What is ‘responsible business’?
“Responsible business” to us means that we care about how we impact and support our clients, our people, the communities we work in, the sectors and markets we serve, and the planet. We are focused on sustainable growth for the long term – seeking to make a profit, to grow and invest in our business, and to create value for all our stakeholders.
Why is it important to us?
It reflects our values
In this report, we’re open about what we’ve achieved and where we’d like to do more. We care about having a positive impact and running our business in the right way for the long term. We’re ambitious to create a positive impact for our clients, our people, our communities and the planet, and we collaborate with them so that we can achieve more together.
It supports our vision
We aim to be recognised as an exceptional sector-focused law firm delivering outstanding results for clients, people, communities, and the planet. We’ll do this through a purpose-led and values-driven approach.
It underpins our strategy
As a business, we’re committed to growth – but not growth at any cost. Our approach reflects sustainable, profitable growth – which will help us support our clients, deliver on our SBTi-approved net zero targets, prioritise wellbeing and build and develop diverse, inclusive, and high performing teams. So being a responsible business is integral to our growth strategy - they go hand in hand.
“A responsible business is a business focused on long-term sustainable growth. A business that creates value for all of our stakeholders. This is not new for us. It’s in our DNA. We started our Charitable Trust back in 1982! We’re ambitious for what we can achieve together as we look forward.”
Neil Pearson, Head of Responsible Business
Being a responsible business is embedded in our culture
Our commitment to responsible business is not just a statement from our leadership team – it’s something our people experience and believe in.
of colleagues agreed they are proud of Mills & Reeve’s efforts in giving back to society and promoting responsible business practices.
agreed that the firm is genuinely committed to sustainability and net zero.
Our approach
Our responsible business framework – purpose led and values driven, is grounded in four key pillars and defines how we embed responsibility into everything we do. But it’s more than a framework, it’s a call to action. From small everyday actions to bold radical collaborations, our focus remains the same – building long-term sustainable growth, creating lasting, positive value for clients, people, communities, and the planet.
Achieving more for our clients
Use our ESG legal expertise to help clients to mitigate ESG risks and navigate change
Achieving more for our people
Increase representation of marginalised groups, enhance inclusion and belonging, and support good wellbeing
Measuring our impact
We’re deeply engaged with leading sustainability standards, reporting frameworks, and membership bodies. These partnerships not only strengthen our own approach and hold us to the highest levels of accountability, but they also enable us to elevate best practice across every aspect of responsible business.
We set ambitious internal goals and targets that drive continuous improvement. To track our progress and ensure transparency, we rigorously measure, evaluate, and report our impact through these established frameworks. This disciplined approach keeps us focused on delivering meaningful, measurable change.
Click here to see a list of the major standards, frameworks and memberships we’re engaged with. In addition, we’re proud to showcase some of the awards and accreditations we’ve achieved in recent years.
United Nations Global Compact
We’ve been proud signatories of the United Nations Global Compact since 2023. As part of our commitment, we’ve aligned our responsible business activity to nine specific UN Sustainable Development Goals (commonly referred to as the SDGs) where we believe we can make the biggest impact and report on our progress annually. Throughout this report, we’ve mapped our work against these specific SDGs where we believe we’ve made a meaningful contribution.
