Corporate responsibility at Shoosmiths

Corporate responsibility (CR) lies at the heart of our business strategy at Shoosmiths. Our CR vision is to be the leading national law firm famous for its positive contribution to society.

An integrated approach

Corporate responsibility forms part of our business plan, and in turn shapes our strategic goals. We describe our approaches to corporate governance; engaging with stakeholders; target-setting and reporting; CR awards we are proud to have won; and the work carried out with charities and community groups at office and national level.

The commitment and enthusiasm demonstrated by our people in embracing Shoosmiths' corporate responsibility (CR) priorities is at the heart of how the CR strategy is being delivered in practice.

We wish to thank the many organisations that have worked with us during the last 12 months. They enrich our CR programme and enable us to deliver so much more.

Pro bono

Shoosmiths is committed to the provision of legal advice on a pro bono basis in areas of law practised across the business. We help individuals and organisations.

Employee volunteering

Shoosmiths employees are encouraged to volunteer in their local community and so this is one of our areas of focus instead of appointing a national charity partner. Every employee is able to volunteer one day per annum and we are keen to hear from charities and other community organisations who our staff could volunteer for during the week, near to one of our thirteen national locations.

Corporate responsibility reporting

We publish corporate responsibility reports and United Nations Global Compact Communication on Progress reports.

We’re proud that we have won a number of awards for our efforts, and we share stories of the fantastic efforts of our colleagues across the UK who are responsible for making it happen. 

Our CR strategy is encapsulated by Shine: bright ideas for positive change, which is all about how, in the actions we take, we are able to have a positive impact on society. Our approach encapsulates who we are as a firm.

We are signatories of the UN Global Compact and work with a number of organisations at a global, national and local level.

The Shine programme focuses on four work streams:

Community - building and maintaining enduring community relationships that achieve positive impacts for the organisations we work with.

Our approach is based on staff fundraising and partner donations to support charity partnerships, the provision of legal advice on a pro bono basis to individuals and third sector organisations unable to afford legal guidance, staff volunteering in the local community, and in-kind support.

Environment - demonstrating high standards of environmental responsibility in all our operations and minimising the environmental impacts associated with our activities, products and services.

Continual improvement forms the basis of our approach in order that we can achieve an overall positive environmental impact as a result of the way we do business.

Marketplace - supporting the commercial and societal CR aspirations of our clients and working with clients and suppliers to evidence best CR practice.

We support clients in their delivery of commercial and philanthropic goals to achieve a positive contribution to society. Our breadth of legal expertise is supported by our collaborative approach including the provision of pro bono services, volunteering, fundraising, sporting challenges, workshops and sharing best CR practice. Responsible supply chain management is focused on improving ethical, social, health safety and environmental performance.

Workplace - inspiring and empowering our people to use their talents to make a positive difference in their communities. Recognising the unique contribution our people make in supporting our CR aspirations.

We ask for, listen to and act on the views of our people and we promote work/life balance and equality of opportunity. We will also act as an inspiration for individuals who may be interested in working in the legal sector, irrespective of their background or circumstances.