Proudly celebrating our diversity (2024)

LGBTQ+ inclusion sits firmly within the heart of our global D&I strategy. We continue to prioritise building a welcoming, positive and supportive environment so that everyone is comfortable bringing their authentic self to work.

Pride for all

As a moment in the year that is meant to celebrate progress, Pride also shines a spotlight on the amount of work that still needs to be done and the opportunity we all have to be allies in driving meaningful and sustainable progress.

With accusations of ‘pink-washing,’ an influx of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation globally, and intersectional identities often forgotten, how can we celebrate Pride in a truly inclusive way? What more can be done to make sure intersectional identities feel safe, represented and heard? During our 2022 event Pride: a celebration for all?, activist, artist and filmmaker Beverley Palesa Ditsie, and Executive Director and Co-founder of UK Black Pride, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah shared their valuable insights on what Pride means to different intersectional communities and what true allyship really means.

In celebration of Pride 2022, we also held events in partnership with OutLeadership on the importance of lifting up women, women of colour and LGBTQ+ women and supporting them to build resilience, particularly in the workplace.

We ran a webinar in collaboration with We Create Space, in which panellists shared their personal experiences around intersectional identities and discussed why, for many people, their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression intersects and overlaps with other aspects of their identities.

The importance of identity and of being your authentic self was a key message highlighted during an internal session, ‘Hearing from LGBTQ+ leaders at Freshfields.’ Held for members of Halo and those who identify as LGBTQ+, the event brought together colleagues from across the firm’s global network and provided a safe space and an opportunity to hear from leaders who shared career highlights, challenges and observations from across the legal industry.

Martin Dickson's Pride story

Of course, our Pride celebrations are just one part of our continuous efforts aimed at building an inclusive, positive and supportive environment where difference is welcomed, and people are comfortable bringing their whole, authentic selves to work. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, embracing and, crucially, expressing one’s true identity, particularly in a work setting, can be a challenge.

‘The world might end, so we may as well live authentically now!’ In an inspiringly honest article for The Lawyer, Freshfields associate, Martin Dickson remarked that the pandemic has often seemed like a watershed moment for the recognition of D&I. In My Pride Story: Coming out as gay can be the easiest step, Martin speaks about the challenges in fully embracing queer identity, what that means to him, and the importance of culture and values in creating safe spaces for queer expression.

Martin speaks about the differences between coming out as gay and expressing their queer identity. The pandemic has created a comfortable space for people to come out and share more of themselves. However, returning to the office does not guarantee the same level of comfort. LGBTQ+ people feel more comfortable sharing the parts of their lives that conform to a heteronormative standard of living, but they may find it challenging to come out and express their queer identity.

For Martin, the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the workplace cannot be overstated. As a member of the firm’s Global Halo Committee, Martin recognises the importance of the firm’s Belong, Engage and Excel values, which, along with genuine support from all levels within the firm, has been instrumental in helping people feel like they can express their true identities. Being inclusive means creating a safe space for people to express themselves and live their authentic selves without fear of discrimination. It is not about being tolerant of differences but embracing and celebrating diversity. An inclusive workplace fosters creativity, innovation and allows people to bring their whole selves to work.

The importance of being open and authentic – and having the environment in which that is possible – cannot be overstated. In a feature for DIVA Magazine, associate Emily Garland shared her experience for Lesbian Visibility Week. Emily noted that ‘visibility has been crucial in giving me the confidence to be open and authentic. That authenticity has been fundamental in allowing me to thrive in my role and to develop professional relationships, which have ultimately led me to where I am in my career today.’

Recognition of our people

We are incredibly proud of senior partner Georgia Dawson and partner Raquel Flórez, who were recognised in the OUTstanding Ally Executives Role Model List 2022.

The list celebrates individuals for being a vocal ally, actively working to create an environment where LGBTQ+ colleagues can comfortably bring their best professional selves to work.

Georgia Dawson, named on the Role Model List for a fifth consecutive year, has continued to advocate for underrepresented groups, ensuring LGBTQ+ inclusion is firmly embedded in Freshfields’ D&I strategy. This includes introducing a global LGBTQ+ target as part of the firms’ five-year D&I commitments launched last year.

