We were thrilled to win an award for our pro bono services in helping the legal sector and beyond become more diverse at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards last night, Tuesday 21 March, in the category of Supplier of the Year.
Why we do what we do
Our CEO Melissa Davis says:
“As a parent of a child with special needs, it’s vital for me that I ensure I do what I can, alongside my excellent team, to support the diverse makeup of the sector.’
We lead pro bono on the PR for InterLaw Diversity Forum and the IBA 50/50 by 2030 project and this year we are focused on supporting neurodiversity in the sector and beyond.
Our webinar series, conceived during lockdown and still continuing, helped many in the sector struggling with mental health and grief, using Melissa’s own circumstances of losing a parent and, shortly before that, having her child diagnosed with severe learning difficulties and autism.
Many said it allowed them to face their grief and to have a voice and a support network. The MD Communications webinar series on wellbeing had hundreds of attendees at each session. The focus was on vulnerability and resilience. From this, Melissa was invited to be a founding member of the global wellbeing taskforce for the IBA.
Melissa is also a trustee of Only Mums & Dads – a charity set up to support those going through separation. James Hayhurst and Melissa co-founded the Parents Promise, which has started an overdue conversation about how society and business deal with separation and aims to change HR policies to ensure better support for separated parents.
About the Awards
The inaugural awards, across 33 categories, sought to identify exceptional women leaders and practitioners as well as the legal businesses, teams and individuals that are moving the needle across all strands of diversity and inclusion within the global legal profession.
More than 150 individuals working across the profession in a wide array of capacities were put forward as contenders for the Awards. In all, 130 legal businesses, in-house legal teams, suppliers to the sector, and not-for-profit groups were represented on the shortlist.
Organised by The Global Legal Post, the event took place at the Marriott Grosvenor Square in London, which featured LawCare as the official charity and was hosted by the diversity campaigner Baroness Floella Benjamin.
We’d also like to congratulate our client Serjeants’ Inn, whose barrister Sarah Clarke KC was named Responsible Leader of the Year, with the judges recognising her role promoting access to the profession through her post as director of the South Eastern Circuit Advanced International Advocacy Course.
CEO Melissa Davis said:
“It’s a privilege to run a business in a global legal sector and be offered the opportunity to change the sector for the better – particularly around mental wellbeing, diversity and parenting and separation. It takes immense resilience to run a full-time business whilst caring for a special needs child. I am incredibly energised by the impact I can make on the sector, my clients, my teams, and all of my relationships throughout the sector to be the best version of themselves and to seek support when the going gets tough.
“There are some moments in your career and as a leader in business that you will always treasure. For me last night was one of them and I am bursting with pride for our team. Thank you to you all. Together we can make true diversity, equity and inclusion in this beautiful sector a reality!”
Find out more on the WDIL Awards website
