BT Group commends BCLP’s outstanding Diversity & Inclusion initiatives

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) received a high commendation from BT Group for its firm-wide commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I) and has been recognized as a D&I Champion on BT Group’s legal panel, alongside other standout firms Addleshaw Goddard, Osborne Clarke and CMS.

In 2020, BT Group pledged to prioritize D&I in its selection process for its next legal panel, set to be confirmed in 2024, by promising that the firm with the best results in these fields would see its place on the roster automatically renewed. BT Group has worked collaboratively with all of its panel firms to understand how they are increasing diversity in their workforce and the steps they are taking to foster inclusivity in their working environments and beyond. BCLP was distinguished by its ability to provide clear evidence of actions it has taken across levels of seniority and geographic regions.

BCLP’s action plan and D&I goals include cultivating a diverse talent pipeline through inclusive recruitment and promotion; creating a culture of belonging, well-being and retention; educating leaders to support and maximize team potential; weaving inclusion and accountability into operations; and collaborating with clients and industry bodies to amplify D&I efforts.These goals are realized through the firm’s series of programs, campaigns and leadership engagement, many of which have been newly introduced over the past couple of years to reflect BCLP’s commitment to D&I. In 2021, BCLP appointed Daisy Reeves as its inaugural Global Inclusion & Diversity Client Relationship Partner, a unique role in the legal industry and Daisy and team have been working with BT over the past year. Recently, the firm also unveiled ‘BCLP Podium’, an exclusive and first-of-its-kind leadership transatlantic communications program in the legal industry, bringing together the next generation of female lawyers from BCLP and its clients, including BT, harnessing the power of the spoken word to enhance communications skills.

“At BCLP, an inclusive culture where all of our people feel they are appreciated, respected and can thrive is essential to our success,” said Marcus Pearl, global co-leader of the BCLP Technology & Commercial Transactions team and BT Relationship Partner. “We are honoured to be recognized by BT Group for our work in driving D&I throughout our organization. We remain committed to championing D&I, setting a benchmark for excellence and creating an inclusive workplace for the benefit of our people and our clients.”