Clifford Chance makes The Times 'Where Women Want to Work' Top 50 2007

The Times Where Women Want to Work Top 50 2007 rankings are based on a range of criteria that judge how committed you are as an organisation to the people you employ, in particular women. When the results were announced in September 2007, Clifford Chance was delighted to be singled out as one of just three firms in the legal sector to make the Top 50.

By delivering outstanding client service wherever cutting edge legal advice is required, Clifford Chance continues to be involved in the most interesting and challenging work around. And as a leading international law firm, we invest a lot of financial, people and management resources into creating a work place that puts lawyers and professional business services teams in a position to give clients the best of their skills and expertise.

Staying at the top of our profession (Clifford Chance is the leading law firm according to Superbrands UK 2007) has meant forging a reputation for recruiting, training and retaining the best talent available.

Our working environment - the people who work here, the work that we do, the facilities we enjoy and the way we behave - reflects the multicultural mindset of a firm that has never been afraid of being first to globalise in response to the cross-border nature of business today.

Meanwhile, recruits to our London office are often surprised by the down-to-earth and open atmosphere of a firm with more top tier practices in London than any other law firm (Chambers UK 2008). And whether you're a lawyer, a paralegal, or a member of one of the key areas of Business Services like technology, HR, marketing and secretarial support, you quickly gain an appreciation for what good teamwork looks and feels like - and how to make it happen.

To make sure that everyone feels that they can make the most of their skills and creativity, in an environment that makes the most of our cultural diversity, we've been busy with a range of initiatives in London and worldwide:

• With the move of our London operation to a purpose-built office in 2003, we created the best working environment of any law firm. From the 20m pool and the gym, to the 250-seater auditorium; the art displays and stunning views from the 30th floor, to the more confined views of the spinning rooms and squash courts, 10 Upper Bank Street is a bright, award-winning and colourful building that makes a strong impression on our clients, community partners, employees and guests.
• Everyone in London has access to our Wellness Centre for health advice and check-ups. It complements the Fitness Centre, where classes include personal metabolic assessments, and personal fitness advisers are on hand to create tailored training programmes.
• The firm's international culture is mirrored in the diversity of its employees, and over half of the trainees who joined in the last year are women.
• Mobility across our offices enhances the development of an international mindset. At Spring 2007, 170 members of the firm were on intra-office secondment (42 from Asia, 110 from Europe and Dubai, and 16 from the Americas).
• We have revised and invigorated operations, policies and procedures in areas including Flexible Working, Maternity Training and Work Allocation.
• We have created new roles including Career Development Partners, a Diversity Manager and, for those who reach the required level of expertise, the Senior Associate role.
• In 2000, we created the Clifford Chance Academy. Programme curricula are fully integrated with career development benchmarks. The Academy's full suite of offered education, from technical legal training to commercial and business learning and coaching, is intranet-accessible around the globe. More than 30 specially developed eLearning courses, taken by 2,000 employees last year, are available through our global Learning Management System.
• Clifford Chance has also established an Oxford University Executive Management Programme (mini MBA), designed specifically for Business Services staff, through the Clifford Chance Centre for the Management of Professional Services Firms, at Saïd Business School, Oxford
• Our technology is designed with flexibility in mind. We encourage people to make the most of the increasing range of online learning facilities. The ability to log into your desk top from home to access the tools, applications and 'knowhow' systems that you get in the office, is another example of how we're using technology to free people from the administrative burden of the desktop - not add to it.

Our far-reaching, international Community Affairs Programme combines the individual passions and aspirations of 7,500 people in the 20 countries where we have offices, with a collective sense of shared responsibility for contributing to the communities in which we work. Many of the initiatives we take part in are about helping people who aren't given the chances in life they deserve, or the access to justice they need.

providing match-funding for monies raised, and recognition for pro bono and charity work when people's performance is measured.

Here are a few examples of the 'life changing' ways in which we're helping others to help themselves:

You'll find many more examples like these on this website.

If you're interested in pursuing a career with Clifford Chance, visit www.cliffordchance.com/careers

Pro Bono Team of the Year - August 2007

Advocates for International Development (A4ID) is awarded Pro Bono Team of the Year.

At The Lawyer 2007 awards, Advocates for International Development (A4ID) was named Pro Bono Team of the Year.

Clifford Chance is a founder member of A4ID, an organisation that works with development organisations and developing countries to facilitate the provisions of pro bono legal advice and assistance from leading lawyers, law firms and chambers in the areas of international trade, debt and development.

London Litigation & Dispute Resolution partner Roger Leese is a director of A4ID and many Clifford Chance lawyers play an active role in the organisation.

Clifford Chance was also named runner-up in the Pro Bono Firm of the Year category, recognised for the micro finance initiatives partner Chris Wyman and his team have been working on in conjunction with firm client Citigroup.

Guantánamo Award - August 2007

The Firm is honoured with the National Legal Aid and Defender Association's Beacon of Justice Award.

The Firm was honoured with the National Legal Aid and Defender Association's Beacon of Justice Award at the NLADA's Exemplar Awards Dinner on June 12, in recognition of Clifford Chance's pro bono representation of six detainees at Guantánamo Bay.

A team in New York and Washington, DC led by James Hosking and Julian Symon represents six Yemeni nationals held at Guantánamo Bay. The Clifford Chance London office assisted with certain aspects of the cases.

Exceptional Civilian Service Medal - August 2007

The Secretary of the Air Force, Michael W. Wynne, is awarding the Exceptional Civilian Service Medal to New York Litigation & Dispute Resolution partner John Paul Ketels, in recognition of his service to the Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) Commemorative Project, Inc. The Medal is the highest award given in acknowledgement of civilian service.

The Project is behind the creation of a special commemorative book honouring ANC and those buried there. Where Valor Rests is now the highest selling photography book in the United States. John Paul, a member of the Project's Board of Directors, led a team from Clifford Chance in advising the organisation on a pro bono basis.

Clifford Chance Receives Washington Lawyers' Committee 2007 Outstanding Achievement Award - June 2007

Clifford Chance received the Washington Lawyers' Committee 2007 Outstanding Achievement Award in the field of disability rights. The Award is in recognition of the firm's pro bono work in litigating a discrimination and consumer protection case against The Carlyle Suites Hotel.

The renowned DC hotel offered no means for an individual in a wheelchair to enter the hotel without enduring the indignity of being carried. Clifford Chance lawyers, David DiBari and Jon Fritz, brought the lawsuit in Federal Court on behalf of the Equal Rights Centre and individuals who made the reservations. They negotiated a tremendous settlement for the clients.

The Hotel is currently installing a state-of-the-art ramp that exceeds the standards for new construction under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and has paid a substantial settlement amount to the plaintiffs. Clifford Chance wins at FT Innovative Lawyer Awards for Microfinance Initiative - July 2007

Clifford Chance has been awarded the Corporate Social Responsibility Award 2007 at the Financial Times

Innovative Lawyers ceremony in London for its pro-bono work with long-standing client, Citi. The award was in recognition of the development of a legal template that helps Microfinance institutions (MFIs) gain access to large-scale commercial funding.

Citi Microfinance, a specialist group that works with the microfinance sector, approached Clifford Chance to work with them to develop an industry template that would enable transactions to take place on a consistent, policy compliant and cost-effective basis.

The resulting model agreement can be used in both common and civil law countries on a wide range of local and cross-border lending structures under local or English law. Once validated for a country, individual transactions can be documented through the completion of a simple schedule without the need for external legal input or cost.