CSR Report 2020

CSR Report 2020

Gorrissen Federspiel | CSR Report 2020 Editors Lonni Park Lynge, Katrine Prien, Gorrissen Federspiel Layout and design Denise Hennig, Gorrissen Federspiel Photos Kristian Holm, Tuala Hjarnø, Nicky Bonne, Bax Lindhardt, Rune Johansen, Claudia Dons, Kjeld van den Heuvel Press photos: Human Practice Foundation Printing Cool Gray Gorrissen Federspiel Axel Towers Axeltorv 2 1609 Copenhagen V Denmark +45 33 41 41 41 Prismet Silkeborgvej 2 8000 Aarhus C Denmark +45 86 20 75 00 NOR DI

N SWA ECO BEL

April, 2021

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contact@gorrissenfederspiel.com gorrissenfederspiel.com

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CSR REPORT 2020

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Content Sustainability is not an agenda 005 Our CSR initiatives 006 Our focus 008 Human rights 012 The fight to end youth homelessness 016 Bootcamp for young students 018 The rule of law under scrutiny 020 Advising the new British Ambassador 022 Adviser to the Forælder Fonden 024 Labour 026 Focus on employee satisfaction in the year of Covid-19 030 A signature for diversity and inclusion 034 The team spirit extends beyond the law 038 Environment 040 Office operations and the environment 044 Carefully chosen suppliers 046 Recycling IT equipment and reducing paper consumption 048 Sustainability is the benchmark 050 Anti-corruption 052 New anti-corruption policy 056

CSR REPORT 2020

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Sustainability is not an agenda At Gorrissen Federspiel, we help our clients realise their most important goals. This is an enduring task that demands decency, humility and professionalism, all while the world around us swiftly shifts and places new demands on us all.

These new demands include the environment, technology, globalisation and the underlying political framework, and they encompass all corners of the Danish community.

How do we secure a sustainable future without excessive exploitation of the environment?

How do we ensure that digitalisation underpins democratic goals and does not promote espionage and alienation? And how do we contribute to cohesion in Denmark, where d ­ emocratic distrust is growing and inequality is increasing?

As Denmark’s leading law firm, it is our duty to utilise our resources and professionalism so that we act in unity with our clients to confront these challenges. We take on this task with the confidence that challenges and opportunities walk side by side. Sustainable growth in business and industry invariably depends on the development of both social and environmental opportunities, and as lawyers we contribute to the creation of the framework that makes these opportunities more apparent and realisable. Sustainability is not an agenda – it is about clear goals for growth and results that benefit us all.

The same is true of our own contribution. In a community founded on the rule of law, our core commitment as lawyers is to promote justice and to counteract injustice. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an inherent core task for us and by taking an ­active stance on everything from diversity to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, we contribute as corporate actors to sustainable social development.

Since 2018 we have been taking an active stance. In 2018, we committed ourselves to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and to operating our business on the basis of these principles. We remain committed to the principles and proudly integrate them into our daily actions and activities.

Martin André Dittmer Managing Partner

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CSR REPORT 2020

Our CSR initiatives The UN Global Compact is the foundation of our CSR work. Every day we work to incorporate the Ten Principles of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption into our strategies and daily operations.

Our business Vores forretningsmodel model – Gorrissen Federspiel is er a et førende leading lawadvokatfirma firm in Denmark i Danmark with strongmed ­international stærke, internationale ties.

As a full-service bånd. Som full-service law firm, weadvokatfirma provide leverer legal advice vi juridisk in Danish rådgivand ning ­E uropean indenbusiness for dansklaw. og europæisk Our clientserhvervsret. are typically VoresDanish large klienterand er typisk internastørre companies, tional danske og internawhich we tionaleinvirksomheder, assist landmark transsom vi bistårand actions i toneangivende cases. We have transaktioner a close cooperation og sager. withVi har et tæt samarbejde well-regarded international med velrenommerede law firms who refer internatitheir onale advokatfirmaer, clients to us when theysom need refererer legal advice deres related klienter to the til os, når de Danish market har behov or Danish for juridisk rådgivning relateret interests. til det As a knowledge-based danske marked eller danske interesser. business with a focus on Som professionalism high vidensvirksomhed and med fokus ethics, we have på høj allfaglighed the skills og etik that ourhar clients vi in-house demandalle ­ikompetencer, n-house. At the som endvores of 2020 klienter we employed efterspørger.

