After a complex and comprehensive two-year process, legal firm EMW has become a B Corp, placing social good and environmental stewardship at the heart of its strategy and behaviour.
B-Corp Certification is awarded only to those businesses that meet very high standards in social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Once awarded, it is then assessed every three years.
The B Corp movement began in 2006 with the idea that a different kind of economy is needed, giving companies the chance to move toward a more conscious model with business as a force for good. As a result, B Corp Certification was developed, measuring five key pillars of a business impact: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.
Many global brands have now adopted the B Corp standard, with famous examples including Ben & Jerrys, Emma Bridgewater, Eileen Fisher and Patagonia. It is much rarer, however, within the legal sector, with only a very small number of UK law firms having met the necessary standards.
EMW is a full-service law firm with offices in Milton Keynes, London, Gatwick and Brighton, working with both UK and international clients to provide all the services that would be expected from a legal practice but with an emphasis on building a team that understands the needs of modern businesses and providing straightforward, professional legal advice that avoids over-complicating the process for the client.
Building a better legacy has been one of the cornerstones of the ethos at EMW. As the past few years have shown, success is about more than just numbers and the importance of companies across the world prioritising the wellbeing of their people, their clients, and their environments has never been more timely. Throughout EMW’s journey, from humble beginnings in 1992, upholding a fair, ethical, and sustainable business has always been a benchmark for every decision.
Nick Lloyd, Chair at EMW, said:
“We’re thrilled to see EMW become B Corp Certified. It’s a huge achievement and we’re all very proud. When I first became aware of B Corp, its entire ethos struck me as being incredibly powerful and also something that I, my partners, and all of our wonderful EMW people were already massively aligned with.
“We must be the change we seek in the world and business has a huge and largely undervalued role in this. EMW has never been driven solely by profit, instead taking a stakeholder-focused approach which has played a major role in the strategic direction of the business, the work that we do and the impressive, loyal client base we have been able to build. While we look after the bottom line, like any successful firm, we have always understood the importance of being a force for good, appreciating the role that businesses play in creating positive change.”
James Geary, who has played a key role in driving the strategic direction of EMW for many years was appointed to the role of Managing Partner earlier this year. Since joining the firm as a trainee solicitor, and quickly progressing to Associate, his experience and expertise has seen him advise businesses on trading agreements, competition law, data protection and intellectual property matters.
He spent five years as Head of Legal at The Wastepack Group before returning to EMW as Head of Commercial and, in 2019, took on the role of Head of Business Development.
James said:
“EMW is an extremely strong business with fantastic clients and a dedicated and knowledgeable team – it is in excellent shape and I look forward to taking the firm forward as Managing Partner, delivering on an exciting and ambitious growth strategy.
“Businesses are facing a huge number of challenges, not just within the legal sector but across all industries, so it’s important that firms have an eye fixed firmly on the future, ensuring that they have the right framework and capabilities in place to tackle those challenges effectively. B Corp felt like a great fit for EMW – it’s an important element of an ambitious strategy and will help to ensure that the firm succeeds in creating a positive legacy.”
Paul Bevington, Partner, and Karen Voller, Partner and head of Compliance at EMW said:
“Having been part of the team involved in our application, we’re so pleased that we’ve achieved B-Corp Certification, it really was a wonderful group effort and something that we’re all really proud of.”
Nick Lloyd added:
“We would like to thank all our team and our clients at EMW for helping us to truly build a better legacy and our B Corp certification is a much welcome part of that journey. We fundamentally believe people are our strongest asset and would like to welcome all our people, clients, contacts and networks to continue to play an essential part of this journey with us.”
Find out more about EMW or call 0345 0706000 or email enquiries@emwlaw.com
