Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Our equality and diversity policy is central to everything we do. It underpins all our policies, practices and procedures. We’re continuously committed to eliminating discrimination in all its forms, and to promoting equality and diversity.

At Stephens Scown, we have always cared about doing things the right way for our people, our clients, our planet and our community. As the first large law firm in the UK to become employee-owned, we have built a dynamic and innovative business dedicated to delivering for its clients and providing a rewarding and supportive workplace for its employees. Gaining our B Corp^TM Certification at the end of 2022 – the first law firm in the South West to do so and one of only a handful of B Corp^TM Certified law firms in the UK – underlines our long-term commitment to also being a force for good in wider society.

We ranked for seven consecutive years in the annual Top 100 Best Companies to Work For in the UK – one of the most respected independent measures of employee engagement. This emphasis on listening and responding to our people has influenced our approach to gender at the firm. Over the last few years, we have introduced a number of changes to our employee package that have improved the experience of our female employees and those who become parents while working at Stephens Scown.

Continuing to build and embed a culture that positively promotes Equality, Diversity & Inclusion is really important to us and is something that underpins our firm’s strategy.

We have already taken strides to enable positive change through, for example, our unconscious bias training for partners, our Women in Law Group, our better gender balanced Board and partnership, and our recent inclusion of personal pronouns on our email signatures.

In this together

Our aim is to create a culture of inclusivity and tolerance, and to celebrate and embrace our differences, and the contributions we all make to Stephens Scown and the wider world. That means treating everyone equally – and with the same courtesy, dignity and respect. It also means we don’t tolerate rude, discourteous or disrespectful behaviour.

All our people receive equality and diversity training when they join the firm, and at regular intervals during their employment with us. This helps to ensure we don’t discriminate in the services we offer, or in the way we run our business.

Owning It Matters

At Stephens Scown, everyone is treated equally. We’re all part of something bigger than the individual and we pitch in together to contribute to the success and inclusivity of our firm.

Our Trustees act as custodians of our ethos – One Firm. They manage and protect our culture, gathering Scowner feedback and making suggestions for change or improvement.