Pinsent Masons named by The Times as a Top 50 Employer for Gender Equality

Published annually, The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality annual process examines businesses on the policies and cultural interventions put in place to ensure gender equality, including addressing pay disparities, ensuring progression, offering flexible working and family friendly policies and tackling sexual harassment.

Over the last few years, Pinsent Masons has taken strides to improve gender representation across the firm. This has included the appointment of women to senior leadership positions, notably that of Laura Cameron as the firm's first female Managing Partner, and Melanie Grimmitt as Head of Clients & Markets. Similarly, this year the firm exceeded its target of women making up 50% of the partner promotion cohort, demonstrating progress toward making partnership attainable for those who wish to pursue it.

Commenting on the firm's recognition, Andrew Masraf said: "Pursuing gender equality has been a cornerstone of our inclusion efforts for many years. This commitment is driven by our understanding that we do our best work when all colleagues feel empowered and supported, encouraging beneficial contributions which reflect diversity of thought and experience. In recent years we have seen initiatives to create a fair and level playing field for women begin to pay off, with female representation in the partnership increasing to 34.5% as of this year.

Our progress in this space continues to be guided by our belief that equality of opportunity doesn't have a definitive finish line and for us is an evolving effort requiring consistency and thoughtfulness. Going forwards as a firm, we strongly believe that there is much more to be done in service of equal opportunity in all its forms, both within our business and across the legal profession."

Kieran Harding, Acting Chief Executive of Business in the Community, said: "The businesses that have made it into this year's Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality demonstrates those that are holding fast to their values around equality. It is imperative for employers to eradicate gender inequality in the workplace, not only because it is the right thing to do, but it will also unlock economic benefits for businesses and the UK."

While there is still much work to be done, the progress being made to ensure equal pay, career progression and offering enhanced flexible working and family friendly policies shows that we're on the right path."