Our inclusive culture

At Clifford Chance, we know that global reach is about so much more than where we are. It’s the way we work beyond borders. It’s our ability to collaborate, share ideas, knowledge, and expertise. It’s the opportunity to explore new ways of working. We each bring different perspectives and new capabilities, but we all share the same values and vision: to be the global law firm of choice for the world’s leading businesses of today and tomorrow.

We understand that diversity and inclusion is important to the success and wellbeing of our staff, their families, our firm and our clients, and society. Inclusion is an intrinsic value of our firm. It’s a matter of justice and a core part of our identity. We don’t just acknowledge our differences, we celebrate them – because the best asset we have as a firm is our people, and the many different perspectives and experiences they bring with them.

As part of our commitment to inclusion in the workplace, we never stop looking for new opportunities to keep our workplace a safe and welcoming hub of ideas, thoughts, and ambitions. This comes to life in our collegiate and collaborative approach to work. We also have a variety of flourishing employee networks which help to engage our colleagues in diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing initiatives globally. These networks are a place for you to share your experiences and advocate for change wherever you see an opportunity for improvement.

We know that being the global law firm of choice means we need to deliver equality of opportunity and equality of experience to all our colleagues, regardless of who they are or the journey they’ve taken to get here. That’s why we’re always looking for new ways to innovate how we work. To continue building a culture where everyone feels empowered to chase their goals and do work that aligns with their values. To ensure we stay curious, open minded, and respectful in everything we do. 

We have a number of flourishing employee networks and a mental health advocate initiative championed by senior leaders, which help to engage our colleagues in diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing.

We are committed to building a working environment that is equitable and values people of all ethnic backgrounds. There is zero tolerance of racism.

In line with our commitments to race equity, Clifford Chance is one of the five founding member law firms of the Recruitment Agency Race Fairness Commitment (RFC). As part of our commitment to the RFC, our recruitment team works with external agencies to maximise opportunities for Black and Ethnic Minority candidates at all career stages through a range of measures such as: creating ethnically diverse candidate pools, exploring contextual backgrounds and experiences of Black and Ethnic Minority candidates, and providing factual feedback.

Clifford Chance is also one of the inaugural participants of the Mansfield Rule Certification Process (both in the UK & North America). The Mansfield Rule is a 12-month certification process that measures whether law firms have considered at least 30% women, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions. The Mansfield Rule is helping to provide focus and clear measurement data on our approaches to improving the diversity of associate talent, partner promotions and lateral hiring.