A Birmingham and Manchester firm has published a social impact report detailing its contribution to wider society last year and is urging all profit-making firms to do the same.

Anthony Collins Solicitors published its third annual social impact report this week, which states that 88% of the firm’s work directly improved lives, communities and society.

This includes: helping charitable housing providers raise £1.4bn, which will build 7,000 affordable homes; £1.9m worth of work to those financially unable to access legal representation; £28m in compensation for PI and clinical negligence cases; supporting 384 vulnerable children to find better living arrangements; and helping 127 maximise and claim benefits.

Peter Hubbard, senior partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors

Peter Hubbard, senior partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors

Peter Hubbard, senior partner, said his firm operated with a ‘clear social purpose - improving lives, communities and society’.

He said: ‘Many of the charitable organisations we work with share these values and operate in a similar way. Some take this a step further and publish reports evidencing how their work is having a positive social impact. As a purpose-led legal firm, we believe profit-making businesses should do the same, by measuring and reporting on their own social impact.'

Hubbard cited a 2019 Harvard Business Review article on the importance of a ‘purpose statement’ that clearly articulates the firm’s strategic goals and motivates the workforce.

Hubbard said: ‘The key is that real purpose has to be ingrained in an organisation and not added as an afterthought. Anthony Collins Solicitors' annual measurement of social impact covers all our business as a law firm and in 2020 shows that 88% of our work had a positive social impact. This assessment was undertaken in line with recognised methodologies adopted across a range of business sectors and after engaging leading external specialists to advise us on the measurement of social impact.

‘We support other profit-making businesses and law firms that are already prioritising delivering a social impact and reporting on it. We'd like to build on this and encourage others to do the same.’

Quantifying the legal sector’s contribution is something the Law Society did last year, publishing a report - as Brexit trade talks began - revealing legal services’ £60bn contribution to the UK economy.

 

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