As part of the British Chambers of Commerce’s annual Chamber Business Awards 2023, a Welsh legal firm has been chosen as the Equality Trailblazer of the year. 

The awards, now in their 20th year, are one of the showpieces of the business calendar, highlighting the role of firms in delivering growth and prosperity across the UK. 

The Equality Trailblazer award recognises the work of an organisation that champions diversity and promotes inclusion – in their workforce, their customers and any community outreach work. 

Browne Jacobson, a member of Chamber Wales (South East, South West and Mid) won the award after impressing judges with its commitment to a wide range of ground-breaking initiatives. Since 2019 it has revolutionised its trainee recruitment process – removing academic barriers and anonymising applications. It has also developed a work experience programme for young people from socially disadvantage groups, and, in 2022, a mentoring programme for aspiring black lawyers. 

Sarah Howard, Chair of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said: 

“In the last seven years Browne Jacobson has increased the number of junior lawyers it has hired from ethnic minorities by a factor of six. They have reviewed the entire lawyer candidate journey to identify areas of improvement and have also made impressive progress on social mobility. It truly is a trailblazer in the legal sector.”