286 ­lawyers, Ved udgangen and duringafthe 2020 yearbeskæfti38 gede vilawyers young såledeswho 286have jurister, og i løbet trained with af året us ­bfik ecame 38 unge jurister, der qualified lawyers har uddannet and were sig til dygtige admitted to the advokater bar. hos os, udstedt deres advokatbestalling.

Since Gorrissen Federspiel joined the UN Global Compact in 2018, we have placed a strategic and systematic focus on professionalising our CSR work.

CSR is a priority in our corporate governance and business activities, and the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact are our guiding principles.

We wish to share responsibility for ensuring that, as an international com­ munity, we can meet the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which came into force on 1 January 2016, and which will guide us until 2030. As a firm, we have selected seven goals as focal points, where we believe that we can make a difference.

Numerous new initiatives Although as a knowledge-based firm we can run our business with relatively low impact on the environment, this does not mean that we do not have a responsibility. As a ­leading law firm and a major player in Danish ­business, we play a particular role in society.

We wish to use our influence where we can.

Since joining the UN Global Compact, we have committed to reporting on our CSR initiatives, and we are doing this again this year.

Although 2020 was marked by Covid-19, we have continued to launch

a number of initiatives and projects to ­support the areas of human rights, labour, ­environment and anti-corruption that make up the UN Global Compact’s principles of corporate sustainability.

Knowledge-sharing As a knowledge-based firm, we have a parti­ cular responsibility to share knowledge and provide legal advice. This is reflected in our professional events, newsletters and pro bono projects.

During the major lockdown in the spring of 2020, Danish businesses faced a number of legal challenges in relation to employment, restrictions, force ­majeure and compensation packages, among ­other things. To assist, we set up a task force that, on a daily basis, “translated” the various p ­ olitical announcements into what they actually meant for businesses.

In spite of Covid-19, we maintained our ­k nowledge-sharing ­activities through ­various events – some relating specifically to Covid-19 – and we honed our ­experience ­organising webinars. These virtual events had the additional positive ­ b enefit of ­reaching an even wider audience than through our in-person formats.

In 2020, we were also involved in a number of pro bono projects – both new and

CSR REPORT 2020

those already in place. In our CSR p ­ olicy, in connection with our values, we have laid down guidelines for our initiatives. We have chosen to focus our efforts on the rule of law and the education and development of children and young people in Denmark and abroad. We have done this to contribute our skills in the best possible way.

Through our pro bono work, we make our knowledge and skills available to relevant companies, interest groups and private individuals. We often assist ­organisations and initiatives that may ­otherwise find it difficult to obtain the ­necessary legal assistance.

Environmentally sound operations We are constantly seeking to identify ­sustainable alternatives and solutions to support the operation of our two offices in Aarhus and Copenhagen. This includes particular consideration of our kitchens, IT department, the general operation of our buildings and the development and production of our office supplies, merchandise and other work equipment. We wish to operate our business with the smallest climate footprint possible.

Employee satisfaction is the foundation Decency is deeply rooted in our DNA, and ethics is one of our five core values. We make our living through having high ­professional standards and credibility as a trusted ­adviser and from our good ­reputation.

Every day, all our employees work hard to meet our clients’ high standards and expectations. We make no secret of the fact that we have high expectations of our employees ­– but they also have high expectations of us as a workplace.

As a leading law firm ­employing more than 500 people, including 286 ­lawyers, we rely on attracting and ­retaining the sharpest talent in a market where ­competition continues to intensify.

Employee satisfaction is one of the cornerstones of our business, and we ­constantly seek to create the best environment and conditions for our employees to thrive, develop and generally be motivated and happy to go to work.

We continue to focus on lifelong learning and development, leadership and diversity. We believe this is the key to our continued success.

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The CSR Committee – The CSR Committee works to ensure that we as a firm comply with applicable rules, standards and best practices in the area of CSR. Camilla C. Collet Partner, Chairman of the CSR Committee Martin André Dittmer Managing Partner Sara Jursic Head of HR

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CSR REPORT 2020

Our focus

Anti-corruption

Environment

Labour

Human rights

In 2018, we joined the UN Global Compact, which is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. Since then, the focal point of our CSR work has been seven of the 17 SDGs defined by the UN as benchmarks for sustainable development to be achieved by 2030.

