Norton Rose Fulbright among Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for fourth consecutive year

Norton Rose Fulbright’s proactive approach to making everyone on its team feel safe, accepted and included has been acknowledged for the fourth year running by Mediacorp Canada Inc., which ranked the global law firm among Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2021.

Norton Rose Fulbright has implemented concrete measures designed to foster diversity and inclusion within the firm—as well as the legal profession at large—stepping up its commitments in a year marked by increased dialogue around prejudice, discrimination and equity. Eight of the 11 Canadian practitioners promoted to partner in January were women. 

And in 2020, the firm backed the following initiatives:

• The BlackNorth Law Firm Pledge, which lays out specific measures and targets to end anti-Black racism and create opportunities for people in the Black community and other underrepresented groups;
• Ensemble inc., a business-led movement in Quebec to ensure that solutions aimed at stimulating economic recovery are inclusive; 
• The Dear Everybody agreement to use imagery inclusive of people with disabilities.

Shanin Lott, chief people officer for Norton Rose Fulbright Canada, said:

“Each of us becomes more successful when we benefit from the contributions made by people with different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences to our own. This is what drives innovation and collaboration at our firm, so a culture of belonging and inclusion where everyone is able to thrive must continue to be our priority.” 

Troy Ungerman, partner and chief diversity and inclusion officer, commented:

“Our employee resource groups are a source of great pride to the firm. Our six groups include our Pride Network, Women in Norton Rose Network (WiN) and our Indigenous Relations Network, and last fall we formed a Race Equity Council to advise the firm’s management. So many of our people have stepped up to be part of these efforts that I feel energized by the level of grassroots engagement we have to cultivate a culture of awareness and action in our workplace.”

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, an editorial competition run by employment-related publisher Mediacorp Canada Inc., recognizes successful diversity initiatives in a variety of areas, including programs for employees from five groups: (a) women; (b) members of visible minorities; (c) persons with disabilities; (d) Indigenous peoples; and (e) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender/transsexual (LGBT) peoples.