Clifford Chance

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance has been awarded the Silver Award in this year’s Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which recognise employer support for the wider principles of the Defence Armed Forces Covenant and the full spectrum of Defence personnel.

To gain this Award, entrants proactively demonstrated that service personnel and the wider armed forces community are not unfairly disadvantaged during recruiting and selection processes, actively ensure that its workforce is aware of their positive policies towards defence people issues and demonstrated support to mobilisations or have a framework in place by providing at least five days’ additional special leave.

Clifford Chance has a full Reserve Forces policy, which makes provision for mobilisation and an additional 10 day's paid leave for Reserve Forces training. Clifford Chance's Armed Forces Network supports veterans, reservists and military spouses, promotes military charities, including the Royal British Legion and Supporting Wounded Veterans, and has arranged events such the recent webinar about mental health.

Clifford Chance is also a founding member of Military in Law Network (MiLNet), which comprises of 44 law firms and aims to promote the Armed Forces Covenant and galvanise support for cross-law firm recruitment activity to attract military leavers to the legal industry.

The nominations were considered by a selection board at regional level for silver. This year’s London Employer Engagement Board went virtual, and through video conferencing technology, each nomination was considered at length against the award criteria.