In 2023 the shortlists for the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) categories at our Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards, our Europe Awards, and our UK Bar Awards were based on submissions for the first time.  

This was in addition to our historic inclusion of a diversity, equity and inclusion submissions process for the Brazil and Latin America Awards, while our DEI USA Awards were integrated into the practice area Awards for the first time.  

Collecting submissions in new regions allowed us to expand our knowledge and understanding of DEI globally and in specific jurisdictions. The more submissions we receive, the more we can track key metrics on underrepresented lawyers and analyse emerging themes and trends in each region, as well as recognising and highlighting best practice.  

Thank you to all organisations that submitted in 2023, whether as a first-time submitter or having submitted since we first launched these Awards in 2012. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with you in the future.  

Awards 

Our first event of 2022 was the Chambers Brazil Awards, which featured seven DEI categories and was the first time Brazil had a standalone Awards ceremony, separate to Latin America. You can find the categories, shortlist and winners here.  

Next up was the last edition of our standalone DEI North America Awards, sponsored by Kirkland & Ellis and Abbvie. These Awards have been running in a variety of formats since 2012, when they known as ‘Women in Law Awards’, and were the first initiative carried out by the Chambers DEI team. The shortlist and winners for 2022 can be found here.  

Rounding off the year, we celebrated the Chambers Latin America Awards with the inclusion of DEI categories for the second year in a row. You can find the shortlist and winners here.  

In 2022 we also had DEI categories and winners at the Chambers Europe, Asia Pacific & Greater China Region, and UK Bar Awards.  

Engage 

On Thursday, 12^th May 2022, we held our first full-day conference in London, ENGAGE. The event was sponsored by White & Case, Serle Court and Flair. The conference included seven sessions on a range of topics covering pro bono, ESG, sustainability and DEI, beginning with a keynote address by Dr. Funke Abimbola MBE.

Awards 

As the world and legal profession continued to deal with the effects of the pandemic and lockdowns, in 2021 we held our Chambers D&I North America Awards virtually for the second year running. The awards were sponsored by Kirkland & Ellis, Davis Wright Tremaine, Wilkinson Stekloff and McGuireWoods. Full details, including shortlists and winners, can be found here.

For the first time in 2021 in Latin America, we integrated DEI categories into our practice area awards, which take place annually in Miami. Full details, including shortlists and winners, can be found here. 

In 2021 we also had DEI categories and winners at the Chambers Europe, Asia Pacific & Greater China Region, and UK Bar Awards.  

Seminars 

We held nine DEI seminars in 2021, covering a range of topics and jurisdictions. The first was in January, partnering with leading Dutch firm De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek. The seminar focused on how organisations were supporting the arts in Europe through pro bono work, at a time when cultural institutions were experiencing challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Full details can be found here. 

In February we partnered with White & Case in Mexico for a virtual seminar covering how organisations can advance DEI from the top down, before focusing on gender and racial parity from pipeline to leadership with Daniel Law in Brazil.  

In May the focus returned to Mexico, partnering with Galicia Abogados, to discuss innovative approaches to the provision of legal services that further enable equity and inclusion. This was followed in June by a seminar focused on the USA in partnership with Kirkland & Ellis, assessing the changes that the Covid-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter movements had made on the profession and sharing best practice on effective strategies for driving inclusive change in light of these developments.  

Returning to Latin America, we had two more seminars focused on the region. First, in September, we partnered with Payet, Rey, Cauvi, Pérez Abogados on a virtual seminar covering effective strategies for gender and LGBT advancement. Then, in December, we had our first in-person event in almost two years, partnering with Greenberg Traurig on a morning conference covering wellbeing in the profession, access to the profession for ethnic minorities in Latin America and achieving equity.  

Sandwiched in between the events with Payet, Rey and Greenberg Traurig were two seminars with US-based firms. In September we collaborated with Arnold Porter to focus on collaboration between firms and in-house lawyers to advance racial equity. Then, in November, we partnered with Stroock & Stroock & Lavan for a seminar on effective allyship in the workplace. The nine seminars we held over the year each focused on key challenges in the DEI space and provided expert guidance on best practice, to be replicated by organisations around the world.