Gender diversity and inclusion is a critical component of our firm’s past, present and future. We are proud that Freehills was the first major Australian law firm to appoint a woman partner and to establish initiatives such as Women in Business.

We believe diversity provides the most engaging environment for our people, enriching our organisational culture with different perspectives, experiences, ideas and leadership styles.

In 2004, we established the Women at Freehills initiative in recognition of the challenges that women can face in their careers; in 2011 Women at Freehills became the Diversity at Freehills program.

Diversity at Freehills continues the firm’s work on gender diversity and inclusion: focusing on understanding and removing barriers that may work against our talented women; helping women to be successful in their chosen careers; challenging mindsets and assumptions about gender; and building the capabilities of our women to ensure their success. We recognise that gender equity is an issue that affects both women and men and that many of the firm’s diversity initiatives are designed to benefit men and women and require the strong support of all in the firm.

Sponsored by the firm’s CEO Gavin Bell, and under the stewardship of a steering committee consisting of senior leaders and organisational development experts across the firm, Diversity at Freehills has four key components, which underpin our strategies, policies and programs:

• Leadership: increasing the number of women in both internal and external senior leadership roles, as well as developing and showcasing exceptional women role models
• Freehills Future: increasing the number of women in the partnership pipeline and in the partnership itself
• Working with Clients: partnering with our clients on gender diversity initiatives
• Innovative Work Practices: creating and maintaining a supportive work environment for all our people.
  

• leadership support for diversity including programs to develop partners’ coaching capabilities and improve conversations about careers and male and female partner champions in each of the practice groups to be spokespeople and ‘champions’ for Diversity at Freehills
• coaching and tailored development programs for women
• alternative career paths including the role of Executive Counsel and Special Counsel
• opportunities to broaden experience in legal and non-legal areas, such as internal secondments and roles in office diversity committees
• a supportive work environment including a comprehensive flexible work toolkit including profiles of people working in innovative and flexible ways, private parenting rooms and emergency childcare program, a ‘corporate mums networking program, generous parental leave policy and first class technology
• regular analysis of metrics for any gender trends and setting of women partner targets.

Freehills has received formal recognition as an Employer of Choice for Women from the Australian Government’s Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), in acknowledgment of the firm’s commitment to supporting and enhancing the career experiences of women within the organisation.

Freehills has:

• received the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women citation every year since 2007
• been short-listed as the only law firm finalist in two categories of the EOWA Awards in 2010: Leading Organisation for the Advancement of Women (>800 employees) and Leading CEO for the Advancement of Women. These awards attract high-profile nominations from all around Australia, and it is a significant achievement to reach the final five or six short-listed organisations.

According to EOWA, the Employer of Choice for Women acknowledgment: ‘…recognises organisations who address the barriers women face in the workforce and who demonstrate they have policies and practices that support women across the organisation and that these have had a positive outcome for both women and the business.’
EOWA has highlighted Freehills’ exemplary approach towards enhancing the career experience of women in their workplace and the firm’s ongoing commitment to assisting women in maximising their potential.
The recognition as an Employer of Choice for Women also acknowledges the firm’s commitment to attracting, retaining and developing the very best people. The many achievements and continual improvements the firm makes to support female employees within the Women at Freehills initiative is evidence of Freehills’ ongoing commitment.

Freehills’ Women in Business networking forum was established in 1994 by Stephanie Pursley, former partner, after she attended the Women's Trade Forum in Singapore.

Women in Business aims to foster networks among women at all stages in their professional careers, by providing:

• opportunities for senior business women from diverse organisations and industries to meet one another and exchange views and experiences
• a comfortable environment for women who are up-and-coming in their field to meet senior women in business, and
• opportunities for Freehills women to meet women clients of the firm.

Our Women in Business program comes within the Working with clients component of our Diversity at Freehills strategy. For further information, please contact Mary Boittier or Danielle Kelly.