CSR

Due to its unique identity for over thirty-five years, and being a key player in business law, the firm remains resolutely committed to its mission: assist, advise and defend its clients’ interests, and build client and associate loyalty by cultivating a relationship of trust and proximity.

Respectful of its commitments towards the suppliers and being uncompromising in terms of health and safety towards its members, and in terms of reduction of its environmental impact, the firm considers that laws and regulations regarding the respect of Human Rights, labour law and the environment are strict and unavoidable.

The choices made by the firm are thus guided by strong values: rigour, excellence, availability, commitment and responsiveness. Each member of the firm is an ambassador for these values, and acts with integrity in all circumstances and in all places.

This charter sets out the firm’s main CSR commitments.

1. Commitments towards members of the firm

The firm promotes a safe and healthy working environment for its members, where Human Rights and labour rights are respected. The firm ensures that there is no discrimination or harassment of any kind and is committed to offer to its members working conditions that are appropriate to the tasks to be performed.

For example, the firm offers training on health and safety risks to the concerned members, and carries out detailed assessments of occupational risks.

Convinced that inclusion and diversity, particularly gender equality, are essential pillars of its effective functioning; the firm promotes, on a daily basis, equal treatment and equal opportunities in recruitment, compensation and promotion.

As a result, since January 1st, 2020, 50% of partners promoted and 42% of counsels promoted are women, reflecting our ongoing commitment in favour of gender equality and diversity within our firm.

2. Commitments towards clients and contractual partners

The firm aims to build and maintain lasting relations based on trust with its clients, suppliers and contractual partners. Such trust is being built over time as part of a continuous improvement process.

• The firm’s priority is client satisfaction, while respecting health, safety and the well-being of its members.
• The firm treats its suppliers and contractual partners honestly and fairly, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

In carrying out its activities, the firm condemns and fights against all forms of corruption, whether active or passive, and excludes any situation that could present a conflict of interest.

The firm organises mandatory training for its members regarding the fight against corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing.

3. Pro bono actions

Aware of its social responsibility, the firm is particularly involved in a number of pro bono actions providing legal assistance to charities, as well as access to education and legal training.

Every year, the firm’s lawyers provide hundreds of hours of teaching in various areas of law and legal practice, in particular to students of the universities of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas, Bordeaux, Sciences Po and HEC.

Members of the firm have also contributed to a number of pro bono initiatives with various organisations, including France Terre d’Asile, Juriconnexion, Andjce, Fondation du Patrimoine, Avo’Mentor, la Courte échelle and the HEAD law clinic – winner of the 2021 Lawyers’ Prize of Pro Bono Trophies of the Paris Bar 2021.

The environment is a major concern for the company and it is committed to protecting it. The firm works on taking into account each of the environmental impacts of its activities, for its members, its clients and its contractual partners.

Aware of the impact of its activities on the environment, the firm strives to minimise its ecological impact. Each member of the firm is committed to reducing such impact wherever possible.

The firm has adopted a number of measures in favour of the environment to improve its performance in terms of environmental impact. The firm strives to manage its waste responsibly, assesses and reduces its greenhouse gas emissions, and measures the energy and water consumption of its activities.

In this respect, in 2023, the firm assessed its carbon footprint which stands at 4.7 T Co2/ per member (2022 data), enabling the firm to perform better than the average law firm.

Finally, wherever possible, the firm seeks and promotes service providers who implement themselves an environmental policy.

1. Recycling policy and selective sorting

Recycling of paper documents (confidential or not) as well as all cardboard, newspapers and magazines with the installation of recycling bins in all offices and near all photocopiers. 8 tonnes of paper and 759 kilos of cardboard were collected and recycled in 2023.

Setting up collection points for plastic waste.

Recycling of collected toners and ink cartridges, batteries and light bulbs.

Glass recycling: 415 kilos of glass were recycled in 2023.

Coffee grounds recycling: 877 kg of coffee grounds were recycled in 2023.

Choosing “eco-responsible” meal providers who do not use plastic and offer containers made from reusable recycled materials, bamboo cutlery and who have set up partnerships with organisations for unsold food.

2. Contribution to reducing the use of plastic, paper and aluminium

Replacing aluminium capsule coffee machines by coffee machines with coffee bean grinders.

Replacing plastic water bottles and aluminium cans with filtered water fountains available to all, as well as glass bottles and individual water bottles in meeting rooms. 71,500 plastic bottles and water cans have therefore been spared each year (vs 2019 consumption).

Removing paper cups and provision of crockery (glasses, cups).

Reducing our paper consumption through better control of our printing.

Using eco-responsible paper for printing (Pioneer paper certified FSC & PEFC by EU Ecolabel).

3. Reducing the energy footprint

Subscribing to EDF green energy contracts to supply our electricity consumption. In 2023, 77% of our electricity came from green renewable energy.

Switching our entire IT server infrastructure to store our data in the cloud, in order to reduce our energy footprint (lower electricity consumption and removal of air-conditioning in server rooms), completed up to the 2/3rds and in the process of being finalised.

Replacing desktop computers with energy-efficient light client devices.

Automatic switching off of lights at night carried out on part of the premises, currently being expanded to cover all areas.

Dematerialising certain procedures, such as the provision of pay slips for employees and trainees in electronic safes, the leave submission/approval circuit, the administrative data update circuit and the associates’ assessment interview support.

Reducing the energy footprint when travelling by promoting non-polluting transport (in collaboration with VTC and G7 taxi service providers).

Promoting videoconferencing meetings, with the firm’s videoconferencing service completely renewed in 2020, each screen now equipped with an integrated camera.