Behind the door at No4
MSB LEAD THE WAY ON INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY
Number 4 St Paul's Square has created a real community in the heart of Liverpool’s business district – and collaboration and inclusivity is at the heart of that.
Leading the way on diversity and inclusion is one of the building’s biggest tenants - law firm MSB, which has established a reputation for being one of the most progressive professional firms in the North West.
Its commitment to inclusivity has been driven by managing partner Emma Carey, who has been instrumental in opening up the practice to people from all sections of the community that it serves.
She said: “We all, as individuals, have something unique to offer to the workplace and to the world, and we recognise that at MSB. We appreciate the value of having a multi-faceted, multi-skilled and diverse workforce and the benefits it presents for our clients.”
Pride Connect
In July, just before Liverpool’s annual pride festival, MSB took part in a celebration of the Liverpool city region’s thriving LGBTQ+ business community, organised by full service marketing agency, Agent.
More than 150 business leaders, including Emma Carey, joined Agent at the company’s Baltic Triangle headquarters for the first ever Pride Connect.
While LGBT visibility in business and in the workplace is improving, there is still a long way to go. The latest survey of more than 5,000 LGBT people from national charity, Stonewall, found that one in five respondents have been the target of negative comments due to their sexuality at work, and that more than a third have hidden their sexuality in the workplace due to fear of discrimination.
To combat this, Pride Connect highlighted the importance of diversity and inclusion in business and celebrated everything that has been done so far to make the city region an LGBT-friendly one.
Emma added: “Pride is of course, an amazing celebration, but it is also a symbol of the ongoing struggle the LGBTQ+ community faces and the importance of standing together as one.
“It is so important for MSB Solicitors to support this community and events like Pride Connect, which is just one of the many ways we celebrate diversity and inclusion at our firm.”
Mentoring scheme
MSB was the first law firm in the North West to acquire the Navajo Kite mark, which demonstrates its commitment to the LGBT+ community, and is participating in the Law Society LGBT mentoring scheme, for which they are partnered with fellow law firm DWF Law.
Emma has also overseen the development of an LGBT+ committee at MSB to ensure all staff feel supported, accepted and empowered and, in recognition of her efforts, she was shortlisted in the Corporate Ally category at the national NatWest LGBT Awards 2018.
Most recently, MSB has been shortlisted in for the national Law Society Excellence Awards in the Inclusion and Diversity category, in recognition of its efforts towards prioritising equality and acceptance in the workplace.
“I do not view equality and diversity as a business ‘policy’ – a set of rules we are obliged to follow,” she said. “I see equality and inclusion as something that guides our principles and defines our values.”
MSB relocated to No 4 St Paul's in 2016. Neil Kirkham, director at No 4's joint agents, CBRE, said: "Collaboration and inclusivity are at the heart of our ethos here. MSB embodies that approach and they have shown they are the perfect fit with our growing and diverse business community."
