Responsible Business

As an international firm we are rightly held to high standards in all we do. We believe that our licence to operate, the sustainability of our business and the achievement of our vision are dependent on our ability to inspire trust and earn the confidence of all our stakeholders. To do this, we must act responsibly, creating long-term, sustainable value and supporting their future success. We use our commitment to the UN Global Compact, and associated global frameworks, to help shape our approach.

The concepts that are integral to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) are embedded in our Responsible Business strategy. For instance, we align our operations to contribute towards a number of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on those areas where we can make the greatest contribution, and we intend to continue to do so through to 2030.

We believe that, as an industry leader, we have a duty to run our business responsibly and to use our collective expertise and energy to benefit those less fortunate than ourselves. By aligning our business strategy with our volunteering and pro bono goals, we are building a sustainable programme of activity that is making a significant and positive impact on both our firm and the communities in which we operate.

The firm has a target of helping 100,000 people each year. We have made a significant contribution to this target during the past 12 months; we helped a total of 13,289 people and donated close to US$200,000 to various initiatives throughout the region.

Here are some of the ways our team in the Middle East contribute or have been involved.

The Sparkle Foundation, Malawi

The Sparkle Foundation is a charity which provides education, nutritional support, medical treatment, love and care to over 150 orphans and vulnerable children in six rural villages on the outskirts of Zomba, Malawi. The Sparkle Foundation works with local communities and international, skilled volunteers to create small-scale, sustainable projects.

The first of our two teams visited in spring 2017 to deliver a week-long series of workshops using recycled materials to encourage the children there to express themselves through art inspired by the local landscape and environment. The second team will visit Sparkle in spring 2018 to fit out a two-storey building funded by the firm. The space will be multifunctional and serve as classrooms, a main hall and library, as well as a conference space.

Special Needs Families Centre (SNF), Dubai

SNF provides young adults with special needs with occupational and vocational training aimed at integrating independent and motivated individuals into society. SNF was started in 2003 as a Dubai-based support group for students with special needs and their families. It now provides support to 25 students with disabilities ranging from Downs Syndrome and mild autism, to visual impairments and general learning disabilities. Its wider support group helps over 150 families with children with special needs. The firm supports the SNF Centre by regularly supplying volunteers, providing advice through our advisory panel and with fundraising activities.

Special Needs Centre, Abu Dhabi

We have close links to a non-profit special needs organisation based in Abu Dhabi. It specialises in the education and rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities, who may stay at the centre between the ages of three and 20. Volunteers from the firm regularly help at the centre, and there are also regular fundraising initiatives to become involved in. Our Abu Dhabi office has also supported work placements for individuals, thereby allowing individuals to develop new skills.

FRIDSRO, Sri Lanka

Established in 1972 by Anna Greta Perera and her husband Pastor Jacob Perera, FRIDSRO runs two schools in the mountainous tea plantations north of Kandy, together with a children's home in the city. The schools cater for the young children of‎ low-income tea plantation workers, who would otherwise be left at home during the day. Over two years, the firm funded a refurbishment of one of the schools, which helped create a much improved learning environment; and established a vocational training centre which enabled local women to learn weaving skills to produce products that can be sold to raise funds for the school. A year on, four of our Middle East team visited the children's home to design and paint a large-scale dining room mural, with the aim of making the days a little brighter.

Habitat for Humanity, Jordan

Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity (HfH) is a global non-profit organisation that brings people together in over 70 countries to build homes that provide the foundation for improved health, greater learning opportunities and stronger communities. In 2013, the firm joined HfH in supplying a a 14-member team of lawyers and business professionals staff to build homes for a project in Jordan. Participants raised their own funds through a range of activities including a quiz, a cake sale and other social events. The team worked hand in hand with the family who would purchase and live in the home, building it from the ground up and concluding a Habitat building site experience that proved rewarding for everyone involved.