Diversity & Inclusion
The diversity of modern society shapes business life in Germany and thus the environment in which we operate. We are convinced that lived diversity and appreciation have a positive impact on society as well as on working life and that this is our responsibility.
We promote diversity in the workplace and foster an organizational culture characterized by mutual respect and appreciation of each and every individual. People from different nations, religious communities and age groups work successfully together at our company. People with physical disabilities are naturally part of our team.
In 2017, we signed the Diversity Charter [Charta der Vielfalt] and committed ourselves to recognizing diversity within our firm as a value that is relevant to all processes and to being externally accountable for our activities and progress.
Our diversity activities serve all members of our organization and are part of our social responsibility as a law firm, both internally and externally.
GvW shows its colors
Magdalene Schoch Prize
Lucy Liefmann Prize
Selected initiatives at GvW
The Equal Opportunities Office of the Faculty of Law at the University of Hamburg, together with us, awards the Magdalene Schoch Prize, which is endowed with 500 euros. The prize is awarded to the five best seminar papers or term papers written by a female student in the two previous summer and winter semesters.
The prize, which is part of the Magdalene Schoch Program, is named after Maria Magdalene Schoch (1897-1987), who was the first woman in Germany to habilitate in law at the University of Hamburg.
The Equal Opportunities Council of the Faculty of Law at Goethe University Frankfurt a.M. awards the Lucy-Liefmann Prize in cooperation with us. We established the prize to help raise awareness of gender equality and gender issues among students and in the public eye.
Lucy Liefmann, a native of Frankfurt with an English father, was the first woman to graduate with a doctorate in law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Frankfurt.
For the duration of the annual Pride Week in Hamburg, the rainbow flag flies on the tower of GvW's Hamburg office in the Alte Post. Normally, the flag of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg adorns the tradition-rich building. By raising the rainbow flag, the law firm expresses its support for the LGBTIQ community and sets an example for acceptance and diversity.
Our goal is to overcome gender-specific disadvantages and achieve lasting equality between men and women at GvW. The proportion of women among associates in our firm is now more than 50%. We are proud of this. At partner level, we have not yet reached our goal - even though we have made significant progress here in recent years. This is thanks, among other things, to an improved work-life balance, a GvW network of female lawyers and new training/coaching opportunities. We are continuing on this - our - path and aim to steadily increase the proportion of women in the partnership.
Parental leave is not an offer, but a legal entitlement. However, it is not just the legal situation that is important for parents and parents-to-be, but also the corporate culture. At GvW, it has become the norm in recent years for mothers and fathers to take time to care for their newborns and young children. Our teams now take it for granted that young parents will take parental leave and are organized from the outset in such a way that the temporary break and also the return to work are successful.
Diverse life models or special life circumstances require flexible working time models, which are actually practiced at our company. GvW offers its employees part-time and work models tailored to their individual needs - so that everyone is given the opportunity for professional and personal development.
Kontakt
For us, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a law firm means assuming social responsibility and acting in accordance with ecological and social values. We are convinced that we, as a law firm, can also operate in a sustainable and value-oriented manner and, in this respect, we would like to live up to our role and responsibility in society.