Pinsent Masons unveils minority ethnic workforce targets

In the period to 2025, the firm has set a target of 10% minority ethnic representation across its UK partnership and senior business operations teams. 15% of the firm’s internal promotions to partner and senior business operations positions will identify as minority ethnic.

Furthermore, Pinsent Masons has set a 20% target for its UK workforce and its trainee population by 2025. The firm has also committed to promoting at least one minority ethnic colleague to the global Board by the end of 2023. By 2025, Pinsent Masons will have improved representation on its Operations Committee and Spark Board as well as its senior leadership team.

Senior partner at Pinsent Masons, Richard Foley, said: “When we launched our race and ethnicity programme SUN, in 2018 we made a commitment to our people, our clients and our peers that we would tackle structural iniquities head on with the aim of removing barriers to entry and progression for minority ethnic people.

“Representation in our business and across the legal profession is poor and we must be a part of the solution. These targets are ambitious and there is no quick fix. We need to invest and commit to improving the diversity of our talent pipeline at every level. As a purpose-led business committed to championing change, we recognise that we must take responsibility and play our part in widening access to the profession.”

Earlier this year the firm rolled out its 2021 diversity data initiative in which it refreshed its gender, race and ethnicity, LGBT+ and disability UK workforce data. It found that 12.4% of its UK workforce identifies as minority ethnic.

Partner and SUN lead at Pinsent Masons, Hammad Akhtar, said: “With these targets the firm has committed to ramp up its focus on recruitment and talent management and support grass roots initiatives that will play a role in tackling this issue. We must focus on retention and career progression at every level if we are going to succeed in improving representation.”

Last year the firm signed up to Rare Recruitment’s Race Fairness Charter and Business in the Community’s Race at Work Charter, committing to recruitment and employment practices that will help facilitate improved minority ethnic representation across the business.

Last year the firm also rolled out its reciprocal mentoring scheme in which members of the Global Board are mentored by minority ethnic colleagues and has embedded a group mentoring scheme designed to target career support for minority ethnic individuals.