SOCIAL
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI)
SOCIAL
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI)
At WBD, progressing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is integral to our ambition of leading the way on responsible business. We are committed to recruiting and retaining diverse talent, creating a sense of belonging, and ensuring that everyone feels valued, safe and empowered to thrive. At every step the key ingredient is inclusion – making opportunities more accessible for everyone.
Key statistics
New DEI strategy
DEI networks
Network highlights
External collaboration
Accreditations and awards
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Stories
new DEI Strategy
DEI Networks across the firm
Ranked 62nd in the Stonewall Equality Index
Supported Muslim Heritage month for the 2nd consecutive year
undertook Hidden Disability Sunflower training
people attended our Flexible Working panel event
Please take a look at our Workforce Composition here.
New DEI strategy (UK)
Our new 2025-2030 DEI Strategy and supporting action plans cover all aspects of the employee life cycle, from inclusive recruitment, to culture, to pay and reward, together with engagement with clients and external stakeholders.
We have strengthened our DEI team with the appointments of a DEI Data Analytics and Research Manager to lead our evidence-based approach to action planning and the monitoring of our impact, a DEI programme development manager to strengthen our DEI training, and an Inclusive Recruitment Lead to further enhance our inclusive practices.
Following the appointment of our Inclusive Recruitment Lead (read more here), we have implemented a range of new initiatives, including:
- Launching #AuthenticallyWBD, a social media campaign which shares the diverse stories of people at WBD. Our stories are reaching an average of 1,425 people on Instagram and 1,793 on LinkedIn
- Reviewing and improving the inclusivity of our candidate application forms, positively prompting a number of people to let us know their gender pronouns and the phonetic spelling of their name.
DEI networks
Our five DEI Networks, which welcome and celebrate the importance of allies, are:
Highlights from another busy year for our networks include:
Continuing our commitment to inclusion as a Disability Confident Leader by becoming Hidden Disability Sunflower members and rolling out training across the firm. This allows anyone to indicate that they may need extra support or help, extra time and patience. We have given out 146 Sunflower products, including lanyards, so far.
In October, we held an event with North Somerset Council on empowering inclusion, sharing practical insights on disability, neurodiversity and accessibility in the workplace.
We have also built on the success of our sensory kits and our Neurodiversity Hub by launching mini sensory kits and quiet rooms across our offices for all events and large meetings (for both colleagues and clients).
WBD Family & Carers rebranded and expanded to become inclusive of carers - whether that is those with caring responsibilities for children, teenagers or adults, within or outside of their family, with a dedicated carers contact group being established. The steering group also consulted on policy development relating to carers.
We celebrated Pride Month with a fireside chat on 'Asexuality, intersectionality and allyship' with Yasmin Benoit who spoke about her research on issues that asexual individuals face and the importance of intersectionality. WBD US colleagues and clients joined the event virtually.
We used other key days such as International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, International Asexuality Day and Bisexual Visibility Day to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and the importance of inclusion.
In response to the UK riots, we issued urgent guidance to line managers to enable them to support colleagues with the option to work flexibly, and we launched ‘Safe Space conversations’ to provide a confidential forum for our ethnic minority staff to seek support.
We marked a number of religious festivals including the month of Ramadan by hosting an Iftar and issuing new Ramadan guidance for line managers (read more about this here).
We circulated Diwali gifts to all our members, to raise awareness around these celebrations.
We also ran a client event for Black History Month on the theme of "Reclaiming the Windrush Narrative" with renowned anthropologist Dr Audrey Allwood and for South Asian Heritage Month, we launched the WBD Heritage Map to link in with the theme of "Free to Be Me", encouraging our people to share their heritage.
In January we hosted a Flexible Working event, with over 250 employees attending, addressing why flexible working continues to be a key issue for our teams and women in particular, and how fair flexible working policies can help with career progression and retention.
In February we held another of our “Women in...” events, this time focused on imposter syndrome. This series of events has built connections with women across several clients and prospective clients and has been very well received. Read more about the Women In series here.
For International Women’s Day in March, we held an event with our US colleagues and heard from Michelle Banks, who has held executive positions across several Fortune 500 companies, who spoke candidly about her career and focussed on the importance of sponsorship to support the career paths of female colleagues.
Accreditations and awards
Stonewall Gold Award retained and a place in the top 100 of their Workplace Equality Index for our work around LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Mansfield UK Certification (for the second year) which requires a consideration of 30% diverse candidates for 70% of internal roles, lateral hiring, promotions and participation in pitch meetings.
Disability Confident Leader status.
Awards wins:
- Charlotte Hall, Inclusive Recruitment Lead, winner of DE&I Champion of the Year at the 2025 Women & Diversity in Law Awards
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award at the NEPIC Industry Awards 2025.
Awards shortlisting success:
- DE&I Champion of the Year – Private Practice Lawyer at the 2025 Women & Diversity in Law Awards
- Disability/Neurodiversity: Best Initiative to Attract and Retain Talent, and Women in Law: Best Initiative to Improve Female Representation within Senior Ranks, at the Legal 500 ESG Awards 2025
- LexisNexis Legal Awards 2025 for Diversity and Inclusion
- Outstanding Ethnicity Network of the Year at the British Diversity Awards 2025
- Employee Network of the Year at the ENEI Awards 2024 [WBD Disability & Neurodiversity]
- Outstanding Diversity Network at the Inclusive Awards 2024 [WBD Disability & Neurodiversity]
- Outstanding Ability Network of the Year at the European Diversity Awards [WBD Disability & Neurodiversity]
- Outstanding Ability Network of the Year at the inaugural Diversity Network Awards [WBD Disability & Neurodiversity].
UN Sustainable Development Goals we are working towards
STORY 1
Inclusive Recruitment
STORY 2
Celebrating Ramadan and Eid: Fostering Community Spirit and Cultural Appreciation at WBD Reach
