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WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP OTHERS

Our corporate responsibility helps us make a positive impact

While the law is what we 'do', there's much more to us than that. As people, and as a firm, we believe we have a responsibility to help those around us. This means making a positive difference in the local and wider community, supporting our people and enabling them to flourish, and minimising our environmental impact. This isn't just good business sense, it's good people sense too.

There are three elements to our corporate responsibility agenda:

Investing in our communities, through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable giving
Promoting diversity and inclusion among our people
Protecting the environment

And wrapping around all of these things is collaborative working – engaging with others to increase the impact we can have.

What kinds of activities could I get involved in?

"Whether it's championing the valuable cause of our charity partners through fundraising events that run throughout the year, or helping to host a class of primary school children who may be stepping into an office for the first time in their lives, there really is something for everyone''. Aisha Dass, Associate

What does pro bono work mean for employees?

"When I was a trainee I was lucky enough to spend six months on the pro bono secondment to Oxfam, our largest charity partner. I got some incredible opportunities to work on projects that were directly impacting people living in poverty around the world. Since my relocation to the Dubai office I've been able to carry on doing pro bono with Oxfam – most recently working on the contracts for Oxfam's sanitation and water projects in a huge camp for Syrian refugees". Tom Gray Senior, Associate

How do you balance work and corporate responsibility?

"If only my business card could read 'Rob Bridgman, Senior Associate, Property Litigation and Choir Master' because that would accurately reflect what I do at Gowling WLG. With regular lunchtime choir rehearsals and two/three concerts a year, as well as managing my chargeable work load, I also run the firm's award winning choir together with my brother Nick" . Rob Bridgman, Senior Associate

What about charitable giving?

"Alongside my day job as a tax partner, one of my most rewarding roles is chairing the Gowling WLG Charitable Trust. Each year we make grants to dozens of charities of all shapes and sizes and we match funding from our own employees' fundraising efforts. So if abseiling from the top of a tall building for a good cause is your thing, we'll gladly do our bit to boost the funds you raise". Lee Nuttall, Tax Partner

days' of paid volunteering leave per year

£727,000

worth of pro bono hours 2016/17

hours of pro bono work count towards a fee earner's chargeable target

3,480

hours of pro bono 2016/17

How we help others

Mentor a leader

Mentor the Chief Executive of a charity, and help their organisation to thrive.

Mentor a student

Help GCSE and A-Level students to prepare for university study.

Give free advice

Provide pro bono legal advice on the judicial review process for a charity.

FIND OUT MORE

Find out how you can help us make a positive impact in our local and international communities.

Take a look

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

WE DO GOOD WORK – IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE