Our goal is to create a company as diverse as the world around us


Our aim is to be recognised as a leading promoter of inclusion and diversity in the legal profession. We believe in a gender balanced, diverse workforce and culture that is inclusive of everyone. We also believe that promoting and strengthening equity, diversity and inclusion allows us to build effective teams for our clients and deliver the highest quality service.

"Diversity" to us means diversity in gender, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and ability. "Inclusion" to us means inclusion for all. We are committed to promoting a truly diverse workforce and culture, that is inclusive of everyone and gives all our people the opportunity to build and advance their career in a way that is aligned with our core values: balance, respect, loyalty and integrity.

Our Managing Partner, Nick Crennan, is a Pay Equity Ambassador through the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). Pay Equity Ambassadors take WGEA's Pay Equity Pledge to commit to analysing talent data and taking action to ensure equal pay within their organisation. Gender pay equity is about ensuring women and men performing the same role are paid the same amount, and women and men performing different work of equal or comparable value are paid equitably.

We focus on the following resource streams:

  • Gender and Flexibility                
  • Age and Generation
  • LGBTQ
  • People with Disabilities
  • Culture and Religion

 As part of our inclusion and diversity strategy we work closely with the following organisations who provide us with resources, advice, networking opportunities and insights in I&D across all different industries.

A FLEXIBLE WORK CULTURE FOR ALL

Balance is at the heart of our business.

We focus on excellence without losing sight of balance. We understand that as people go through different phases of life, the amount of time they are able to dedicate to their career can vary. To retain top talent, we adapt to our people's changing needs. We offer many flexible work arrangements, including part-time work, paid parental leave and non-primary caregiver leave, study leave, carer’s leave and options to work from home. Currently, 60% of our people have some kind of flexible working arrangement. This includes working less than full-time, adjusting core working hours, working from home, or any combination or tailored approach. We support them throughout all the phases of their lives.

EQUALITY AND OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN

We fight for the fair representation of women.

Colin Biggers & Paisley is committed to fostering a culture of genuine equality and opportunity for women. We work hard to maximise opportunities for women to succeed and excel in their careers. This means deliberate inclusion initiatives and pay equity for similar roles and performance, regardless of gender.

Colin Biggers & Paisley is a signatory to the Advancement of Women Charter, a Law Society of New South Wales initiative. Together, we are committed to promoting diversity, equality, respect and inclusion consistent with the principles of justice, integrity, equity and the pursuit of excellence in the legal profession.

LGBTQ

We believe in acceptance, equality, understanding, respect, human rights, and the power of our community.

We are committed to fostering a safe and supportive culture, where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans or gender diverse and Queer (LGBTQ) employees feel respected, valued and are able to bring their whole selves to work every day. Being able to bring your whole self to work is an important aspect of employee wellbeing, performance, innovation and satisfaction.

 
Our inclusion and diversity for LGBTQ identifying employees starts with Pride@CBP, a group of Colin Biggers & Paisley's people who identify as LGBTQ and the allies who support them. Pride@CBP shapes our inclusions strategy and strives to create an empowering space for everyone. We are proud of our respectful and supportive practice who ensures our people can talk honestly and openly about themselves, their relationships, and their families.
 
As part of our strategy, we foster a partnership with Pride in Diversity. Pride in Diversity is Australia's first and only not-for-profit workplace program designed to assist Australian employers with people of diverse sexualities and genders. They provide our practice with support on workplace inclusion including in our HR policies, organisational change, workplace diversity, resources and networking opportunities that empower our LGBTQ identifying people.
 
Our practice also participates in the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), an internationally recognised, national benchmark for LGBTQ inclusion in Australia that includes participants from hundreds of organisations from different industries. In 2021, Colin Biggers & Paisley were recognised as a gold ranking small employer in the index reflecting our inclusive initiatives and proactive strategy to support our people.
 
We are also a member of Pride in Law who is based in Brisbane. Pride in Law is a legal networking association for the LGBTIQ+ community and their allies.
 
Our practice acknowledges and supports the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), Wear it Purple Day, World AIDS Day, in addition to other key LGBTQ calendar events.

Inclusive Recruitment Statement

 

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INDIGENOUS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

We celebrate and encourage diversity.

Colin Biggers & Paisley has partnered with CareerTrackers to provide internship opportunities for Indigenous students at university. Since 2016 we've employed a number of students from the CareerTrackers program, offering invaluable experience in the legal industry. Hear their stories: 

"I am entering the fifth and final year of my undergraduate double degree in Sports Media/Laws at the University of Canberra. I am a Dunghatti and Biripi, I was born in Newcastle, New South Wales but have spent most of my life in Canberra.

I've spent the past 12 weeks here at Colin Biggers & Paisley interning as part of the CareerTrackers program. The CareerTrackers program is aimed at giving Indigenous students an opportunity to work and gain experience in the private sector. It has partnerships with a number of companies operating in a range of industries within Australia. The aim of the program is to help address the underrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in the private sector by creating pathways to employment.

I started with Colin Biggers & Paisley in their Construction team at the end of November 2016 and I have been surprised by the type of work I have been able to be involved in. Having done two internships at different law firms before coming here I thought I knew what to expect, but the work I have been given here is much more challenging and meaningful than I had ever anticipated.

I've helped draft complex agreements, researched different industries, prepared internal memos and attended negotiations. In my short time here I've been able to improve on existing skills, but also learn a completely new set of skills that will hold me in good stead when it comes time to graduate.

The team I have worked in has been great. They have made time for me in their busy schedules and worked hard to include me in whatever matters they have been working on.

Working at Colin Biggers & Paisley has given me the chance to work on some massive construction projects and gain experience that I otherwise would not have been able to get. The partners and staff of the team I have worked in have been welcoming and given me access to more challenging work than I could have expected and the experience has laid a foundation for a future in law."

Eamon Ritchie

"Intimidating-- as someone who'd always grown up in little country towns, that was the first impression I had of Colin Biggers & Paisley. For years before I even began studying the law, I was warned that the legal industry was tough and that the people were tougher. So, walking into the Colin Biggers & Paisley offices on the 35th floor to start a ten week internship easily became one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

Life changing-- once I'd finished my internship, that's what I realised this experience was. After reflecting on my time here, I came to understand that the knowledge I've gained and the challenges I've had to overcome in this environment will irrevocably contribute to my future ongoing success in this industry. While everyone was right in saying that the legal field was tough, they failed to mention that working in a firm would become one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had and the skills I've developed I'd be able to utilise every day. Along with this, they failed to mention that the people, while admittedly tough, were also supportive, inspiring and motivating and some would quickly become the people I now aspire to be.

Overall, because of this experience I now realise that the legal industry is undoubtedly challenging, tiring and, in practise, far more difficult than writing a paper for University. However, at the same time, it's also enlightening, fascinating and overwhelmingly fulfilling. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to intern here at Colin Biggers & Paisley and learn from incredibly influential industry professionals -especially as such an early phase of my degree."

Sarah Black

Partnership Programs