Modern Slavery – Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

This statement is made pursuant to Section 54 part of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and describes the steps which Bonelli Erede Lombardi Pappalardo LLP has taken during the financial year ended in April 2019 and beyond to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any of our supply chains, or in any part of our own business.

 

UN global compact

Our Firm follows the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption and aim at promoting  Goal 8 (Decent work and economic growth) of the the Sustainable Development Goals, as one particularly pertinent to the issue of modern slavery.

Managing Partner Statement

We are aware of the suffering which modern slavery and human trafficking causes. In today’s global marketplace, we recognise that all businesses have a responsibility to understand whether modern slavery and human trafficking is taking place within their supply chains and this is a responsibility we take seriously.

 

Our organisation

The Firm is an English limited liability partnership with registration number OC 302016 and VAT n. GB795806966. Our offices are in London EC4M 6XH London at 30 Cannon Street. We provide a full range of legal services mainly to corporate listed and regulated clients from many sectors, including banks and financial services.

We had an annual turnover in 2018 (our financial year goes from 1 January to 31 December therefore next turnover will be filed in September 2020) £4,297,355.

 

Supply chain relationship

Our supply chains include leases for the properties we occupy, cleaning services, recruitment and employment agencies, maintenance and repairs and the purchase of goods including office furniture and supplies and maintenance for IT software and equipment. We tend to have long standing relationships with these first-tier suppliers and avoid making demands of that might lead to them violating human rights. For example, we require our cleaning suppliers to pay their personnel, who work at our premises, a salary which is equivalent (at least) to the London Living Wage.

 

As a law firm, we always work to the highest professional standards and comply with all laws, regulations and rules relevant to our business. Corporate social responsibility is embedded in our culture and we look for the same approach by our suppliers and business partners.

 

Supplier code of business conduct

We expect our suppliers to have fair employment practices, as articulated in our Supplier Code of Business Conduct. This encourages our suppliers to conduct their businesses ethically and going forward we will ask key suppliers to confirm in writing they have read it to make their commitment to fair employment practices clear. This is an important factor for us in deciding whether to form, continue or renew a relationship with them and breaches of our Code by a supplier may result in us terminating our arrangements with the supplier.

 

Supplier  Code of Business conduct

We expect our suppliers to have fair employment practices, as articulated in our Supplier Code of Business Conduct. This encourages our suppliers to conduct their businesses ethically and going forward we will ask key suppliers to confirm in writing they have read it to make their commitment to fair employment practices clear. This is an important factor for us in deciding whether to form, continue or renew a relationship with them and breaches of our Code by a supplier may result in us terminating our arrangements with the supplier.

 

What we are doing

Our working practices respect and uphold human rights for our partners, employees and contractors, therefore:

  • We will seek to impose contractual terms on our suppliers asking them to warrant that they and their suppliers are in full compliance with our Anti-Slavery Policy

 

  • Supplier training: We will make sure our 2 employees with responsibilities in relation to engaging the firm’s suppliers are kept aware of the offences in the Act and able to evaluate suppliers and mitigating risks within supply chains.

 

  • Internal training: We aim at organising at the end of Autumn 2020 a training session on “Modern Slavery” in order to provide an overview of the problem of slavery and human trafficking, both in the UK and globally, and details of the UK government’s response

 

Our policy on slavery and human trafficking

The Firm has at heart to ensure we are not supplied by anyone who engages in human trafficking and modern slavery. Our Anti Slavery Policy, available on request, has been in place since 2015 and our Managing Partner, also a Board Member, is responsible for this Policy and future planned updates and reviews.

Should employees become concerned about any wrongdoing or breaches of law they can raise these concerns in confidence without fear of disciplinary action.

 

Risks

We aim at identifying risks to workers in our supply chain by regularly keeping in touch to promptly manage and resolve possible issues.

Quality products and services from ethical suppliers are part, as well as price, in our evaluation of a potential new supplier, we would therefore assess the approach said supplier takes to its people and the workers in its own supply chain before establishing a contractual relationship.

Approval

This statement has been approved for and on behalf of the members of Bonelli Erede Lombardi Pappalardo

 

 

Giuseppe Massimiliano Danusso

Managing Partner

BONELLI EREDE LOMBARDI PAPPALARDO LLP