INSIGHT: Diversity, Wellbeing Initiatives Constantly Evolving at Paul Hastings

If you look back in five years’ time, 2019 will be a defining year for diversity and wellness across the legal sector.

Diversity has for a long time been a ‘tick box’ subject for companies, and law firms, like many others in the professional services sector, have struggled to move beyond lip service to genuine inclusiveness and opportunity. And it’s starting to have an impact.

A group of general counsel in the U.S., subsequently backed by their U.K. peers, recently wrote an open letter on diversity to their law firms demanding they do better, or lose their business.

For law firms, diversity is key to success, and it requires continued effort to achieve equality and inclusion. Put simply, the more diverse the team, the higher the performance. Added to this, clients are increasingly demanding evidence that their law firm has diversity ingrained in its culture, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because a diverse team with varied backgrounds and insights will deliver better service.

I helped launch our first diversity affinity groups in London more than 10 years ago and Paul Hastings was the first American firm in London to win the Law Society’s award for Excellence in Equality & Diversity in 2011. However, we continue to benchmark ourselves against the industry and the wider market, and be cognizant of areas of improvement, unconscious bias, and the pace of our progress.

As a result, we are regularly adding new programs. For instance, we recently provided “Inclusive Leadership and Behaviours” training for all partners and staff.

Going Beyond Diversity

Diversity isn’t the only issue that’s top of mind for clients; How firms are supporting employee mental health is also an important consideration when organizations are choosing the law firms they want to work alongside. Clients sometimes question the steps firms are taking to safeguard employee wellbeing.

But with best practice in diversity and mindfulness programs constantly changing, something that’s ahead of the curve today is likely to be behind tomorrow. How do firms operating at a global level ensure they remain on the front foot, and take positive steps to make diversity and staff wellbeing a reality?

Part of creating a diverse and inclusive environment is not only holding occasional training and events but introducing ongoing initiatives that promote best practice in diversity and wellness. At Paul Hastings, for example, we have implemented “PH Balanced,” a global initiative that seeks to mitigate the negative impacts of the demanding pace of the legal industry by providing resources and support to achieve better work-life balance.

Aspects of the program include instituting parental leave policies for both men and women, and providing health and wellness resources, including wellness coach services via an app that will be available to all staff globally.

There are a number of national and global mental health and wellbeing initiatives that law firms can look to be part of, such as Mental Health Awareness Week. We recently celebrated “Wellness Week” in the London office, with talks to promote health and well-being in the workplace—one covering resilience building and the second addressing nutrition and immunity.

Internal networks also play a crucial role for employees in minority groups. In our “Affinity Networks,” for example, we host events for our staff to meet up and connect with like-minded people across the company. We also regularly partner with clients and external organizations, including co-producing GC Magazine’s GC Diversity and Inclusion Report.

Simple steps like these can be easily adapted to suit the needs of each individual, and also for each of our global offices, to ensure the unique needs of staff are met, no matter where in the world they are.

The end result of these sorts of initiatives is lawyers that are more productive, feel more invested in the firm, and who provide more value to their clients.

Leading From the Top

It’s vital to demonstrate that these initiatives are seen to be not only endorsed by leadership, but actively involve senior people in the firm too. Although there can be specific regional or office activities, it’s also important the same values and priorities are shared across the firm.

Implementing internal networks focused on diversity as a whole, or with empowering certain groups of employees within the business, can help to change the corporate landscape in general, not just within your organization.

Engaging everyone in the development of initiatives is also critical to their success. When designing PH Balanced, we sourced ideas from firm-wide surveys to ensure the program was aligned to our people’s particular interests and needs, as well as the firm’s overall business strategy. In doing so, not only did we give people what they wanted, but we also sent a message to staff that we valued their input.

This level of transparency is vital. Clients and new employees, including if not especially our graduates, will see straight through any superficial attempts to appear in-tune with diversity and wellbeing, and it will quickly become clear that the firm isn’t practicing what it preaches.

Looking Outward and to the Future

However, diversity and wellbeing shouldn’t just be contained to the office walls. As legal professionals, we are in a privileged position whereby clients seek out our advice on a range of issues, and diversity is one that we champion.

Paul Hastings is a signatory of the Mindfulness Business Charter, launched by Barclays, which sets out a commitment to improve communication, respect, and working hours within the banking and legal professions. The charter promotes an open and continued dialogue with clients and other firms about the best practices required to advance employee wellbeing, prevent burn out, and maintain a better work-life balance.

Beyond the legal and financial services industries, we can also have impact. Paul Hastings’ lawyers recently played a key role in overturning British colonial laws in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) that were used to criminalise LGBTQ+ citizens.

In doing so, more than 10,000 LGBTQ+ people in T&T are now able to lead their lives without fear of arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment. Such efforts not only impacted those in T&T, but also set a precedent for other cases in the Caribbean and beyond. Cases like these provide a clear example of the impact that we can make as a profession.

Issues of diversity and wellbeing have rightly become a key business and social issue in recent years, and as a profession we should be proud of the steps we have taken to challenge the status quo and create a healthier working environment and a better world.

However, there is no room for complacency on this journey; There is still much more room for improvement and as a profession, we must continue to make impactful change. And to do this, we need to be inclusive, listen to those around us, and lead from the front.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. or its owners.

Author Information

Arun Birla is the chair of the London office of Paul Hastings and vice chair of the global tax department. He also sits on the global diversity committee at Paul Hastings.