Diversity & Inclusion

McInnes Cooper is committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values and supports the perspectives, cultures and experiences of all firm members, clients and community partners.

We recognize that our individual differences make McInnes Cooper a stronger, more adaptable firm, rich in skills and knowledge that enhance the firm’s ability to serve our clients and our communities.

To foster a truly inclusive culture, we commit to ensuring all members of McInnes Cooper feel heard, valued, supported and respected.

Beyond our internal culture, we acknowledge our responsibility to break down systemic barriers that affect underrepresented groups, and we embrace opportunities to collaborate with community partners and law schools to help resolve those historic impediments to equity and inclusion.

We aim to ensure professionals from all underrepresented communities view McInnes Cooper as a firm where they can learn and thrive. This is important to us because we know that diversity, equity & inclusion contribute to the betterment of our profession and our community at large. To achieve this, we have a robust Action Plan built on five pillars.

• Understand: We use DEI analytics to better understand our areas of success and areas of opportunity.
• Educate: We educate our members to mitigate bias and foster a culture of belonging.
• Engage: We review our recruitment processes and liaise with student & community groups to support and enhance diversity in the legal profession.
• Support: We establish an inclusive strategy for onboarding, developing, elevating and recognizing all members without bias.
• Integrate: We ensure DEI considerations are applied to all firm policies, communications and physical spaces. 

Our Successes

In 2019, we renewed our commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and appointed a new DEI Working Group. We rolled out a new DEI Strategy and have achieved some important successes:

• We adopted a DEI Policy and conducted a firm-wide DEI census and survey.
• In the latter half of 2021, forty-six members of our leadership teams engaged in approximately 285 hours of DEI education.
• We established a BIPOC Committee for members who identify as Black, Indigenous or Persons of Colour.
• We also supported the creation of a [email protected] employee resource group (ERG).
• We established a program through with we provide pro bono legal services to people of African descent.
• We have amended our processes and educated all members involved in recruitment to help them recognize and mitigate biases.
• We engaged a certified expert to conduct an accessibility audit of our largest office.