Raquel Flórez, Freshfields’ head of people and reward in Spain and co-head of the Latin American group, has been named on the Role Model List for the first time. Flórez is a member of the D&I Committee in the Madrid office, the Firms’ LGBTQ+ allyship network Halo Champions and a founding member of REDI - a corporate LGBTQ+ network in Spain.

Dawson said: ‘It gives me immense pride to see Freshfields named twice in this year’s Role Model List, alongside a group of inspiring individuals who are pushing boundaries and driving change. This recognition reflects the promise of the firm to make D&I a strategic priority.’

Flórez commented: ‘It’s an honour to be involved in such important D&I initiatives, inside and outside the firm. I do what I do because I think it’s the right thing. In today’s world it’s more and more important to be vocal and visible in our defence of human rights, and it’s rewarding to be recognised for that. We have a special responsibility to be role models. As a global firm, we can have an outsized impact with our clients, suppliers and other companies that we work with around the world. We all need to be activists.’

LGBTQ+ inclusion sits firmly within the heart of our global D&I strategy. We continue to prioritise building a welcoming, positive and supportive environment so that everyone is comfortable bringing their authentic self to work.

Pride for all

As a moment in the year that is meant to celebrate progress, Pride also shines a spotlight on the amount of work that still needs to be done and the opportunity we all have to be allies in driving meaningful and sustainable progress.

With accusations of ‘pink-washing,’ an influx of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation globally, and intersectional identities often forgotten, how can we celebrate Pride in a truly inclusive way? What more can be done to make sure intersectional identities feel safe, represented and heard? During our 2022 event Pride: a celebration for all?, activist, artist and filmmaker Beverley Palesa Ditsie, and Executive Director and Co-founder of UK Black Pride, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah shared their valuable insights on what Pride means to different intersectional communities and what true allyship really means.

In celebration of Pride 2022, we also held events in partnership with OutLeadership on the importance of lifting up women, women of colour and LGBTQ+ women and supporting them to build resilience, particularly in the workplace.

We ran a webinar in collaboration with We Create Space, in which panellists shared their personal experiences around intersectional identities and discussed why, for many people, their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression intersects and overlaps with other aspects of their identities.

The importance of identity and of being your authentic self was a key message highlighted during an internal session, ‘Hearing from LGBTQ+ leaders at Freshfields.’ Held for members of Halo and those who identify as LGBTQ+, the event brought together colleagues from across the firm’s global network and provided a safe space and an opportunity to hear from leaders who shared career highlights, challenges and observations from across the legal industry.

Martin Dickson’s Pride story

Of course, our Pride celebrations are just one part of our continuous efforts aimed at building an inclusive, positive and supportive environment where difference is welcomed, and people are comfortable bringing their whole, authentic selves to work. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, embracing and, crucially, expressing one’s true identity, particularly in a work setting, can be a challenge.

‘The world might end, so we may as well live authentically now!’ In an inspiringly honest article for The Lawyer, Freshfields associate, Martin Dickson remarked that the pandemic has often seemed like a watershed moment for the recognition of D&I. In My Pride Story: Coming out as gay can be the easiest step, Martin speaks about the challenges in fully embracing queer identity, what that means to him, and the importance of culture and values in creating safe spaces for queer expression.

Martin speaks about the differences between coming out as gay and expressing their queer identity. The pandemic has created a comfortable space for people to come out and share more of themselves. However, returning to the office does not guarantee the same level of comfort. LGBTQ+ people feel more comfortable sharing the parts of their lives that conform to a heteronormative standard of living, but they may find it challenging to come out and express their queer identity.

For Martin, the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the workplace cannot be overstated. As a member of the firm’s Global Halo Committee, Martin recognises the importance of the firm’s Belong, Engage and Excel values, which, along with genuine support from all levels within the firm, has been instrumental in helping people feel like they can express their true identities. Being inclusive means creating a safe space for people to express themselves and live their authentic selves without fear of discrimination. It is not about being tolerant of differences but embracing and celebrating diversity. An inclusive workplace fosters creativity, innovation and allows people to bring their whole selves to work.

The importance of being open and authentic – and having the environment in which that is possible – cannot be overstated. In a feature for DIVA Magazine, associate Emily Garland shared her experience for Lesbian Visibility Week. Emily noted that ‘visibility has been crucial in giving me the confidence to be open and authentic. That authenticity has been fundamental in allowing me to thrive in my role and to develop professional relationships, which have ultimately led me to where I am in my career today.’

