Responsible Business Report 2023

Diversity & Inclusion

17

Australian Reconciliation Action Plan

North America Women’s Initiative

We take seriously our responsibility to take meaningful action towards reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. Our RAP provides practical actions that drive our contribution to reconciliation both internally and in the communities in which we operate. As a leading global provider of legal services, we have a responsibility to use our skills and resources to make a meaningful contribution towards reconciliation, in particular through our Pro Bono matters. It includes commitment to action on a number of fronts, including better policies to recruit and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses through procurement activities. We are committed to the implementation of the deliverables in our Reflect RAP and to our Firm’s continuous improvement as a part of our reconciliation journey.

In May 2023, the Australian Firm proudly launched its inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), a Reflect RAP, as part of National Reconciliation Week. Our Reflect RAP lays the foundations for our reconciliation initiatives and provides a strong platform for our collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organisations, and communities to further the cause of reconciliation. Since 2006, RAPs have enabled organisations to sustainably and strategically take meaningful action to advance reconciliation. Based around the core pillars of relationships, respect and opportunities, RAPs provide tangible and substantive benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, increasing economic equity for supporting First Nations self-determination. Facilitation of our RAP is steered by our RAP Working Group (RWG), comprising partners and staff from across our Australian offices. We have created individual working groups within the RWG that focus on the three core pillars of our RAP, to provide a solid foundation on which we can build and exceed the commitments in our RAP.

Founded in 2018, the North American Women's Initiative (NAWI) is an Employee Resource Group (ERG) dedicated to attracting, promoting, and supporting female attorneys through business development initiatives and internal and external programming. The initiative provides external opportunities for women to expand their reach and build their brand. For the more than 130 female lawyers in North America at Clyde & Co, the Initiative is committed to celebrating their achievements and providing the necessary support and empowerment for their, and the Firm's, continued success. It aims to achieve this by increasing participant’s understanding of: • Business development opportunities available to utilise along with what good business development activity looks like (not a one size fits all) • The necessary elements for career progression at Clyde & Co, along with the various resources available to our female lawyers to help them define and achieve success • The type of work our female lawyers do throughout the North American region in order to continue to support one another's practices An annual survey follows each cycle to evaluate and measure the success of the initiative.

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