UK law firms are outperforming their transatlantic peers on responsible business activity amid efforts from the Trump administration to clamp down on diversity programmes in the US, according to a report published by Lamp House and Chambers and Partners.
Clyde & Co, DWF, Pinsent Masons, Simmons & Simmons and Taylor Wessing topped the index, with UK top 100 firm scores rising 12% on 2024 levels, compared to a 30% drop for top 50 US firms. UK-headquartered firms’ average score was double that of their US counterparts, while 65% of UK firms saw their average scores increase over the past year.
Firms are ranked on their responsible business activity related to people, planet and governance.
Lisa Hart Shepherd, chief product and innovation officer at Chambers, said: “While UK firms continue to make heartening progress when it comes to responsible business, political headwinds in the US appear to have had a significant effect on what US firms are prepared to disclose, particularly in relation to initiatives designed to support the recruitment, retention and progression of women, ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community.”
When it comes to impact on the planet, more than half of UK firms (58%) have a publicly declared net zero target, up from 44% in 2024. Almost a fifth of firms (19%) are now reporting on how they are tackling business travel-related emissions, compared to 9% last year. A majority of firms (67%) said they had put waste reduction programmes in place, while 56% said they had implemented energy reduction measures and 51% said they were using renewable energy.
UK firms have also been bolstering efforts to support the retention and progression of women, with such initiatives rising 6% compared to 2024, mostly driven by more firms publicly disclosing parental leave policies. Some 13% of firms have also put in place programmes to support the development and promotion of ethnic minority talent, up from 8% a year ago. Almost three-quarters of firms (73%) have apprenticeship schemes to help improve social mobility.
More UK firms (42%) have also put in place a responsible business board or steering committee to improve governance standards, up from 32% last year.
Hart Shepherd added: “The continued commitment of UK firms on the environment, social mobility and women in law in particular is welcome. We know how important progress in these areas is to talent and clients as well as society as a whole and we hope that long term we continue to see an expansion of responsible business initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic.”
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