Law firms join The Valuable 500 and add disability inclusion to boardroom agendas

Global disability network The Valuable 500 has reached its target to get 500 global businesses to add disability inclusion to their business leadership agenda, including several law firms.

The Valuable 500 launched the campaign two years ago, with plans for it “to be the tipping point for change and help unlock the social and economic value of people living with disabilities across the world”. The network now represents 500 companies incorporating 20 million employees across 64 sectors and 36 countries.

Companies that joined the network have agreed to add disability inclusion to their board agenda, make one firm commitment to action and share this commitment with The Valuable 500 both internally and externally. Members are required to publish quarterly updates and reports on their progress.

The Valuable 500 recently published research which found that “there are no executives or senior managers who have disclosed a disability at any of the FTSE 100 companies” and only 12% report the total number of their employees who have disclosed a disability.  

Julie Norris, partner at Kingsley Napley and co-chair of the Diff-ability Group said: “While employers are conversant with the laws prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities, The Valuable 500 initiative goes much further in ensuring that businesses put diff-ability inclusion on the board agenda and commit to increasing inclusion amongst their workforce.

“Kingsley Napley is proud to be one of the law firms already signed up to The Valuable 500, helping it to achieve its milestone today of reaching 500 signatories. We strongly believe in diversity in our business, in all its forms, and are proud to have made a public commitment to equitable opportunities for lawyers and support staff with disabilities within our organisation.”

The law firms that have joined The Valuable 500 and committed to its actions include:

• Ashurst
• Baker McKenzie
• Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
• Clifford Chance
• Eversheds Sutherland
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
• Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
• Hogan Lovells
• Kingsley Napley
• Linklaters
• Pinsent Masons LLP
• Reed Smith
• Simmons & Simmons LLP
• Slater & Gordon
• Slaughter and May
• Stephenson Harwood LLP
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges