Corporate responsibility

Committed to the communities in which we work

Doing good feels good

Proactive about pro bono

At Shearman & Sterling we’re committed to helping those who perhaps can’t afford their own legal representation. A good example of this is our pro bono work. Our dedication to pro bono is a hallmark of our culture – we’re committed to supporting lawyers who want to be of service and are proud of the results they’ve achieved and the positive changes they’ve made to people’s lives.

We are dedicated to offering pro bono opportunities to all our lawyers in every office and in London we now have a full time pro bono manager who publicises and organises our pro bono efforts. Our trainees get to take a leading role in pro bono projects with a range of clients and parties.

Our multi-jurisdictional practice uniquely qualifies us to address pro bono matters around the world, whether at a San Francisco legal clinic or in Tanzania at the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

Through forward-thinking, we give something back

As well as pro bono work, the London office is committed to giving back to the local community. To that end, as well as general charitable activities, we have four main charity and CSR partners throughout the calendar year:

  • Wellington Primary School (who we have worked with for over 10 years) – providing reading assistance through a fortnightly reading scheme which are trainees are very active in, a ‘Business, Enterprise and Employability’ programme, legal clinics for parents and teachers, fundraising and an annual Christmas party
  • Walworth Academy – a local sixth form college to whom we provide intensive work experience for employability skills, as well as a mentoring programme
  • The Spitalfields Crypt Trust – a local charity who we work with for fundraising, legal advice and hosting their meetings and events
  • Our Annual Charity – this is chosen by vote at our annual Charities Quiz and all fundraising activities throughout the year such as bake sales, marathons, abseils, sky dives and so on go towards our annual charity.

For all of our CSR partners, we also provide legal clinics, which allow our lawyers to use their expertise to assist in matters such as tenancy agreements, probate, debt management and so on. Our Charities Committee (including a representative mix of employees including our trainees) also work with a host of other organisations, whilst fundraising in the London office can take the form of anything from bake sales to marathons to Christmas boxes for the homeless.

Looking forward by giving something back. It’s a philosophy we’re proud of.

Environment is fundamental

We’re also extremely proactive when it comes to environmental policy. We work with our suppliers and contractors to ensure they meet our commitment to environmental awareness and responsibility. Each of our offices operates an environmental awareness and responsibility programme, with measures adopted including the following:

  • Energy reviews to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions
  • Waste management strategies to promote waste minimisation and recycling
  • Increased sustainable product sourcing
  • Technical alternatives to travel