Diversity

Webber Wentzel is proud to be a truly South African law firm. As such, our diversity takes top priority and effectively harnessing the varied experience, perspectives and backgrounds of our employees and stakeholders is a strategic imperative. This diversity enhances the quality of the work we deliver and assists us in realising our vision to be the corporate legal adviser of choice for anyone doing business in South Africa.

Webber Wentzel recognises the importance of transformation and diversity for the sustainable economic progress of South Africa. As a firm, we embrace and encourage transformation, both within our organisation and in the companies with which we do business.

We strive to accurately reflect the demographics of the South African population and our recruitment, training and development initiatives reflect this commitment.

Corporate Social Investment forms an integral part of our business approach and we proactively seek out opportunities to improve the situation of individuals and communities in the regions in which we operate.

Furthermore, in May 2009, Webber Webber successfully completed the BEE Verification process with the National Empowerment Rating Agency (NERA) and has been awarded with the Broad Based BEE verification status of a Level Four Contributor.

Equity and management

Webber Wentzel is a professional partnership in which the equity partners hold equity, which equity is determined and varies from year to year.  The non South-African based partners have only a token equity holding in the South African partnership.  'Previously disadvantaged' individuals (as defined in the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Act, 2003 (the BEE Act) hold approximately 11% of the equity in the firm.

Webber Wentzel is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity at all levels of employment within the firm and to the institution of active measures to eradicate all forms of unfair discrimination and to the reversal of under-representation of any disadvantaged group. For this purpose an employment equity committee has been established and an employment equity policy has been adopted by the firm to guide the committee. 

In addition, an employment equity consultative forum has been established for consultation with employee representatives throughout the firm. Webber Wentzel has been listed in the South African government gazette as an employer which has submitted the applicable equity report in compliance with the requirements of the Employment Equity Act.

Our employment equity policy provides for the removal of discriminatory barriers, the introduction of positive or affirmative policies and practices and the establishment of internal goals and timetables towards the achievement of employment equity, inter alia, by encouraging the recruitment, hiring, training and promotion of suitably qualified persons in designated groups and increasing the participation of designated groups in Webber Wentzel through such means. At present, more than 50% of our junior attorneys and candidate attorneys are 'previously disadvantaged' individuals.

The firm established a transformation committee to promote and oversee the transformation of the firm so as more accurately to reflect the demographics of the country within its staff complement. Over the two years of its existence the transformation committee developed a transformation statement and implemented a number of policies to assist the firm in reaching its transformation targets.  These policies have been adopted formally by the partnership. Having fulfilled its objective, the transformation committee has been disbanded and its role of implementing and managing the transformation process has been taken over by a senior partner, who is also a member of the firm's management board.

Skills development and transfer

The previously disadvantaged professionals in the employ of Webber Wentzel are involved in all aspects of Webber Wentzel's practice and the firm will continue to develop this in terms of its employment equity plan.

Webber Wentzel will use the execution of its mandate as advisers in a meaningful manner to promote the advancement of previously disadvantaged persons in the continuous transfer of skills and experience to employees employed by the Firm.  The transfer of skills to such persons is a project in which Webber Wentzel has been engaged for many years. 

Transformation statement 

Webber Wentzel is a truly South African law firm which:

• strives to be the corporate legal adviser of choice for those doing business in South Africa; 
• respects and embraces diversity; 
• has identified transformation as its primary strategic objective; 
• strives to reflect the demographics of the South African population in an integrated business environment by actively recruiting, training and developing the best of South Africa's legal talent; and 
• promotes the advancement of transformation of South African society by way of preferential procurement policies and appropriate corporate social investment strategies.

Developing, training and advancing black attorneys

It is our policy to advance black professional persons (and, indeed, black persons at all levels of its staff) as quickly as possible commensurate with their qualifications and abilities. The firm is involved in a number of initiatives aimed at advancing black professionals, both within and outside the firm, amongst which are the following:

• it is our policy to ensure that at least 60% of the annual intake of our candidate attorneys comprises black people;
• the Firm has a number of formal and informal arrangements with black law firms in Johannesburg and Cape Town whereby the latter firms can turn to Webber Wentzel for guidance and assistance on legal issues;
• the Firm participates in the Integrated Bar Project, a programme designed to expose black law students to major commercial law firms;
• we second black attorneys to international law firms and have had successful secondments to Australia, the United States and England;
• the firm has introduced a mentorship programme internally which is aimed, in the main, at assisting in the development of the skills and practices of black attorneys; 
• Webber Wentzel runs an English language bridging course to assist attorneys whose first language is not English;
• the firm offers bursaries on an annual basis to black law students studying at the major South African universities;
• we annually invite students at South African universities who are far advanced in their legal studies to take up winter vacation positions within the firm for a period of several weeks. The firm provides a practical work programme for the students to enable them to gain professional experience to compete in the entry-level job market. 

Promotion of black counsel

For historical reasons, black counsel have not had an opportunity to gain experience in corporate and commercial practice. This is an issue that needs urgent redress by the legal profession as a whole. It is inequitable that this state of affairs should continue as it impacts negatively on the career success of black counsel and limits the pool of suitable lawyers for elevation to the bench. In a transforming South Africa, where the legitimacy of the rule of law needs to be re-asserted and established, it is imperative that the composition of the judiciary should reflect the diversity of our society. Transformation of the judiciary is compromised of those who are appointed to the bench do not have exposure to all areas of legal practice as a consequence of their exclusion from commercial areas of practice.

Webber Wentzel is committed to giving black counsel an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills and to gain experience in commercial legal practice. We have drawn up a list of recommended black counsel for distribution in the firm. The list is reviewed regularly to ensure that we include as many competent black counsel as possible and that we expand the pool of counsel whom we brief.

Procurement

Webber Wentzel actively promotes black counsel, outsources certain of its non-core functions to black empowered companies, supports South African artists and established a Public Interest and Gender Law department headed by a partner who has no fee-earning responsibility.

The non-core services include the cleaning of our offices, stationery supply and the catering function. A black empowerment company, with whom the Firm has a continuing maintenance agreement, carried out the landscaping of Webber Wentzel's new premises.

The amount spent by the firm on black economic empowerment procurement currently represents 31% of the firm's annual expenditure on discretionary procurement.