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Carey Olsen is one of the oldest and largest law firms in Guernsey and is committed to supporting the local community and its staff through several initiatives.
When the opportunity came up to be an event partner with the Chamber of Commerce for the ‘People, Planet & (Mary) Portas’ Gala Dinner in November, the firm was very keen to be involved.
They have a comprehensive strategy in place for supporting and developing their people and protecting the environment.
There is a great emphasis placed on career development at Carey Olsen. This starts by encouraging aspiring lawyers to experience life at the law firm and to help them in the early years of their careers in a number of ways.
Pictured: Tom Carey and some of the 2024 works experience students.
Work experience placements are on offer as well as opportunities to shadow leaders through the Institute of Directors (IoD) Leadership Shadowing Scheme, there is a bursary scheme to support students financially throughout their higher education and a route to qualifying as a solicitor through the Solicitor's Qualifying Examination (SQE). The firm can also support individuals through the Bar Training Course which is completed remotely for them to be called as a barrister of England and Wales.
Further down the line the firm also supports lawyers to complete the Certificat d'Etudes Juridiques et Normandes through the University of Caen and the Guernsey Bar exams as part of the process to become an Advocate of the Royal Court of Guernsey.
In addition to the legal teams, Carey Olsen also employs a number of people to undertake various other functions. This includes conveyancers, compliance, finance, HR, IT, Business Development, marketing, and facilities professionals.
All employees are encouraged to undertake continued professional development (CPD) to enhance their specialist skills and knowledge. This includes qualifications relating to professional bodes such as The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD), The International Compliance Association (ICA), The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Carey Olsen was the first offshore law firm to be accredited as a Platinum Employer Partner by STEP. This scheme is designed as a benchmark for businesses in the trusts and estates industry and signals a firm's investment in employees' professional development and for providing a nurturing work environment.
Tom Carey, managing partner of Carey Olsen in Guernsey said, "We are dedicated to helping our staff in their professional development by attaining CPD. The STEP accreditation was particularly pleasing to achieve as it involves a rigorous review process and ensures we are maintaining the necessary standards in a number of areas. Ultimately, it benefits our staff, our clients and the firm."
Since the outbreak of COVID the health and well-being of staff has become increasingly more important. ‘Wellness Wednesdays’ were introduced, which are monthly lunchtime sessions for staff led by health and other professionals to discuss a variety of health and well-being issues.
Sessions have covered topics such as mental health and resilience, the menopause, emotional intelligence, men's health, hypnotherapy, and dementia. One session which proved very popular was ‘paws for support’ when a number of puppies were brought into the office and the benefits of therapy dogs in the workplace was discussed.
The firm has also trained mental health champions in the workplace to promote a positive, non-judgemental environment where staff are supported and encouraged to speak up.
The Carey Olsen Women's Network was also set up in 2023 with the objective of facilitating female collaboration and support across the firm's global network. It provides a platform for sharing accomplishments, experiences, and advice to support women at Carey Olsen in achieving their potential and to increase engagement, recognition, and the promotion of women leaders.
There is an ESG Working Group in operation at the firm, comprising a mix of legal and business support staff reflecting the various jurisdictions in which they operate, who were mandated to develop and run a firm wide ESG strategy.
As a result, the firm has implemented a Group Environmental Sustainability Policy which emphasises the responsibility to ensure that interactions with the environment are carefully managed, and that any negative impacts from the firm's activities are minimised and mitigated. A programme of continuous improvement, setting achievable objectives and targets for reducing environmental impact is in place.
Building on the above, Carey Olsen is the first offshore law firm to have signed up to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. Becoming a signatory in 2022, we are committed to supporting the initiative's Ten Principles and reporting annually on our progress, measurement of outcomes and future plans.
Pictured: Mark Stanford, Michael Harris, and Craig Brouard with the Carey Olsen electric vehicles.
Some measures taken in Guernsey so far include the firm changing its fleet of vehicles to fully electric cars, participation in alternative transport week by encouraging staff members to make alternative journeys to the office, and a funding scheme whereby the firm pays for part of the purchase costs of an electric bicycle for staff members wishing to change to an environmentally friendly method of transport.
Staff also took part in a sponsored beach clean at Belle Grève Bay as part of an initiative by The Clean Earth Trust.
Carey Olsen is particularly proud of its Guernsey roots and its contribution to the Bailiwick community. Through a programme of sponsorships, the arts, education, sports and charity sectors are supported through financial contributions and staff participation in some way. The firm provides pro bono advice in conjunction with Citizens Advice Guernsey and staff have raised funds for Action for Children and Safer charities through various fund-raising activities this year. In addition to its support of the Chamber of Commerce, its programme of local CSR, other sponsorships include, The Guernsey Rugby Association, The Guernsey Literary Festival, Art for Guernsey, The Institute of Directors, Vive La Villette and The Guernsey Sports Commission.
Tom Carey commented: ”The Chamber of Commerce is very important to Guernsey, and we strive to support it through participation and sponsorship of their activities. We applaud their new initiatives around cultural diplomacy through David Ummels and look forward to celebrating all the Chamber of Commerce achievements at the annual dinner in November."
This article first appeared in the July edition of CONNECT, Express' sister publication.
The latest edition of CONNECT can be read HERE.
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