Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

EDI

At WeirFoulds, we recognize the importance of advancing and demonstrating equity, diversity, and inclusion, both internally and externally, to realize equality in everything that we do.

The core principles of EDI must be intrinsic to our relationships with clients, professional colleagues, courts, tribunals, and the public, as well as to the students, associates, partners, and staff who join our team. We recognize that systemic barriers exist in every organization and that we can and must do better. We strive to constantly demonstrate that each one of us is valued within our firm’s professional environment and workplace culture, regardless of the differences that make each of us unique. All forms of discrimination must be eliminated, and we must work to create an environment that celebrates and reflects the rich diversity of our society.

To assist in that endeavour, WeirFoulds’ EDI Committee, which is comprised of staff, administration, associates and partners, leads this ongoing mission by continuing to engage with our internal community. The support of the Management Committee has enabled us to continue to work diligently on the key areas of focus that require attention, reflection, and action at our firm.

WeirFoulds was recognized by SCG Legal in 2024 as an inaugural participant in its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advocate Certification Program.

Our EDI Journey

In 2023, we launched WeirFoulds’ first Inclusion Strategy and Multi-Year Action Plan in order to set the tone and direction of EDI at our firm, and to establish clear roles and accountabilities. This strategy and associated pillars are described in our official statement on our commitment to EDI, which we are pleased to share with you.

This will ensure that our business objectives, internal processes and the services we provide to our clients are reflective of the inclusive competencies needed to advance our efforts towards equality within our firm, throughout the legal sector, and in the broader business community that we serve.

With this Inclusion Strategy and Multi-Year Action Plan in place, we have set the tone and direction of EDI at our firm and established clear roles and accountabilities.

Our Inclusion Strategy and Multi-Year Action Plan

Purpose: The purpose of the Inclusion Strategy is to contribute towards and expand on the work that has already been started towards embedding EDI into every aspect of the firm’s operations by continuing to build an inclusive culture that attracts, promotes, and retains people from every part of society.

This Inclusion Strategy seeks to cultivate a workplace where every member feels empowered to bring a diverse range of perspectives to their work, thus better positioning WeirFoulds to represent a broader range of clients across our practice areas.

Pillars: The following pillars will guide our Inclusion Strategy’s core initiatives.

I. Inclusive Leadership

The firm’s most senior leadership is demonstrably committed to building a workplace characterized by integrity, professional competence, and true inclusivity. They possess a deep understanding of their role in establishing EDI as a top operational priority.

II. Talent

Collaboration with our Talent and Human Resources Teams is pivotal in ensuring that EDI is thoroughly embedded into every aspect of the employee life cycle, starting with a job candidate’s very first interview.

III. Culture of Belonging

It is important that each of our employees feels like they can bring their authentic selves to their work. We endeavour to build and maintain a work culture that encourages authenticity and individuality, where everyone can bring diverse experiences and perspectives to their role.

IV. Client Support – EDI Consulting Services

We support our clients in their EDI efforts by offering a full suite of fully customizable EDI programs. More information about our consultation services is outlined below.

EDI Committee Chair

Raj Datt

Partner

INQUIRES

WEIRFOULDS EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CONSULTATION SERVICES AND TRAINING

We customize and build inclusive practices through competency-based workplace training and leadership education. Our evidence-based learning experiences are informed and guided by research in inclusive leadership and EDI education, along with principles of adult learning and development. Our collaborative style invites different perspectives and creates an environment where participants can be comfortable with becoming uncomfortable as they learn how to implement impactful and sustainable inclusivity practices. At the end of our learning experiences, participants will be left with solutions-focused perspectives and approaches to facilitate desired inclusivity outcomes.

The course offerings will include experiential learning and, depending on the delivery format, a dialogic approach that invites learners to engage in deep conversations, reflection, and storytelling. The learning experiences will incorporate individual and/or group activities to situate learning in real life and to allow the learner to build and walk away with tangible strategies that they can implement immediately. Resources will be provided to enable participants to continue their learning well beyond our time together.

Topics:

Our EDI sessions are fully customizable, providing a tailored experience suited to each client’s needs. Here are just a few of the training session topics we have created and delivered to clients:

Building Inclusive Leadership Practices for Executive Leadership and Board of Directors
Building Inclusive Human Resources Practices
Building Inclusive Competencies for Recruiters
Building and Maintaining Trust Around EDI
Introduction to Allyship (Critical Friendship)
Understanding and Uprooting Systemic Barriers
Understanding Intersectionality
Understanding Microaggressions and Mental Health

DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEYS/INCLUSION ASSESSMENTS

We can create demographic surveys and inclusion assessments, review the data, and prepare reports on our findings, in addition to providing recommendations on strategy implementation.

DIVERSITY METRICS

We will recommend appropriate metrics and reporting approaches, enabling clients to accurately measure the performance and success of agreed-upon EDI programs, initiatives, and outcomes.

EQUITY AUDITS

Comprehensive benchmarking tool for assessing equity and inclusion across workplaces
Comprehensive analysis and recommendations.
Review of policies, procedures, programs, and practices across all departments.
Provides the data needed to build more inclusive practices and programs, both internally and externally.

INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP COACHING

Personalized to each client’s industry, workplace culture and leadership style.
In-depth coaching to build comfort and confidence in leading EDI strategies within each client’s organization.
Meets our clients where they are at to tailor coaching to meet their needs.
Helps to increase inclusive competencies.

TALENT

Tailored to meet EDI needs of each client’s Human Resources department.
Collaborates with senior Human Resources leaders and their teams as needed.
Provides coaching/training/guidance.
Ensures that EDI is embedded into every aspect of an employee’s life cycle.
Delivers an EDI HR Audit with recommendations for HR strategies and a work plan to incorporate EDI-focused policies.

EDI STRATEGY AND MULTI-YEAR ACTION PLAN

Provides recommendations on how to successfully embed EDI into every aspect of an organization’s operations through the development of an EDI Strategy and Multi-Year Action Plan.
Work with leaders to recommend realistic, measurable, specific, and achievable short, medium, and long-term EDI goals.
Review the existing EDI work and recommend short and long-term next steps with clear objectives and plans of action and budgets.
Identify and recommend projects, activities, strategies, and approaches to advance a diverse and inclusive culture within the organization.
Make recommendations on how to integrate EDI practices into core employment and workplace processes and practices.
Recommend learning and capacity building to senior leaders on matters related to EDI.
Identify and make recommendations on how to address individual, organizational, and environmental conditions that foster or inhibit EDI.
Recommend appropriate metrics and reporting approaches to measure performance and success around agreed-upon EDI programs, initiatives, and outcomes.

Message from WeirFoulds’ Co-Managing Partners

“We firmly believe that embracing policies that support the values of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in WeirFoulds’ work culture fosters a diverse and inclusive environment, one that values and draws from a wide range of experiences and perspectives, which allows us to provide the best possible legal services to our clients.”

– Denise Baker & Wayne Egan, Co-Managing Partners

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