Top firms honoured for commitment to equality

Only one law firm was awarded the coveted gold employer status, beating nine other law firms that achieved silver and bronze ranks

Top firms honoured for commitment to equality
Ten law firms have been nationally recognised for LGBTI workplace inclusion on the 2017 Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI).

Clayton Utz was the only law firm to achieve gold employer status at the Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards. The firm was among the 10 employers that attained the rank this year.

Allens, King & Wood Mallesons, and Norton Rose Fulbright were awarded silver employer status. In the bronze employer category, Ashurst, Baker McKenzie, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Dentons, Henry Davis York, and MinterEllison were recognised.

The AWEI is Australia’s benchmarking instrument for LGBTI workplace inclusion. The index was launched in November 2010 by Pride in Diversity, a social inclusion initiative of ACON, which is a New South Wales LGBTI advocacy group primarily funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.

ANZ won employer of the year at the awards, while Accenture, Goldman Sachs, PwC, and The University of Western Australia were honoured as platinum employers.

A total of 116 employers across Australia participated in the index this year, a 38% increase compared to 2016.

In the recent International Day Against Homophobia, Bi-phobia and Transphobia, international law firms launched new initiatives and celebrated diversity. Earlier this year, Corrs Chambers Westgarth named a diversity partner. In December, Herbert Smith Freehills launched a global LGBT network.


Related stories:
Global law firms give backing to LGBT community
Aussie firm names new diversity leader

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