We believe our current and future success is dependent upon us continuing to build and nurture deeper roots in the communities in which we operate.
To celebrate the Year of the Ox, the Australian REACH Committees across Perth and Sydney hosted Lunar New Year Luncheons.
With plenty of delicious food and copious amounts of decorations, the events were a huge success and had a fantastic turnout. It was wonderful to see so many people taking a moment out of their busy work day to show their support and connect with colleagues.
In honor of Black History Month, Clifford Chance's Black and Latino Subcommittee of the America's Diversity Committee is proud to present a virtual gallery showcasing the works of Black artists. This exhibition brings together the work of three visual artists and a collective who use varied media and subject matter to memorialize and celebrate individual and cultural histories, while the music of jazz vocalist Stephanie Crawford sets the backdrop for the visual works.
We recently launched our REACH (Race Equality and Celebrating Heritage) network across our offices in Continental Europe with an event titled "Do you see me? – Visibility of diverse talent in the workplace".
Chaired by Mustapha Mourahib (Partner and Chair of REACH CE), and with the participation from Edouard Philippe (former Prime Minister of France), the event included a keynote speech from Chiara Corazza (Women's Forum for the Economy & Society) and an engaging panel discussion with Brimbelle Grandcolas (Disneyland Paris), Lydia Méziani (Nestlé) and Anthony Babkine (Diversidays), moderated by Christine Gärtner (Partner). The panel shared inspirational stories, their impressive routes to success, and advice with the audience.
NAIDOC Week is held annually in Australia to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year it was celebrated from 8-15 November 2020 this year and the theme for this year's celebration was "Always Was, Always Will Be". The theme recognised that First Nations people have occupied and cared for the Australian continent for over 65,000 years.
Our Australian offices celebrated by participating in a walking & talking on Country tour in Perth and a traditional Aboriginal art weaving workshop in Sydney.
Our Clifford Chance theme for celebrating Black History Month across October in the UK in 2020 was 'Black British History'. We hosted a discussion with David Olusoga, historian, broadcaster and author, who talked about Black contributions to British Society, in addition to a talk from Afua Hirsh on 'Race, Identity and Belonging' and a panel on Advocating for Race Equality And Cultural Heritage.
In June 2020, Clifford Chance joined the Law Firm Anti-Racism Alliance (LFAA) as a member firm. Formed with the aim to leverage the resources of the private bar in partnership with legal services organizations to amplify the voices of communities and individuals oppressed by racism, LFAA looks to better use the law as a vehicle for change that benefits communities of color and to promote racial equity in the law. We're proud to take a leadership role on this initiative with New York partner Jeff Berman joining the inaugural Board of Directors to help steer the direction of the LFAA.
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Across our offices in the US, we recognised Hispanic Heritage Month with an number of initiatives. Jessica Springsteen in our Washington office engaged in an important discussion for the campaign with Michael Chiock of AlixPartners, Robert Ramirez of Guggenheim Securities, and David A. Silva of Sidley Austin LLP on why having an Hispanic or Latinx background is an asset.
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Held every year on 21 May, the World Day for Cultural Diversity celebrates the richness of the world’s cultures and recognises the importance of intercultural exchange.
On of the common cornerstones of all cultures is our food so Clifford Chance invited people from across the firm to talk about and make recipes or favourite dishes from their heritage then share the dishes, along with photos on our internal communications platform.
This is a very significant event in Australia and is held annually to celebrate and build on the respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.
To support National Reconciliation Week we hosted virtual screenings of key Indigenous documentaries exploring the ideas of race, identity and belonging in Australia, and hosted a discussion with a keynote speaker on the Uluru Statement of the Heart.
Across our global network we have a range of committees focusing on ethnicity, culture, race and heritage that reflect the wide variety of people who make up our firm. These include the REACH (Race Equality and Celebrating Heritage) committee in the UK, Continental Europe and Australia; and the Black and Latino Committee, and the Asian and Pacific Islanders Committee in the US.
Contact usThe latest points of view from our people on our responsible business activities
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