Community & Social Responsibility

The Partners of Paris Smith believe that Community and Social Responsibility revolves around the understanding of the actual impact our business has on the environment, the welfare of individuals, the community and the sustainability of the worlds resources. Running the Firm in the local community goes beyond making profits and acquiring wealth and we therefore acknowledge our obligation to consider the wider interests of our clients, employees and the community in which we function.

Also a responsible approach in these areas can lead to greater efficiencies, lower costs and an improved reputation as a responsible service provider and employer.

Environment

Paris Smith is committed to minimising its impact on the local, national and global environment and encouraging its employees and all those with whom we do business to do likewise.

The Firm will aim to:

• Raise the environmental awareness of those with whom it has contact and encourage them to make environmentally sound and sustainable decisions.
• Encourage the efficient and least environmentally damaging use of energy;
• Encourage the use by ourselves and our suppliers/contractors of  environmentally sound and sustainable resources;
• Reduce the quantity of waste produced to a minimum and recycle waste material wherever possible; and
• Offer employees a safe, hygienic and as far as possible as attractive working environment.

Driving forward actions to reduce the Firms impact on the environment is the responsibility of the Environmental Committee, chaired by the Practice Director and made up of representatives from all areas of the Firm. Key achievements to date have been to ascertain the carbon footprint per employee (2.7tCO2e per annum) supported by the Carbon Trust www.carbontrust.co.uk. Only a small number of law firms in the UK  have established their carbon footprint and this provides us with a measure to benchmark progress with carbon reduction strategies. We are very proud of the fact that we utilise geothermal heated water which is an environmentally friendly substitute for gas.  www.utilicom.co.uk The efforts of the Environmental Committee have recently been recognised by the Sustainable Business Partnership as we have reached the final stages of the Sustainable Business 2008 Awards. www.the-sbp.co.uk

Through the Firms HR Strategy we aspire to become the regions employer of choice for lawyers, secretaries and support staff and seek to achieve this by the application of best practice in the management and development of our people, maintaining our Investors In People accreditation and having effective mechanisms in place to communicate with our people and understanding their concerns. We encouraging input from staff via regular team meetings, the Staff Liaison Committee, and periodic staff opinion surveys.

Paris Smith supports a number of charities and we select two charities to be the main focus of support in each year. In 2008 these charities are: Guide Dogs for the Blind www.guidedogs.org.uk and Rose Road www.roseroad.org.uk. Fund raising activities involving volunteers are actively encouraged among our staff and partners who take part in dress down days for charity and charity walks etc. We provide our conferencing and meeting room facilities for our supported charities and a charity contribution is made in lieu of Christmas cards each year

Sponsorship

Paris Smith is keen to support local sports and the arts and we do this by means of sponsorship, in particular we have been major sponsors of Southampton Football Club, the Hampshire Cricket Club and the Mayflower and Nuffield Theatres.

Pro Bono Legal Advice

Paris Smith lawyers have a long tradition of providing free or low cost legal services to a number of local trusts, charities and other not for profit organisations such as Wessex Heartbeat. This covers a wide range of issues including  tax, planning, commercial property and employment.

At Paris Smith we believe that by investing in the infrastructure of the local community it can help to enrich our relationship with the local community and enhance the work that we do.

The Firm supports local businesses who are able to supply it with goods and services. Currently the Firm has long standing arrangements for the provision locally of photocopy machines, electrical, plumbing and refurbishment services, office equipment, furniture, stationary supplies, training, design and printing, cleaning, staff benefit advice and business insurances. Our policy is also to deal with suppliers who themselves have adopted sustainable business practices, support the local community, use raw materials and/or supply products that are eco friendly and are saving waste.