Clifford Chance

Arcus launches in India

India

Our colleagues in India have launched the India chapter of Arcus, our global LGBT+ affinity network for employees and allies

• Many colleagues pledged to be inclusion allies through our Pledging campaign
• Director - HR and Training Shefali Grover and Associate Director Mrinal Agarwal hosted a thought-provoking discussion with Global Director of Inclusion Tiernan Brady, General Manager Venu Yadavalli, Citi's Rajesh Nijhawan and BNY Mellon's Yazdanoi Shaikh who shared their insights and experiences on the importance of LGBT+ inclusion, diversity and inclusion strategies, the role of networks in creating an inclusive workplace, and much more.

Clifford Chance ranks Number 1 in Stonewall's Top 100 Employers of 2023

UK

This recognition highlights the firm's commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can be their authentic selves and reach their full potential. Clifford Chance has also been awarded a Gold Award for commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion at work and its affinity network, Arcus, has received the Highly Commended Network Group Award, which is given to the organisations with the highest scores in the Network Activity section of the Index.

Pride Business Forum

Czechia

Colleagues from our Arcus network in Prague have established a close cooperation with Pride Business Forum, a local non-profit organization which helps companies to improve workplace equality for LGBT+ employees. To become a member of the forum, our team signed a memorandum by which they publicly committed to support principles of the European Charter on Diversity.

The network is planning more exciting initiatives and workshops for our Prague colleagues, and plan to attend trainings and events which will help them create truly safe and fair environment in the office.

Carrying out a multi-jurisdictional analysis of expungement legislation on behalf of the Gay Project

Global

Ireland has launched a public consultation to develop new laws to expunge the records of people prosecuted with historical same-sex convictions. To help inform public discourse, we recently worked with The Gay Project on a pro bono basis to carry out a multi-jurisdictional analysis of Expungement Legislation in Australia, Canada, England & Wales, Germany, New Zealand, Scotland and Spain.

Lawyer Golshan Mahdi-Nau commented: "Laws criminalising homosexuality have a devastating effect on those they target, even after they are rightly repealed. This is why Expungement Legislation is crucial to ensure that those wrongfully targeted in the past are at the very least able to have their convictions removed."

Reflections on a transgender asylum case

Americas

"I could never have imagined how profoundly I was affected by it. Karina is a profile in courage. No one in her community could even be openly homosexual, let alone transgender. But she knew in her heart who she wanted to become and where she needed to live in order to do that."

Washington, DC Partner Jessica Springsteen reflects on a recent transgender asylum case which had a profound effect on her.