Shakespeare Martineau makes strides in responsible business

Overview

 
Shakespeare Martineau, which is part of legal and professional services group Ampa, has published its first impact report, recording the wider group’s achievements and progress to date, since the relaunch of its responsible business programme last year.

Making more than 30 pledges to its people, planet and local communities, the group has seen significant improvements in its commitment to increasing diversity at a senior level, reducing its carbon footprint and offering career development opportunities to under-represented groups.

In January 2023, the group achieved B-Corporation accreditation as part of its responsible business journey and is currently the largest legal and professional services group to be a B Corporation. Organisations with certified B-Corporation status are legally required to consider the impact of business decisions on their people, customers, suppliers, communities and the environment.
 

The benchmarks to achieve accreditation are incredibly high and the auditing process is rigorous, with non-profit B-Lab independently scoring aspiring B-Corps across governance, workers, community, environment and customers to determine the business’ social and environmental performance.
 

Other key achievements from the group, in the past 12 months, include:

• Increased racial diversity of membership to 11.5% (beating ambition of 10%)
• Established its ‘More in Common Committee’: an internal ED&I network, which helps drive engagement and education. Examples include participation in Race Equality Week and the formation of five inclusion groups (Sikh, Muslim, Disabilities, LGBTQ+, and a baby loss support group)
• Appointed senior leaders accountable for gender diversity, race and wellbeing
• Supported 10K Black interns programme- increasing our cohort from 5 to 10 interns for 2023
• More than 6,400 hours of volunteering recorded across the group
• Supported over 400 young people via mentoring or virtual insights programmes
• Supported the Ingenuity programme for a sixth year, providing legal support to 5 prize winners, worth more than £20,000
• Reduced landfill waste and paper usage by 60%, compared to 2019
• Established a net-zero action plan to achieve net-zero by 2030 (within areas we can influence).

 
The group – which includes full-service law firms Shakespeare Martineau and Mayo Wynne Baxter, consumer law firm Lime Solicitors, design, development and planning experts Marrons, uninsured loss recovery experts Corclaim and cybersecurity company CSS Assure – also has more than 55responsible business champions working from its 18 different hubs.

The champions are responsible for driving positive change in the local area, developing initiatives to support causes that can have a tangible and visible impact on the community.
 

Looking ahead to the next 12 months, Ampa’s key commitments include:

• Develop a Net Zero engagement survey to share with our supplier
• Launch a group–wide pro bono programme
• Provide support for female specific life stages through the formation of a menopause and returning to work from maternity leave inclusion groups
• Establishing local hub charity partnerships and volunteering programmes
• Drive engagement & awareness of the B Corp movement

 
Helen Hay, group head of culture and sustainability, said: “All businesses should consider their impact on people, communities and the planet, and help address the challenges that our society is currently facing. Not only does it make moral and ethical sense, but it also makes commercial sense as our clients, communities, suppliers and regulators increasingly expect this approach.
 

“We are really proud of what we’ve achieved this year, but aren’t resting on our laurels, we have a lot more work to do and a lot more to learn!”

Brands across Ampa are proactively looking for like-minded individuals, teams and brands to join the group.

You can read the full report now by clicking here >