Recognition of our people

We are incredibly proud of senior partner Georgia Dawson and partner Raquel Flórez, who were recognised in the OUTstanding Ally Executives Role Model List 2022.

The list celebrates individuals for being a vocal ally, actively working to create an environment where LGBTQ+ colleagues can comfortably bring their best professional selves to work.

Georgia Dawson, named on the Role Model List for a fifth consecutive year, has continued to advocate for underrepresented groups, ensuring LGBTQ+ inclusion is firmly embedded in Freshfields’ D&I strategy. This includes introducing a global LGBTQ+ target as part of the firms’ five-year D&I commitments launched last year.

Raquel Flórez, Freshfields’ head of people and reward in Spain and co-head of the Latin American group, has been named on the Role Model List for the first time. Flórez is a member of the D&I Committee in the Madrid office, the Firms’ LGBTQ+ allyship network Halo Champions and a founding member of REDI - a corporate LGBTQ+ network in Spain.

Dawson said: ‘It gives me immense pride to see Freshfields named twice in this year’s Role Model List, alongside a group of inspiring individuals who are pushing boundaries and driving change. This recognition reflects the promise of the firm to make D&I a strategic priority.’

Flórez commented: ‘It’s an honour to be involved in such important D&I initiatives, inside and outside the firm. I do what I do because I think it’s the right thing. In today’s world it’s more and more important to be vocal and visible in our defence of human rights, and it’s rewarding to be recognised for that. We have a special responsibility to be role models. As a global firm, we can have an outsized impact with our clients, suppliers and other companies that we work with around the world. We all need to be activists.’

Securing important victories for change

We believe everyone should have effective access to their legal rights, and ensure that the focus of Freshfields’ pro bono efforts is on promoting access to the rights of marginalised groups and individuals, including women, children, LGBT+ people, trafficking survivors and refugees.

We are currently working on a number of matters focused on the rights of LBGTQ+ people around the world. The public examples below and linked give a flavour of our work in this area.

Freshfields has been working pro bono for nearly a decade on a landmark human rights case that has found the Jamaican government responsible for violating the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Jamaica. The case was initiated by the Human Dignity Trust (HDT) in support of Gareth Henry and Simone Edwards, who experienced severe violence and discrimination due to their sexual orientation. Since 2011, over 60 Freshfields lawyers and trainees have worked pro bono on the case. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) made public its report in February 2021, recommending that Jamaica repeal its hom*ophobic laws on the basis that they violate international law, including the American Convention on Human Rights.

This is the first time that the IACHR has found a state in violation of its international human rights obligations by maintaining laws that criminalise the LGBTQ+ community and failing to protect its LGBTQ+ citizens from discrimination. The victory will have wider implications in the Americas, including the 24 other countries in the region that have ratified the Convention and continue to criminalise consensual same-sex intimacy. Téa Braun, Director of HDT, described the report as ‘a highly significant step forward that must now accelerate the repeal of these stigmatising and discriminatory laws.’ Freshfields’ Partner Andrew Austin, who led the work on this case, lauded the landmark findings: ‘This is an important decision, which I hope will drive further change in the region.’

Freshfields also secured a significant victory for transgender pension rights in the UK. We successfully helped a client, known only as LW, claim her UK state pension based on her gender. LW had been living as a woman since the 1980s, but the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) denied her claim for a state pension as she did not have a gender recognition certificate (GRC). Freshfields partner Christopher Stothers argued LW's case successfully before the First-tier Tribunal in 2015, but the decision was overturned by the Upper Tribunal in 2017. LW's case was then stayed while another transgender pension right case was decided.

Following a protracted legal battle, the Court of Appeal in the UK ruled in LW's favour. The case will have a significant impact on other transgender individuals in similar situations who have not yet obtained GRCs.

For Christopher, LW’s case adds to his long run of work on transgender pension disputes. ‘I first became involved entirely by chance in 2007. It’s one of the few areas of law where the government explicitly treated men and women differently, and so recognition of gender could be tested. I lost that first case, but was convinced the government was wrong. Since then, I’ve helped several individuals to be recognised as women by the government, and be paid their state pensions. Fascinating areas of law, righting wrongs and helping solve people’s problems – it’s what any young lawyer dreams of doing.’

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