insight - Burges Salmon

BUILDING THERIGHT TEAMSupporting such an extensive work portfoliorequires not just technical expertise but the abilityto empathise with our clients and colleagues andbe flexible and responsive too.We go to great lengths to foster a supportive andcollaborative culture at Burges Salmon, beginning fromthe very first contact an individual may have with theorganisation.During 2012 we became a signatory to the PRIME initiative– a commitment by the legal sector to provide fair accessto work experience for talented, ambitious and motivatedschool-age students. As such, we have committed toproviding a number of work experience placements,equivalent to 50% of our trainee intake, across both legaland business services departments each year.The primary goal is to ensure that people from allbackgrounds get the work experience opportunities theirtalents deserve. This builds on our own experience ofrunning a successful work experience programme withinbusiness services since 2002, in conjunction with localschools and the University of the West of England (UWE).In fact, during 2012 we were shortlisted in the NationalCouncil for Work Experience (NCWE) annual awards.Diversity also remains an important focus for us and weare signatories to the Law Society’s Diversity and InclusionCharter. Individuals from across the firm are also activelyinvolved with organisations including the Business DisabilityForum, formerly the Employers’ Forum on Disability (EFD)– the world’s leading employers’ organisation focused ondisability as it affects business; Stonewall – the country’sleading lesbian, gay and bi-sexual (LGB) charity; and PrideBristol – a major annual LGBT community event.Elsewhere, our trainee recruitment programme continues toreceive national recognition. In an unrivalled award-winningrun, in 2012 we were named as the UK’s best legal recruiterfor the seventh time in a row at the annual LawCareers.NetTraining & Recruitment Awards (the TARAs).We scooped the top prize in the National/Large RegionalLaw Firm category, seeing off a number of industrycompetitors. Our trainee recruitment and developmentprogramme is central to the way we do business at BurgesSalmon – with commitment, quality and collaboration alwaysfront of mind.Four of the sevenindividuals whomade partner were‘home-grown’.It was particularly rewarding to receive this recognition inthe same year that we made our largest ever partnerpromotion round. Four of the seven individuals who madepartner in 2012 were ‘home-grown’ having joined us astrainees. These were Jim Aveline (wealth structuring),Andrew Burnette (dispute resolution), Liz Dunn (environmentand planning) and Sarah Woodsford (family law). Theywere joined by Michael Hayles (pensions), Matt Ramus(commercial) and Will Woodall (real estate).22 INSIGHT Burges Salmon Annual Review 2012