Simmons named Stonewall's top gay friendly law firm
Simmons & Simmons is the most gay friendly law firm, according to research published today by lesbian, gay and bisexual lobby organisation Stonewall.
Daniel Winterfeldt
The firm has made it into 15th place in the Stonewall Top 100 Employers List 2010 - up on its position last year when it came in at 31st.
The firm’s corporate securities partner and founder of the InterLaw Diversity Forum for LGBT Networks Daniel Winterfeldt said that changes in the firm’s diversity training and supplier diversity programme may partly explain the improved ranking.
“We have two levels of training, one for managers and one for the rest of the firm. It’s a requirement that everybody participates and it cuts across all areas of diversity, with LGBT-specific areas,” he said.
Three other firms made it into the top 100. They are Pinsent Masons, in 36th place, Herbert Smith, in 56th place, and Eversheds, in 85th place. All of them raised their position on the previous year.
However, no other firms made it into the top 100, which is dominated by police forces, local authorities and financial institutions, with IBM bagging the number one place.
Every organisation in the 2010 Top 100 offers diversity training that includes lesbian, gay and bisexual issues and collects monitoring data on the sexual orientation of their employees.
Firms like Simmons and Herbert Smith have also taken moves to access LGBT students as part of their recruitment initiatives. Winterfeldt said: “It’s about recruiting the best talent possible by casting the net widely.”
In a statement Stonewall noted that while it only publishes the top 100 employers, a total of 352 employers submitted data, including a total of 24 law firms. The requirements for making it into the top 100 have also become more stringent.
Employers self-select to participate in the ranking and have to complete an online survey on policy and practice, backed up by supplementary evidence. In addition staff are invited to complete anonymous questionnaires. The information is independently audited.
View results 10 per page | 20 per page
Readers' comments (11)
Anonymous | 13-Jan-2010 4:19 pm
Surely having this Top 100 and having LGBT training makes people *less* 'gay-friendly, as it singles them out, rather than treating them just as 'people'.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 13-Jan-2010 4:22 pm
Well done to all the firms that made the rankings but Simmons and Mr Winterfeldt in particular as their pioneering leadership in this field will hopefully lead to other firms (or at least those with any interest in achieving equality) investing more effort to achieving the goal of making this a largely redundant issue.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 13-Jan-2010 5:07 pm
I remember solicitors regularly trying to access law students when I was at uni. They call it diversity; we called it sexual harassment.
I am sure they love having LGBT trainees. As long as they went to right schools, of course. And I am sure these firms wouldn't use the stats to try and win work. Oh no sir, of course not. Just for trending. Not to win work. It would be terrible to use it as a unique selling point.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Lord Palmerston | 13-Jan-2010 5:50 pm
How can law firms stress the value of a 'work/life balance' when at the same they want to know who you like to share your bed with?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 14-Jan-2010 6:14 am
I wonder how many firms would have done better than 15th place had they had the money to pay the exhorbitant fee that Stonewall charge to participate in the survey. I am sure there are many!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Peter Roberts | 14-Jan-2010 11:05 am
Hats off to Daniel. He's a terrific force for change, so well done !
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Bored of misinformed people | 14-Jan-2010 12:40 pm
Anonymous | 14-Jan-2010 6:14 am
I suggest you check your facts. Participation in the survey is free. Organisations pay to be a diversity champion and the guidance they receive in that may help to improve levels of equality and hence their ranking, but it is not a prerequisite for entry.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 14-Jan-2010 3:52 pm
Indeed - hat's off to Daniel.
Might have been slightly more impressive if Simmons & Simmons had pressed for change so strongly without the arrival of a prominently gay partner, but clearly it's a great move in the right direction. Just ethnicity and social mobility now and they can legitimately claim to be an inclusive employer.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Milly | 14-Jan-2010 5:40 pm
I work at one of these firms. I've never been offered training and in the regional offices it certainly wouldn't go amiss!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
jose barbas | 14-Jan-2010 7:16 pm
he he he. There r people that have nothing to do. Who cares about this issue? Sad times. There r more important matters.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment