This statement is made on behalf of Macfarlanes LLP and its affiliated entities. References to "us", "our", "we" or the "Firm" are references to each of these entities.
Our business
Macfarlanes LLP is an English law firm, which is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“the SRA”) (SRA number: 486980).
The Firm operates as a limited liability partnership and provides a broad range of legal services to UK and international clients across various sectors and jurisdictions. We have 97 partners who are supported by just over 800 employees. We primarily operate out of offices based in London, with a small presence in Brussels that largely focuses on EU law advice.
Our Managing Partner is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Firm and is supported by the Firm’s Chief Operating Officer. Our Senior Partner chairs the Firm’s Board (known as the Policy Committee) which oversees the strategic direction and governance of the Firm.
For more details about our Firm and the services that we provide, please see the “About us” (under “Who we are”) and the “What we do” pages on our website.
Risk assessment
As an SRA authorised and regulated law firm operating within a strict ethical framework, we consider the risk of Modern Slavery in our own business to be relatively low. We acknowledge that this risk is greater in some of our supply chains and is continuously evolving.
Notwithstanding the above, we recognise that modern slavery and human trafficking are serious human rights violations that can occur in any industry, workforce, business model and region, and we are therefore committed to identifying and mitigating the risk of Modern Slavery in our business and supply chains.
Our policies
We have a Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy, accessible to all staff and communicated through e-learning, which reflects our zero-tolerance approach to Modern Slavery in our organisation and supply chain. The policy sets out our expectations of our partners and staff and outlines the procedures for reporting and escalating any concerns or incidents, and stipulates that all proposed suppliers must be assessed for Modern Slavery risks.
We also have a number of other policies and procedures that support us in mitigating the risks of Modern Slavery in our business, which are widely accessible. These include:
- Dignity in the Workplace Policy – this policy prohibits (amongst other things) any form of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, bullying or victimisation. We have a dedicated HR team that supports our people and handles any grievances or complaints in a confidential and professional manner;
- Whistleblowing Policy – this policy aims to ensure the highest ethical standards are observed in the business activities of the Firm, its partners and its staff, and encourages freedom of speech and the good faith reporting of any negligence, compliance breaches or illegal acts or omissions that have been observed (including in relation to Modern Slavery). The policy also offers protection for employees who disclose any concerns. We have designated reporting officers who are responsible for receiving and investigating any reports under the Whistleblowing Policy including our Compliance Officer for Legal Practice and/or the Managing Partner who are responsible for receiving and investigating reports concerning Modern Slavery;
- Speaking Up Guidance – this guidance encourages our people to raise any concerns or issues they may have, without fear of retaliation or reprisal. It provides further information and advice on how to raise concerns about problematic behaviours or conduct (including concerns about Modern Slavery) and who to contact;
- Overtime Policy – this ensures all overtime is voluntary, pre-authorised and compensated;
- Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy – this reflects our commitment to making a positive contribution to society and the environment. We support various charitable and community initiatives, such as pro bono work, volunteering, fundraising and donations. We engage with our clients, suppliers, legal sector collaborations and other stakeholders on CSR issues and seek to reflect our social and environmental values and goals in our interactions with them; and
- Approach to Procurement Guidance – published on our website and our intranet, this provides that, at a minimum, our supplier contracts will include a requirement on the supplier to comply with modern slavery and anti-corruption legislation, and taking a risk-based approach we may expect more than that.
People
The Firm and its people are subject to the SRA’s Standards and Regulations, including the obligations to act in a way that upholds the constitutional principle of the rule of law; in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the solicitors' profession; with integrity; and in a way that encourages equality, diversity and inclusion. The Firm’s standard terms of employment require its people to comply with those Standards and Regulations and to comply with all applicable law more generally. They also include a right of termination for our employees.
As well as the HR policies listed above, we comply with all applicable UK and European employment legislation and ensure that all our partners and staff are paid fairly and have the right to work in the UK. We promote equal opportunities in employment and create a safe and trusted working environment for our people.
We are proud to be an accredited London Living Wage employer which means we are committed to paying a wage rate in the UK based on the cost of living. This commitment applies to not only directly employed staff but also to our third party contracted staff.
Our supply chain
Our supply chain consists mainly of UK-based suppliers that provide services to support our operations, such as IT, finance, risk, HR, business and know how systems, and our real estate and office infrastructure. However, due to the international nature of our legal services, we may from time to time procure services from jurisdictions where there is a higher risk of Modern Slavery.
Our relationships with our suppliers are sourced and managed by the directors or heads of the relevant business services teams. We select our suppliers based on various criteria including quality, reliability, sustainability, diversity and inclusion and ethical standards, not only price, and we require that they comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including, where appropriate, the Act. Social and environmental criteria are explicitly discussed during the procurement process.
Our Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy states that we will conduct a risk-based assessment on our suppliers as to whether Modern Slavery may be taking place. We undertake reasonable and proportionate due diligence on our proposed supplier arrangements and depending on the type of supplier this may include background checks, audits, site visits and questionnaires and request references on them. For suppliers identified as high-risk, we have verified that they pay their employees at least the minimum wage and, where required under the Act, have published a modern slavery statement on their website.
Our Risk Lawyers regularly review supplier contracts to ensure that they contain effective anti-modern slavery and human trafficking provisions and where appropriate we request that the supplier agrees to our standard clause which requires the supplier to:
- warrant that slavery and human trafficking (as defined by the Act) is not taking place in their business or supply chains;
- warrant that the supplier is in full compliance with the Act; and
- immediately report to us any breaches of such provisions.
We also reserve the right to terminate the contract or take other remedial actions if the supplier fails to comply with these obligations.
Training
We provide mandatory e-learning training on the Act to all our new joiners to increase awareness, help identify Modern Slavery risks and equip them with the knowledge and tools to respond effectively. It covers the legal requirements, the background and scope of the subject, and the signs and red flags of Modern Slavery in the supply chain. It also includes an assessment of the individual’s understanding of the key Modern Slavery issues and an 80% pass mark is required in order to complete the training.
We continue to monitor and assess the completion and effectiveness of the training and provide feedback and support to our people, where needed.
We also provided training on the firm’s approach to procurement for relevant staff, which included guidance on combatting Modern Slavery such as the identification of suppliers who are high risk for modern slavery purposes, the inclusion of anti-Modern Slavery terms in supplier contracts and the requirement for suppliers to pay fair wages.
Performance indicators
We use the following performance indicators to measure and evaluate our progress and effectiveness in preventing Modern Slavery in our business and supply chains:
- the number and nature of reports or incidents of Modern Slavery that have been identified, investigated and resolved. We are not aware of any instances of Modern Slavery taking place in our business or supply chains during the last financial year;
- the number and percentage of partners and staff that have completed the mandatory e-learning training on the Act; and
- the feedback and satisfaction of our internal and external stakeholders on our Modern Slavery policies and practices.
Looking ahead
We are committed to continuously improving our policies and practices to mitigate against the risk of Modern Slavery in our business and supply chains. We intend to take the following action this financial year to further refine our approach:
- commence a review of our risk assessment for Modern Slavery and of our Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy;
- review and update our terms with recruitment agencies to ensure appropriate provisions are included that protect against modern slavery in that labour supply chain;
- review and update our standard supplier clauses;
- commence a review of our Whistleblowing Policy; and
- continue to monitor any changes in the legal and regulatory environment, industry best practice standards and the expectations of our clients and stakeholders.
This statement has been approved by the Managing Partner on behalf of the members of Macfarlanes LLP.
Signed by: Luke Powell, Managing Partner (Designated Member)
Date: 29 September 2025