Modern slavery
Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement – Financial Year Ending 30 April 2022
This slavery and human trafficking statement is made on behalf of Clyde & Co LLP, ("Clyde & Co"), pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the "Act") for the financial year ending on 30 April 2022.
The Firm
Clyde & Co is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC326539 and registered office of The St Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7AR, United Kingdom. It is a law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales. Outside the UK,
Clyde & Co has branches in France, Qatar and the UAE. Clyde & Co is a dynamic, rapidly expanding global law firm focused on providing a complete legal service to clients in our core sectors.
Our approach
Clyde & Co has a zero-tolerance approach towards any form of slavery, servitude, forced or bonded labour, or human trafficking (collectively referred to as 'modern slavery' in this statement). We will not support any arrangement or relationship that is knowingly involved in modern slavery. We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery in our business or in our supply chains, and to acting ethically and with integrity in all our relationships.
Clyde & Co is a signatory to the United Nations ("UN") Global Compact. This is a global initiative that calls upon companies to align their strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals. As a signatory, we produce an annual Corporate Responsibility and Inclusion Report that sets out how the principles of the UN Global Compact are integrated across our business environment, including principles one ("the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights") and four ("the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour").
Our practices in relation to combating modern slavery
We consider Clyde & Co to be relatively low risk in relation to modern slavery, given the sector in which we operate. Our current practices in relation to combating modern slavery are set out below.
Employment
We apply the highest possible standards in the recruitment and employment of our people. We conduct due diligence on our prospective employees prior to them joining Clyde & Co. When recruiting, we comply with all local employment legislation and any applicable regulations.
All of our staff are expected to comply with relevant laws and professional codes of conduct, as well as Clyde & Co's internal Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy, Whistleblowing Policy, and other policies and procedures.
We are an Accredited Living Wage Employer, meaning that we have committed to pay all of our employees a fair living wage. This commitment is also extended to contractors of the firm.
Training
We organise online training on modern slavery that must be completed by key individuals globally who we have identified as dealing with any aspect of procurement on behalf of Clyde & Co. The Firm-wide anti-slavery and human trafficking policy forms part of the induction pack that is given to employees when they join the Firm, and regular training is provided as necessary.
Our suppliers
Clyde & Co has long-term relationships with many of the businesses it engages to run its premises, such as catering, hospitality, transport and cleaning providers. Clyde & Co does not make any demands of such suppliers that may lead them to violating laws, including modern slavery and encourage them to improve their own compliance with anti-slavery laws. By way of example, we require suppliers to pay their employees who work in our London offices a salary which is at least equivalent to the London Living Wage.
The majority of our suppliers are based in the UK and supply standard goods or services that are low-risk for modern slavery. In addition, we aim to hold monthly supplier relationship management meetings and regular service reviews with core suppliers, at which risk concerns are raised and addressed.
As part of Clyde & Co’s supplier onboarding process, we vet and perform due diligence by way of risk assessments and the interrogation of suppliers’ modern slavery policies and practices. We also perform risk assessments and reviews on our legacy supplier base prioritising our larger suppliers by spend and those that we consider to be higher risk. In addition, we have a due-diligence portal which will increasingly be used to screen suppliers on a number of issues, including modern slavery.
With regard to existing suppliers of goods and services to our London office, our due diligence has not identified any occurrence of modern slavery. We also require such suppliers to carry out due diligence on their own suppliers. We are extending these due diligence processes to our other offices.
In 2020 we created a Supplier Code of Conduct which we have been rolling out to our suppliers. This code makes clear our zero tolerance of forced labour and human trafficking as well as our requirement that our vendors adhere to this.
We have pro-forma supplier contracts which we are increasingly using for companies that directly supply Clyde & Co. These pro-forma contracts incorporate provisions requiring the supplier to:
- comply with all applicable laws, statutes, regulations and codes relating to labour, antislavery and human trafficking laws, including but not limited to the Modern Slavery Act; and
- ensure that any person associated with the supplier in performing the goods or services under or in connection with the agreement does so subject to a written contract which imposes on that third party obligations to comply with anti-slavery and human trafficking laws. The supplier is made responsible for the third party's compliance with such laws and is directly liable to Clyde & Co for any breach.
Third party professionals
We have a pro-forma letter of engagement for instructing a third party professional, such as an expert or a foreign lawyer. In this pro-forma letter, we require the third party professional to warrant that they comply with labour, anti-slavery and human trafficking laws, including but not limited to the UK Modern Slavery Act, and that any subcontractor used by the third party professional in relation to the engagement does likewise.
Steps that we will be taking to combat modern slavery in the 2022-2023 financial year
- We will continue to roll out online training on modern slavery to all relevant staff.
- We will be increasing the numbers of our suppliers on these contracts by seeking to use such contracts when existing contracts expire, and wherever possible contracting with new suppliers on the basis of our pro-forma contracts. Where it is not possible to contract on the basis of our pro-forma contract, we will be ensuring that modern slavery issues are addressed in each contract.
- We will be increasing the levels of due diligence performed on both new and existing suppliers, including in relation to modern slavery, and ensuring that such checks are built into our global Procurement Policy.
- We shall continue to roll out our Supplier Code of Conduct to our supplier base.
Clyde & Co’s Management Board has approved this statement on behalf of the members of Clyde & Co LLP.
Carolena Gordon, Senior Partner
Clyde & Co LLP