City firms Baker & McKenzie and Linklaters named “social mobility champions”

The government has dubbed two of the City’s biggest law firms, Baker & McKenzie and Linklaters, “social mobility champions”.

The praise came from Nick Boles, minister at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, as part of a whole list of social mobility ‘champions’ which included two of the ‘big four’ accountancy firms as well as management consultancy firms. As The Times reports, the list was produced in the hope that it will encourage people from less-privileged backgrounds to pursue careers in the City.

Boles said: "The social mobility champions have ... gone beyond just volunteering in schools or changing the way they advertise jobs. They have made social mobility a core part of their corporate strategy. I hope this will inspire other businesses to follow suit."

Simon Branigan, graduate recruitment partner at Linklaters, said: "We have worked hard to introduce a number of measures to ensure that businesses recruit a diverse workforce focusing on strengths and aptitude rather than experiences and achievements."