Be a better business – all

How to improve your job ads (and what not to do)

Getting job ads right is important; the job ad is likely the first impression a prospective candidate will get about your organisation. A recently published study by Chatter Communications has looked at over 200 jobs ads from FTSE 100 companies and found that only 5% of these ads were completely gender neutral in their wording. …
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5 Top Tips on competition and collaboration

You want to collaborate with another organisation and create positive impact but are worried about falling foul of competition law? You shouldn’t be. In this mini guide we set out five competition law tips to follow when embarking on a collaboration. From understanding what competition law prohibits, through to what is likely to get a …
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The Be a Better Business Handbook

It can be hard to know where to start when thinking about embedding purpose into your organisation. However – we’ve done it ourselves – and as the first UK law firm to be a B Corp, we are proof that finding the right mix of purpose and profitability is achievable. Our team of expert lawyers …
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People and culture discussion: Celebrating women every day, and social causes at the heart of business

We recently hosted a discussion with a range of HR professionals from fellow B Corps. At our Spring meeting, the topics were: Celebrating women every day – How can men help, and what can organisations do to generally support women?Social causes at the heart of business – what do we consider a social cause to …
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Impact Focus: A purpose-driven approach to managing workforce disputes and supporting harmonious culture

Bates Wells convenes a regular Impact Counsels’ Forum for senior counsel working within impact investors, B Corps, and other purpose-driven businesses. The Forum discusses the ‘impact angles’ of the legal and practical issues faced by in-house legal teams. Recently, the Forum explored how purpose-driven organisations can approach internal dispute resolution in ways that ensure purpose-driven …
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Resources and guides for B Corps

We’ve been instrumental in the establishment of B Corporations in the UK and invite you to tap into our experience and expertise. Whether you’re considering B Corp certification and looking for guidance on the process, or are an established B Corp seeking new ways to embed your principles and values further in your business, we …
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Understanding the Purpose & Impact landscape: The Impact Economy Policy Mapping Initiative

In 2020, an initiative began to trial a new approach to understanding what policy activity is happening across the ‘Impact Economy’; a term used to describe the ecosystem of commercial activities and actors that integrate social and environmental impact into the pursuit of profit. This work has been conducted by Shirah Z Mansaray, a PhD …
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Bates Wells attends Better Business Day in Westminster

The 20th April marked a year since the launch of the Better Business campaign, which calls for the introduction of the Better Business Act, a change in legislation that would transform the way Britain does business so every company would not be run solely to generate shareholder profit. Together with over 1,000 other businesses, Bates …
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Stepping stones to sustainability: Build a sustainability agenda across your charity in 5 steps

We break sustainability challenges down into manageable chunks to help organisations meet their ESG aspirations and take action on climate change and social injustice through the way that they operate. Our Stepping stones to sustainability series will walk you through practical services that we can offer to help you make efficient and effective changes, and …
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Stepping stones to sustainability: How to add a net zero contract clause in 5 steps

We break sustainability challenges down into manageable chunks to help organisations meet their ESG aspirations and take action on climate change and social injustice through the way that they operate. Our Stepping stones to sustainability series will walk you through practical services that we can offer to help you make efficient and effective changes, and …
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Stepping stones to sustainability: Green your employment culture in 5 steps

We break sustainability challenges down into manageable chunks to help organisations meet their ESG aspirations and take action on climate change and social injustice through the way that they operate. Our Stepping stones to sustainability series will walk you through practical services that we can offer to help you make efficient and effective changes, and …
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Podcast | Why B Corps matter: Transforming Your Business for Positive Change

Karli Hiscock, Partner in the Real Estate team at Bates Wells recently spoke with fellow B Corp Green Element about how being a values-driven B Corp creates synergy between our clients, our people and our culture. In the podcast, Karli explains how we use the law to change things for the better, and how we now support fellow …
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