Responsible Business

We are committed to running our business responsibly.

That means recognising that our long-term success depends on the health and resilience of our clients, our people, our communities and our natural environment and working hard to ensure that we create value for all our stakeholders.

What does responsible business mean for us?

A commitment to responsible business is only effective if driven from the very top. Our strategic thinking on responsible business is led by our Responsible Business Steering Committee, which is a dedicated sub-committee of and reports regularly to our Board. The Responsible Business Steering Committee has an independent Chair and includes (among Partners and Senior Leaders from across the business):

• Simon Ridpath, Managing Partner
• Lesley O'Leary, Chief Operating Officer and owner of the Firm's investment in environmental sustainability
• Karen Stages, Chief People Officer and owner of the Firm's investment in DE&I and wellbeing
• Susan Rosser, General Counsel
• Kerry Stares, Partner and Director of Responsible Business, whose full time role is dedicated to responsible business strategy and advisory work

In 2024 our Responsible Business Steering Committee carried out an extensive consultation exercise to understand which responsible business issues are most material for our Firm, both in terms of their impact on our success and profitability and their impact on people and plant. This exercise is known as a 'double materiality assessment' and involved listening to a wide cross section of our people and a diverse group of our clients and intermediaries.

The assessment identified six material categories of impact:

• People - covering DE&I, wellbeing and talent attraction, development and retention
• Environment - covering carbon and climate
• Governance - covering corporate governance, client confidentiality and data security
• Community - covering pro bono and community investment
• Client - covering the advice we give to clients on ESG-related risks and opportunities
• Innovative Technology – covering the sustainable and ethical use of AI

We are preparing to launch our new Responsible Business Strategy 2025-2028 with these issues at its heart and will report on our ambitions, goals and progress against firmwide KPIs in our next Annual Review, to be published in early 2026.

The firmwide KPIs in our new Responsible Business Strategy will be reinforced with divisional, group and individual KPIs where possible and appropriate. Contribution to our Responsible Business Strategy is taken into account as part of our individual goal setting and performance review process and is also a factor in determining bonus awards and Partner remuneration.

As professional advisers, a significant part of our capacity for impact lies in the advice and support we give our clients. We are working with businesses across all sectors – and those who own, invest in and manage them – helping them to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of ESG, to manage risk, to scan the horizon for relevant developments, to make decisions now that future proof business and investment value. You can find out more about our ESG advisory services and how we can help you here.