Overview
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are fundamental to our culture and values. At Capsticks, we want everyone to feel seen and heard, and to know that you’re valued for your differences and unique strengths.
Our EDI strategy and plan 2025-2029 reflects our firm’s commitment to just that – valuing difference, fostering inclusion, and driving equity.
Our three focus areas for the next four years are:
- Equity: Build equity into all policies, practices and decision-making
- Diversity: Drive representation at all levels of our business
- Inclusion: Advance inclusion through language, behaviour and culture
Our EDI team is supported in delivering these aims by the firm’s Managing Partner and Senior Sponsor for EDI, Martin Hamilton and our EDI Council made up of senior representatives from across the firm serving as inclusion champions and driving change within their divisions.
We also have four thriving employee network groups supporting us to achieve our diversity and inclusion goals. Our network groups deliver a wealth of fantastic annual diversity and inclusion events bringing colleagues together to celebrate difference and foster inclusion.
And finally, we’re lucky to work with some of the best external partners helping ensure we maintain best practice in our EDI efforts. (You can read more about our partners below.)
Read about our refreshed four-year strategy and plan
What we've been up to
Since our first EDI strategy and plan was launched in 2021, we’re delighted to report that we’ve improved gender representation at partner and equity partner level, and increased representation of global majority colleagues across the wider firm. We’ve introduced a series of inclusive policies and guidance including transitioning at work, a workplace adjustments policy, hybrid and flexible working policies, neurodivergence guidance and more. And we’ve delivered numerous training sessions and behavioural change programmes including our flagship Reciprocal Mentoring Programme, our Women’s Mentoring Programme, inclusive interview training, anti-racism training for partners and more.
Our progress in figures
- Women Partners: 50%
- Women Equity Partners: 35%
- Global majority colleagues: 27%
- Colleagues in our employee network groups represent 35% of the firm
- Hiring managers who’ve attended our inclusive interview training: 129, 63% of whom are partners
- Colleagues who’ve participated in the firm’s first women’s mentoring programme in 2025: 67
- Partners who’ve participated in our reciprocal mentoring programme: 28%
- A total of 16 Paralegal and Solicitor apprentices since 2021 who are either working towards qualification or recently qualified reflecting our firm’s efforts to increase social mobility within the legal sector
- Undergraduates who’ve joined us as part of the 10,000 Black Interns six-week work experience programme since 2023: 10
- Partners who’ve attended anti-racism practice training: 95%
- Over 200 individual BlueSky maternity coaching sessions for 70+ colleagues
We’re proud signatories of the
- Mindful Business Charter
- Law Society Women in Law Pledge
- Menopause Workplace Pledge
- Business in the Community Race at Work Charter
- Halo Code
We’re partnered with
- Black Solicitors Network – one of our employment law partners is a former Director on the Black Solicitors Network Board
- 10,000 Interns Foundation
- Business Disability Forum
- Legal Neurodiversity Network – one of our Legal Directors is currently regional engagement lead for the LNN
- LGBT Great
- BlueSky
- Hey Girls
- Ahead Partnership
Our accreditations
- Disability Confident Committed Level 1
- Living wage employer
- Best Companies ‘Outstanding company to work for’ achieving a 2-star accreditation, recognised for our culture, values, people and sense of family and community, and flexible working
Our employee network groups
OWN
Our Women’s Network is for women including trans women, non-binary people and allies and focuses on advancing gender equity at the firm and in the wider legal profession
Our highlights
- Launched the firm’s first ever women’s mentoring programme with over 60 mentors and mentee participating
- Launched a new partnership with Hey Girls, a female-led social enterprise committed to eradicating period poverty, providing access to 100% sustainable period products in our offices
- Launched two free women’s health products – a menopause package providing access to a consultation with a GP specially trained in menopause and a personalised care plan, and a period package
- Delivered a three-week long financial wellbeing campaign attended by over 500 colleagues with 42 additional 1:1 financial coaching sessions offered to colleagues
- Celebrated International Women’s Day with a Capsticks Connections event with Dana Denis Smith OBE; lawyer, journalist, CEO of Obelisk and campaigner and activist for the equality of women in law
CREATE
Our race, ethnicity and cultural heritage network supports Black, Asian and racially minoritised staff
Our highlights
- We celebrate annually South Asian Heritage Month and Black History Month with in-person events.
- Every year we host Iftars across each of our offices to celebrate our Muslim colleagues, Lunar New Year to celebrate our Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other Southeast Asian colleagues, and Diwali to celebrate our Hindu and Sikh colleagues.
- One of our most well-received events was a collaboration with our women’s network on the role of white women showing up as anti-racist, which attracted over 100 participants and led to the creation of an anti-racism toolkit.
- We participate in 10,000 Black Interns annually and have welcomed a total of 10 undergraduate interns on a six-week paid summer internship since 2023. The aim is to improve and diversify our talent pipeline and provide professional opportunities to individuals who might otherwise face barriers to entry to the legal industry. In 2024, one of our interns was successfully recruited into a Paralegal role in our Leeds office, and in 2025 we successfully recruited another intern into our business development department.
SHINE
Our network encompasses disability, neurodiversity, health conditions, mental health and wellbeing
Our highlights
- Neurodivergent Natter is our newly established peer support group for ND colleagues which meets once a month to share experiences and connect.
- A grief, loss and loneliness peer support group facilitated by one of our Mental Health First Aiders.
- Regular virtual “coffee roulette” sessions, facilitated by our Managing Partner and Senior Sponsor for the Shine network, to mark Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day, and World Kindness Day.
- We’ve introduced the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard scheme in all our offices, available to colleagues, visitors and clients to collect from reception ‘no questions asked’, which we launched to coincide with International Day of Persons with Disabilities in December 2025.
PRISM
Our network group for LGBT+ colleagues and allies
Our highlights
- As part of our commitment to be a trans-inclusive firm, we introduced optional pronouns in our email signatures to normalise the practice, facilitate an environment that affirms LGBT+ identities and fosters a culture of acceptance and belonging.
- We have a transitioning at work policy to better support our transgender colleagues.
- Brand new for 2026 we are launching the firm’s first ever LGBT+ internship for one university student who identifies as LGBTQ+ with a keen interest in law.
- We’ll be working with LGBT Great on a mentoring programme specifically for LGBT colleagues seeking an external mentor, and anyone at Capsticks will be able to join their global mentoring scheme as a mentor.
