This comes as equity and diversity initiatives are being downplayed in other parts of the world
Global firm Mishcon de Reya has reaffirmed its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion by outlining higher diversity targets in its 2025 annual report.
By April 2027, the firm aims to have women comprise at least 35 percent of the senior equity partnership, up from the current percentage of 28 percent. It also looks to have 45 percent of the partnership be women (38 percent at present).
Mishcon aims to have women make up at least 30 percent of the firm’s management board, executive board, and operations board – at present, it has exceeded this target with 41 percent of the boards comprising women. Moreover, it is looking for women to occupy at least 50 percent of senior business operations positions – in the UK, women hold just 48 percent of these roles.
In addition, the firm aims to have the proportion of women partners across departments match that of the overall partnership by 2030.
Mishcon also set a target for at least 20 percent of its UK partners to be people who identify as minority ethnic – the percentage is currently at 16 percent. It seeks for lawyers who identify as minority ethnic to make up at least 25 percent of all UK lawyers.
The firm is aiming to have minority ethnic-identifying individuals hold at least 20 percent of all UK senior business operations roles – the current percentage is 18 percent. It is looking to have people who identify as minority ethnic hold at least 25 percent of all UK operations roles.
Mishcon aims to have candidates identifying as minority ethnic comprise at least 55 percent of the trainee and solicitor apprenticeship applicants. It also looks to have at least 40 percent of trainee and solicitor apprenticeship applicants be candidates coming from socially and/or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.
“At a time where equity and diversity practices are being scaled back, we stand firm in our commitment to drive inclusion at every level of our business and to foster a culture that thrives on diversity – this has always been, and continues to be, part of our core values,” the firm wrote in the report.
Mishcon managing partner James Libson highlighted the firm’s approach to diversity as one of his personal priorities.
“There is plenty more to do but we have moved forward, including by rearticulating our obligations in our restated core values. Our core values have been our guide and our constitutional heart for well over 20 years, and they are the building block of our culture and everything we hold dear. It should not, in 2025, be something we even draw attention to, but it feels important to reaffirm our position publicly when the principles are under such assault,” Libson wrote in the report.
