Policy for equality in Wikborg Rein 2020-2022

The purpose of the equality work in Wikborg Rein is to promote equality and to prevent different forms of discrimination among employees, regarding either sex, ethnicity, religion, age, functional ability or sexual orientation. This strategy document describes the paramount objectives for this work.

The large law firms have for a long time been characterized by a conservative industry culture when it comes to gender balance within the partnerships and balance between the sexes regarding salary and career development for employees who have small children. The culture has not been able to mirror the diversity which is expected in the business life sufficiently. In Wikborg Rein we now want a more strategic approach to this issue. We see this as a condition for us to be able to recruit wider, keep talents and ensure a working environment where there is room for everyone, and where everyone can thrive and succeed. We also believe this will be mirrored in our deliveries through increased innovation and higher quality.

The structures which exist in the large law companies have been formed throughout many decades and changing them will take time. Setting ambitious goals is of uppermost importance in order to ensure that we are going in the right direction. Even though Wikborg Rein has a good gender balance on most employment levels, there is an independent objective regarding better gender balance at partner level. Our goal is therefore to have a balance between the sexes in the partner appointments in the years ahead. The great and goal-oriented initiative we have initiated to increase the percentage of women has received good support internally and from leading clients who are concerned with both gender balance and diversity.

Gender balance is not only about working to lift more female talent to the top. It is also about creating understanding for the fact that men as well often have a modern family life where both parties contribute equally in the home.

It is also a separate goal to ensure that the daily working environment and the culture at the workplace both is and is experienced to be characterized by equal treatment and non-discrimination.

The statutory framework imposes a variety of requirements on us as a business when it comes to equality and non-discrimination, and we shall of course meet these requirements. However, we have to do more than this; our business suggests that we must have a considerably more offensive strategy in this area.

Against this background the strategy is composed of specific measurable initiatives in order to promote equality between the genders, but the strategy also includes other activities which are arranged in ordered to contribute to right attitude and behaviour at all levels of the company.

The basis for this strategy is a long-lasting task retrieving information from lawyers at all levels. Wikborg Rein has set up a separate working group with the task of identifying what the challenges are in our case in particular, and the group has listened to the organization's suggestions to solutions and measures. 

The different goals and activities will be further described in an action plan. Managing Partner has the responsibility for that the strategy is followed up and implemented in our respective offices, in close cooperation with HR. All the team leaders have the responsibility for meeting the goals in their team.