GCD&I Statement: Compliance with Local Laws
Although we are a community of European in-house counsel, many of our signatories and partners are multinational organisations with worldwide operations. Accordingly, our signatories and partners may be subject to a wide variety of local laws.
GCD&I encourages and expects its signatories and partners to comply with all applicable local laws. We advocate for practices that both comply with local law and that advance diversity. We are committed to promoting diversity in the broadest understanding of the term, believing in the value of diverse perspectives and backgrounds to contribute to our professional excellence and success. We also believe that all lawyers in our organisations should feel that they are included, belong, and have a fair chance to contribute and succeed, notwithstanding differences of social class, socioeconomic background, age, gender, ethnicity, race, LGTBQ+ status, religion, disability, parental status, prior occupation or other identity-based characteristics, and we oppose discrimination and exclusion of any kind. We hope to help tear down artificial barriers to opportunity whilst maintaining the highest standards of quality, ethics and integrity in the performance of our professional obligations. and, more particularly, has never advocated either quotas or unlawful “affirmative action” or “positive discrimination.”
Whether because of either changes in legal rules, regulations and enforcement posture in applicable jurisdictions, or more broadly inconsistency with any current or future local law, we understand and accept that some signatories and partners may conclude that it is impermissible or inadvisable – at least in regard to certain jurisdictions (and citizens thereof) – to set diversity-related goals, collect demographic data, maintain programs with restricted eligibility, or otherwise adhere to what GCD&I may consider recommended practices to promote diversity and inclusion.
Notwithstanding anything explicitly or implicitly to the contrary that we may have communicated, now communicate or may communicate in the future, whether on this website or through any other medium, we encourage and expect good faith compliance by GCD&I, its signatories, and partners with all applicable local laws. We emphasise, however, that we do not endorse any surrender of the rights of members of our community to express their opinions on matters of diversity and inclusion or to advocate and work for related legal change.