Farrer & Co. LLP Case Study – Inclusive Teams

Farrer & Co. encountered several challenges in embedding Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) into its culture. Following a comprehensive audit spearheaded by Fiona Fleming, Head of EDI, they wanted to get a sense of the areas where improvement may be required, and the following findings were revealed:

• Inconsistent understanding: Some employees were confident, passionate and knowledgeable, while others felt paralysed, uncomfortable, or unsure about how to approach ED&I conversations. 
• Tracking issues: Previous ED&I training programmes lacked effective measures of success or impact. 
• Limited engagement: Key groups, particularly partners, showed low attendance at ED&I events, and participation was often limited to the same individuals each year. 
• These gaps hindered the firm’s ability to foster a unified and inclusive workplace culture. 

“So we had some people at the firm who were incredibly passionate, very well versed, able to talk very confidently about loads of different areas of ED&I. 

But others were paralysed regarding those conversations, felt uncomfortable, became nervous, and didn’t know what language to use. 

And so, for me, a key part of when I started to develop the strategy, I needed to ensure that there was absolute consistency of language and understanding around ED&I and wanting everybody at the firm to have, I guess, that base level of knowledge that we could then continue to sort of build on year on year.” 

Fiona Fleming, Head of ED&I at Farrer & Co.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP

Farrer & Co. partnered with Kandola+, the digital arm of Pearn Kandola, to address these challenges and support the delivery of a mandatory digital inclusion training programme, Inclusive Teams.  

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WORK WITH KANDOLA+?

Fiona talks about sourcing a trusted and capable DE&I partner to help with their specific needs and support their business DE&I strategy. 

Fiona goes on to say,  

“The crux of what got me started having conversations with Pearn Kandola, in the beginning, was reputation; first and foremost, research. 

I had worked with Pearn Kandola, in a previous law firm not to do our mandatory inclusion training but to do a D&I audit and I enjoyed working with the team in that process. 

And so when it came to looking at providers, Pearn Kandola, were top of mind and someone I’d worked with before, and I decided I’d like to explore. 

When we got to do all of the research and how we wanted to develop the training and how we wanted to deliver it, Everything that I think we needed the training to do was what Pearn Kandola, was able to provide for us in terms of getting to the widest group of people. 

The fact that it was in the digital platform allowed us to get all of that great data and the raw statistics of how many people were going through the training and what stage of the training they were at. 

Those were all things we had previously struggled to do in running our inclusion training.”

“We just couldn’t track how successful it was and what the impact of the training was.”

“I’ve absolutely loved it. I’m picky and choosy about who I decide to work with. For me, that element of partnership is so important. I’m not a transactional person by nature, but I have to be able to work with people, enjoy their company, enjoy conversation with them, and feel like we are working side by side for a similar goal – and I have felt that with Pearn Kandola.

There’s always someone on the end of the phone checking in about how we’re getting on, giving advice on how we can improve engagement, and all sorts of things. 

It genuinely feels like, even though we’re different organisations, we are one team. It’s been wonderful.”

As discussions began, the Pearn Kandola team proposed a solution design to:

• Establish a consistent baseline of knowledge across all employees. 

• Promote behaviour change to encourage conscious inclusion in daily practices. 

• Utilise a digital platform to track participation and progress, ensuring measurable outcomes. 

• Align the training with the firm’s core values of excellence, integrity, partnership, and regulatory expectations from the Solicitors Regulation Authority. 

A phased implementation approach ensured buy-in from leadership and cascaded engagement throughout the organisation.

The firm implemented the following steps to ensure success:

• Leadership buy-in: Senior leaders, including partners, completed the training to model engagement and set an example.

• Preparatory communication: Town halls, leadership updates, and a dedicated conference six months before the training launch explained its purpose and linked it to the firm’s broader ED&I strategy.

• Mandatory training: Every employee was required to complete the training, which focused on conscious inclusion and practical behaviour change rather than theoretical concepts or compliance-driven content.

• Digital delivery: The training was delivered through a Pearn Kandola, which provided detailed participation data and enabled Farrer & Co. to track progress and outcomes effectively.

“We do love something bespoke and about us, but the themes and topics that come out in the training are universal. 

There’s no one example that you do during the situational judgement tests that only happens in a law firm or only in one type of organisation. 

They are universal human experiences, and they can happen anywhere.” 

The outcomes exceeded expectations, delivering significant cultural and business benefits: 

• 100% completion of the mandatory training, a first in the firm’s history, demonstrating unprecedented engagement. 

• Tangible behavioural changes: Employees reported greater confidence in addressing sensitive ED&I topics and applying inclusive principles in their interactions. 

• Improved team dynamics: Managers received positive feedback on fostering more inclusive environments, with ED&I topics becoming a regular agenda item in team meetings. 

• Increased engagement with ED&I initiatives: Employee impact groups and events like National Coming Out Day saw record participation, including unexpected attendees and larger, more diverse audiences. 

• Alignment with core values and regulatory requirements, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and partnership. 

The training programme delivered a measurable return on investment by transforming Farrer & Co’s culture, increasing engagement, and driving meaningful change while meeting strategic and regulatory goals. 

“A lot of leaders say that they feel far more comfortable talking to people about EDI.” 

“So, if there are inappropriate comments or challenging jokes and banter, they feel far more equipped and knowledgeable to know what the right approach is at this moment. 

Whether it’s calling it out at the moment, whether it’s going to speak to somebody afterwards to see how they feel, they feel that their toolkit is much better than it was before taking the training.” 

“Several teams are now bringing ED&I-related topics into their monthly team meetings and opening them up for wider discussion, which is fantastic.”

The training has also coincided with several other initiatives and things we’re doing across the firm.” 

“There’s been a nice dovetailing of the training alongside the launch of other initiatives that have given people the opportunity to get involved in ED&I in a way they hadn’t before.” 

“A great example of the impact is our hosting an event for National Coming Out. It was a joint event between our working parents and carers group and our LGBTQ-plus group, hosting an information session about building LGBTQ-plus inclusive homes and raising your children to be inclusive. i.e. if your child is LGBTQ-plus, what can you do as a parent to be supportive and give them the love that they need? 

For the first time in Farrer & Co’s history, more people attended the event than RSVP’d.”

To learn more about our partnership with Farrer & Co, please
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