The Donald Trump-driven pullback on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the US is already having a ripple effect in Australian corporate circles, but top-tier law firms locally expect support for such policies to remain strong, or even increase.
When contacted by Capital Brief, Clayton Utz, Gilbert + Tobin and Herbert Smith Freehills all pointed to diversity and inclusion programs as a way to both attract the best talent in the market and better serve a wide-ranging client base.
Herbert Smith Freehills partner and head of ESG Tim Stutt told Capital Brief that “just as environmental, social and governance is essential for effective risk management, DEI is a core aspect of good people management”.
While some companies might scale back their DEI initiatives, “at its core, DEI will not be going away”, Stutt said.
