Diversity remains top of agenda

Ahead of new Legal Services Board (LSB) regulations that will require the publication of diversity data next year, Shearman & Sterling has released its diversity stats - the first US firm in London to do so.

Reported in Legal Week, the voluntary survey revealed that 80% of the firm's partners are men, although at associate level, there is greater gender quality, with nearly half (48%) of all associates women. On the ethnicity side of things, 93% of partners were classed as white, while the remaining 7% were from an Asian or Asian British background.

Shearman's London HR chief Lois Gordon said: "Publishing these statistics is a positive move towards greater transparency and focus on diversity in our London office. As an international practice with a broad and diverse range of clients, we're pleased that the statistics complement and reflect this in terms of the people who work here."

And in other diversity news, the Law Society is considering whether any law firm which takes on trainees should have to undergo mandatory training in equality and diversity. Legal Futures reports that this is just one of the ideas contained in an as-yet unpublished ‘Career Barriers Action Plan', containing several measures aimed at addressing access and career progression problems faced by women, BME, and gay, lesbian and bisexual solicitors and would-be solicitors.