At Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP (BLG), CSR is an integral part of our strategic business objective. We are committed to ensuring that our business is run responsibly, making the best use of resources to help our staff and the people and environment around us. 

CSR at BLG revolves around four themes: pro bono; charitable giving; environmental impact; and diversity. 

1. Pro Bono

BLG has a long history of involvement with pro bono programmes:

• we provide ad hoc legal advice to members of the public at the Citizens’ Advice Bureau located in the Royal Courts of Justice;
• we belong to a panel of City solicitors providing pro bono legal assistance on capital cases in Caribbean jurisdictions; and
• we assist with various volunteering projects at a primary school in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, close to our London office.

2. Charitable Giving

Each year, we set a sum of money aside to meet the many requests for charitable donations that we receive from our staff, clients and the public. Donations are made in accordance with firmwide guidelines. We agree to as many requests as we can.

We also periodically select firmwide charities which we support through internal and external fundraising initiatives and events until the desired fundraising target has been reached. At present, our firmwide charities are The Child Bereavement Charity and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.

Please click here to learn more about our recent activity for these and other charitable organisations. For details of our selection of charities, please click here.

3. Environment

In fulfilling our business aims, we aim to minimise any adverse impact that we have on the environment. In particular, we are committed to:

• meeting and, when possible, exceeding our responsibilities under the environmental legislation that is relevant to the running of our operations around the world;
• reducing consumption of materials in all of our operations;
• reusing and/or recycling any materials that we do consume where it is possible to do so and, where it is not possible, disposing of the waste in a safe and proper manner;
• managing energy wisely and incorporating energy efficiency into our travel arrangements and the way in which we operate at our buildings;
• working with our suppliers, contractors and subcontractors to minimise the impact of their BLG-specific and general operations on the environment;
• working with our clients to help them achieve their environmental aims; and
• operating our buildings in a considerate manner, in order to minimise our impact on others who live and work in the local community.

4. Diversity

We are committed to establishing and maintaining a diverse workplace. We believe that it is essential to create and foster an inclusive culture in which communication, respect and 
co-operation are paramount and which is free from unlawful discrimination of any kind. 

We have an established diversity policy as well as a Diversity Officer whose role is to monitor and review the effectiveness of the policy. We also have anti-discrimination procedures in place to ensure that all of our employees are free to thrive in an inclusive, multicultural workplace.

We were honoured to be named as ‘one to watch’ in the Best Companies to Work for Guide 2009. Please click here to read more.