year. In addition, our office committees championed volunteer support and charity partnerships to meet community needs at the local level.
Commitment to climate action
We are committed to achieving net-zero and our greenhouse gas (‘GHG’) reduction targets have been verified by the Science-Based Targets initiative.
Our International business has set near-term GHG reduction targets to achieve by FY2030 using FY2019 as the baseline, including an 80% absolute reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and a 50% absolute reduction in Scope 3 emissions.
Our US business has set near-term targets to achieve by 2030, including a 98% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and a 50% reduction in Scope 3 emissions. In addition, we have a US long-term net-zero target of 2040.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (‘DEI’)
The work of DEI is championed by senior leadership and is the responsibility of all our people across all offices. Although our commitment is global, our initiatives and programs are informed by region-specific metrics and tailored to the needs of each location.
Pipeline/Social mobility
Our pipeline programs have supported nearly 2,000 students. Our Unlocked and ES Scholars programs are designed to address underrepresentation not just at the firm, but in the broader legal industry.
Women’s leadership
Eversheds Sutherland is committed to supporting and advancing the careers of the many talented women across the firm. Retreats and broadened programming in the US and Europe brought together our women lawyers and business professional leaders to share ideas, network, develop solutions and build community.
Ethical conduct
Our global Ethical Code of Conduct sits alongside our legal and regulatory requirements and brings to life how we conduct ourselves with our clients, our communities and each other. The Code is publicly available here.
Responsible use of AI
We have adopted a global approach and policy to the responsible use of AI and Generative AI and intend to be at the forefront of this technological shift that is already changing how legal services are delivered and how businesses operate, taking care to protect client confidence and deliver quality services to our clients where we use this rapidly evolving medium.
For a more detailed overview of our responsible business program and our most recent responsible business reports highlighting our global work and impact, please visit our website.
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© Eversheds Sutherland. All rights reserved. Eversheds Sutherland is a global provider of legal and other services operating through various separate and distinct legal entities. Eversheds Sutherland is the name and brand under which the members of Eversheds Sutherland Limited (Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP and Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP) and their respective controlled, managed and affiliated firms and the members of Eversheds Sutherland (Europe) Limited (each an "Eversheds Sutherland Entity" and together the "Eversheds Sutherland Entities") provide legal or other services to clients around the world. Eversheds Sutherland Entities are constituted and regulated in accordance with relevant local regulatory and legal requirements and operate in accordance with their locally registered names. The use of the name Eversheds Sutherland, is for description purposes only and does not imply that the Eversheds Sutherland Entities are in a partnership or are part of a global LLP. The responsibility for the provision of services to the client is defined in the terms of engagement between the instructed firm and the client.
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