About Bates Wells
Making a profit is core to all businesses, but at Bates Wells we strive to make a positive social impact as much as we strive to be a successful law firm. Our top tier legal advice is coupled with a real desire to drive change and we were the first UK law firm with B Corp certification. We believe that the “classic” economic model – with businesses focusing solely on maximising profit while doing some good deeds on the side – isn’t sustainable. Corporate Social Responsibility is a start, but it’s only a start. Instead, we’re part of the movement that puts profits and purpose on equal footing. Both must be present for the long-term sustainability of business.
Focusing on both profit and purpose has involved integrating some important beliefs into our business operations. Our values are pivotal to us, they shape our decisions, and we embody them in the way we live and work.
Today, our clients are diverse, from corporate household names, to public bodies, to start ups. We’re also the firm of choice for thousands of charities and social enterprises. We continue to lead the market that we helped to shape.
From winning worker status in the groundbreaking Uber Supreme Court case for an estimated 5.5 million workers in the gig economy, to representing the former trustees of Kids Company in their successful challenge to the Official Receiver’s decision to attempt to disqualify them as directors following the charity’s unfortunate insolvency, Bates Wells has been at the forefront of pioneering cases to defend or bring positive change in society and defend those bringing about that change.
The Way We Work at Bates Wells
We appreciate that we all work effectively in different ways. To enable our people to thrive and succeed we want to work in a flexible, modern way which allows people the opportunity to work in a hybrid manner. For us, hybrid simply means that work is something that we do, not somewhere that we go. This could mean working from home, in our offices, at our client’s premises and at events, networking opportunities and conferences. Most of our people said they’d like flexibility when deciding how to split their week. We believe it’s helpful to have a common framework and structure to maximize everyone’s effectiveness.
Belonging at Bates Wells
We’re incredibly proud of our people, their individuality and their creativity. At Bates Wells, everyone is encouraged to develop, innovate and participate in activities to promote a truly equal, diverse and inclusive environment. Our Diversity & Inclusion Forum (DIF), brings together the elements which make for a diverse and inclusive culture. They create a comprehensive DIF strategy which sets out our key objectives and actions for the future.
DIF acts as an umbrella for our creative groups and networks to flourish. These are led by ambassadors who play a key role in fostering that enthusiasm and creativity.
Networks:
• Bates Wellness – for a healthy body, mind, and sense of belonging
• Gender equality
• Faith
• QSP – Queen Street Pride for LGBT+
• REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) and RISE
• STEP – for social mobility
• Unstoppable – our network focusing on disability, neurodiversity and caring responsibilities
About our Queens Street Pride LGBT+ Network
Queen Street Pride or QSP is our inclusive LGBT+ network for lawyers and staff within the firm who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex or queer ('LGBT+') as well as their allies and supporters.
The network exists to empower and support our LGBT+ members to perform to their fullest potential, encourage active allyship and promote education and awareness around all things LGBT+.
The network contributes to developing a stronger, more inclusive culture at Bates Wells, by creating a sense of belonging for all.
Through educating and raising awareness, QSP also fosters advocacy and allyship across the firm. Our straight allies are as much a part of the network as those who identify as LGBT+: we all play a role in promoting inclusivity and LGBT+ equality.
QSP collaborates closely with all our DIF groups, particularly our Gender Equality group, to help grow and develop an understanding of intersectionality across the firm. QSP also works with our HR team, acting as a forum and advisory body, to create inclusion-focused policies and guidance to help remove barriers. Most recently the network contributed to the firm’s Gender-Neutral Language guidance and both our Transgender Inclusion Policy and accompanying Transitioning Guidance. We are working hard to make all our processes and policies inclusive regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and to dismantle discriminatory barriers where we find them.
At Bates Wells we’re deeply proud of our culture, and we have a strong reputation as an inclusive and welcoming workplace for everyone, including those who identify as LGBT+. We want to be an employer of choice for those from the LGBT+ community.
