Clifford Chance honours CR champions in inaugural awards

The awards, which were held to recognise CR efforts made by people at all levels across the firm’s international network, saw staff walk away with various gongs including best contribution to the community, commitment to the environment and a prize for strengthening the firm’s diversity.

Managing partner David Childs (pictured) said: “We’re very clear that our commitment to corporate responsibility is not solely for the good times. These awards signal that and that the firm’s genuinely committed to supporting those individuals in achieving their goals.”

This year’s winners included Washington-based associate Chris Lane, who walked away with best contribution to the community award for his work ensuring the trial of Sierra Leone’s former president Charles Taylor could be publicised.

Clifford Chance’s first-ever lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group was also highlighted for its work supporting and engaging with the firm’s LGBT community.

Facility manager Pascal Deijs, who has led initiatives to raise environmental awareness in Clifford Chance’s Amsterdam office, was presented with the best commitment to the environment gong.

He has helped reduce the office’s carbon emissions by more then 40 per cent by developing a poster campaign that was instrumental in making the office purchase green electricity, setting printer defaults to double sided printing and installing energy efficient lighting.

Each winner received £1,000 to donate to the charity of their choice.

Last year lawyers and business services staff at Clifford Chance carried out over 90,000 hours of pro bono and community work, worth more than £26m in billable hours.