At Potter Clarkson, we are committed to providing a highly supportive, inclusive, and stimulating workplace for all our people. We want those inside and outside the firm to understand that we provide a truly welcoming workplace where everyone can feel they belong and have a fair opportunity to be supported and guided in fulfilling their career aspirations.
We want Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (“EDI”) to be central to who we are and how we work. We want to make a concerted effort to ensure all our people feel valued, respected and included. It is the right thing to do to build the community in which we spend so much of our time. This also drives our business by helping us engage, understand, and offer all of our clients a richer and more diverse service.
We are proud of our long history, having been founded in 1889, but we are prouder still of who we are today and what we are aiming to be in the future.
HOW WE’RE BUILDING AN EQUAL, DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE CULTURE
We recognise that a diverse group of people will naturally create a diversity of thought. It is imperative that we bring this fresh thinking to not only providing robust solutions to our clients, but also developing our business dynamically.
We’re committed to building an inclusive culture which respects every employee for who they are - regardless of age, education and economic background, culture, gender identity, disability, race, religious background, sex, or sexual orientation. That is why we believe there is no “one size fits all” to our recruitment and development processes. We recognise that we are each shaped by our experiences and so we will positively consider the context in which achievements are made. We believe that our employees’ contributions are richer because of their diversity, and we want to help them feel free to bring their authentic self to work every day.
My role as Managing Partner of the Potter Clarkson Group brings with it many responsibilities. However, none is greater than ensuring that our Firm provides an environment in which all our staff members feel valued, respected and included. Our Firm is 100% committed to implementing a genuine and effective EDI agenda; we have much work still to do but our desire to improve ourselves is unwavering.” Steve Smith, Managing Partner, Potter Clarkson Group
The firm today is more diverse than it has ever been but accepts there will always be more to do. We recognise that such a commitment to EDI requires the taking of positive steps to identify and eliminate possible areas of unconscious bias and discrimination.
- The firm will provide ongoing essential training on the topic so that consideration of EDI issues is included at each stage, in any decision-making process. For example, no one can be involved in the recruitment process without appropriate EDI training, including on unconscious bias. We will ensure ongoing reflection on and understanding of how these issues impact our day-to-day interactions and decision-making processes, at every level of the firm.
- Open discussion with everyone is encouraged and welcomed. This is essential to build a platform for real change.
- The firm has an Inclusivity Group, with a diverse range of people from across the firm. With the expert assistance of appointed external consultants, The EW Group, they will review where we are, set fresh metric-driven goals and expedite progress. They will seek out and drive best practice both inside and outside the firm.
- EDI is a responsibility for all of us. However, the firm’s shareholders and other leaders will devote resources to understand and explore these issues, to help to deliver continuous, progressive change. EDI is also a standing item on the firm’s Executive Board agenda and the firm’s EDI officer sits on that Board.
- The Firm is an active supporter of IP Inclusive and a signatory to its charter. IP Inclusive is a collection of UK-based individuals and organisations in the intellectual property sector who have come together to make their community more inclusive, diverse, open and fair.
- The firm is committed to improving the diversity balance right across the firm and to maintain a workplace where everyone can just be themselves, whoever they are. We will implement policies which help support achievable shorter-term and longer-term positive changes for all of our colleagues.
Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance” Verna Myers
