Inclusion

Inclusion is not just a value - it is fundamental to who we are and how we succeed. Different viewpoints and lived experiences strengthen our business, helping us deliver excellence for our clients, while ensuring everyone feels valued, empowered and can contribute their full potential, because a wide range of experiences and outlooks deliver better outcomes. 

Driving change at A&O Shearman

We are committed to driving change, and creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to belong and excel. 

Our teams reflect the global markets we serve, with a huge range of characteristics, backgrounds, perspectives and generations. We recognize that talent takes many forms, and we strive to ensure everyone has the opportunity to succeed. 

Our global aims

Communities face different challenges and operate within different legal and cultural contexts. We adapt our approach to respond to local and regional nuances while pursuing a common ambition of being an inclusive firm that reflects and serves our clients, people and our communities. 

We aim to create an environment where we welcome and respect every aspect of a person’s identity, and where different experiences and perspectives strengthen our workplace, and the service we provide to our clients and communities. 

Our wide range of affinity networks are open to all. We’re proud that they support the communities they represent, while providing opportunities for everyone to learn from one and others share experiences, and build understanding across our firm. 

We all have a role to play

An inclusive and welcoming workplace benefits everyone, and we all play a role in creating and maintaining it.

Openness is at the heart of our approach. We celebrate progress and we’re honest about where more work might be needed.

Our ambition goes beyond our firm. We aim to drive positive change across our profession and the communities we serve. 

• Awarded Ethnicity: Best Initiative of the Year at the Legal500 Awards 2026 for our work as part of Legal CORE with the Hemisphere Education racial literacy project.
• Recognized in The Parker Review 2026 for being one of two law firms among the Top 50 private organizations with at least one ethnic minority director on its board.
• Rated in the top 100 of the Corporate Equality Index as a leader in LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 2026.
• One of The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality, 2026
• Received a silver ranking in the Global Stonewall Workplace Equality Index 2025.
• First law firm to be awarded the Inclusion+ Silver 2026 label from AFL Diversity in France, in recognition of our actions and impact in driving inclusion across the firm.

• One of the top ten best performing private companies in the FTSE Women Leaders Review.
• Recognized with a Stonewall Innovation Award for our Pride 2024 campaign.
• 3rd place in the Top 10 Employers category; and 2nd place in the Legal Industry category in the Community Business LGBT+ Inclusive Workplace Index 2025 (Hong Kong).
• Won Outstanding Collaboration award for our role in Legal CORE at the British Legal Awards 2025.
• Law.com International’s top ten firms for LGBTQ+ partner representation, 2024.