As a leading UK law firm, Shepherd and Wedderburn fully recognises its responsibilities as an employer, a business having an impact on its environment, and a member of the local communities in which we operate. We take these responsibilities seriously and they underpin how we run our business.

We first developed a CSR policy in 2004 and this has been recently reviewed, updated and endorsed by our management team. Our overarching aims are

• to be an employer of choice, recruiting and retaining legal staff of the highest calibre and ensuring that our lawyers are supported by a first class management and administrative team who together can deliver the level of service that our clients expect and demand
• to pursue our business objectives in a socially responsible and sustainable manner
• to recognise that we have a role to play in supporting our local communities.

Responsibility for monitoring the development of our CSR policy rests with the Executive Board. The firm's CSR committee is tasked with implementation. Both bodies work together to

• agree annual targets which are supported by the business
• report progress towards annual targets on a quarterly basis
• ensure that in all investment decisions made by the firm in relation to new facilities, systems and infrastructure, consideration is given to the environmental consequences of each decision.