CSR REPORT 2020

The UN Global Compact The UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustain­ability initiative.

The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact cover the areas of human rights, ­labour, environment and anti-­ corruption, which are founded on internationally acclaimed conventions.

By joining the UN Global Compact, we c­ ommitted,

among other things, to ­integrating the Ten Principles into our strategy, corporate c ulture and activities. As a ­ ­c ompany, we also undertake to report annually to the UN Global Compact on our CSR ­efforts and progress.

We published our first CSR report in 2018, and the UN Global Compact serves as the foundation for our CSR work.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals The UN S u s t a i n a bl e Development Goals (SDGs)

comprise 17 goals that serve as benchmarks for international efforts towards greater sustainable development to be achieved by 2030.

At Gorrissen Federspiel, we wish to share responsibility and endeavour to ensure that as an international ­community we achieve the 17 SDGs. As a company, we place particular importance on our contribution towards the seven goals outlined below.

These seven SDGs ­represent the areas of focus in which we believe that we can make a difference. The SDGs also serve as guidelines for how we prioritise our CSR efforts and sustainability initiatives going forward.

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Method of our CSR reporting In this report, we have grouped the SDGs around the four ­a reas of human rights, ­labour, environ­ment and anti-­ corruption that make up the UN Global Compact, based on the initiatives and activities ­involved.

Within each of these areas, we account for our ­ambitions, why we consider it an important area of focus, our objectives and our progress. We also set out how we integrate the SDGs into our initiatives.

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CSR REPORT 2020

Employees in Copenhagen

Total number of employees

514

*

Employees in Aarhus

389

125 77 Law students

151 Staff

82 Assistant attorneys

Roles

50 20 Senior legal counsels

134 Attorneys

* Number of employees by the end of 2020

Partners

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Admitted to the Danish Bar

38

514 employees

Seconded to a client

17

212 men / 302 women

Seconded to an international law firm

50 partners

3 Law students who have been on educational leave abroad

41 men / 9 women

5 Total average age

236 lawyers (excl. partners)

36

109 men / 127 women

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CSR REPORT 2020

Human rights

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CSR REPORT 2020

Human rights

When it comes to human rights, we are committed to the principles of the UN Global Compact: Principle 1: Businesses should ­support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and Principle 2: Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Our ambitions As a leading law firm and a large corporation in Danish business and industry, we play a particular role in the community. We offer highly specialised advice on corporate strategic compliance and CSR, including on employee conditions with international trading partners in terms of freedom of association and prohibition of forced labour and child labour. Finally, we also have experience of Modern Slavery reporting.

We wish to use our legal expertise to help safeguard and protect human rights. One way we do this is through various pro bono projects.

In keeping with our values, our CSR policy establishes a guiding framework for our human rights initiatives. We have chosen to concentrate our efforts on the rule of law as well as on education and development of children and young people in Denmark and abroad.

We have done this to make the best possible contribution with our skills. Through our pro bono work, we make our knowledge and skills available to relevant companies, interest groups and private individuals. We often assist organisations and initiatives that may otherwise find it difficult to obtain the necessary legal assistance.

We encourage our employees to work on projects centred on the two selected fields of focus.

The importance of focusing on human rights We offer legal assistance to some of the largest companies in Denmark and abroad. On the issue of human rights, we see no significant risks in our operations or in our relationships with business partners.

It is our expectation that clients, business partners and suppliers comply with all applicable human rights conventions. We are also aware that we have a shared responsibility for good ethical behaviour when we establish relationships with clients and when we choose partners and suppliers.

Objectives for 2020 In 2020, we aimed to put further emphasis on how we, through our advice and work, can contribute to safeguarding the rule of law as well as the education and development of children and young people in Denmark and abroad. We also wished to devote additional attention to our suppliers’ compliance with the UN Global Compact principles. Finally, we also pursued an objective to formulate a detailed policy concerning our work with diversity and inclusion.

Progress in 2020 and expectations of continued development In 2020, we were involved in several new pro bono projects focusing either on justice or child and youth development.

CSR REPORT 2020

We continued our three-year collaboration with the think tank Justitia, whose purpose is to examine the rule of law for Danish business and industry.

Up until October 2020, one of our employees worked pro bono for the think tank two days a week. The first project concerning access to justice for business and industry was completed in May. This was followed by a project concerning competition law and the Danish authorities’ enforcement of the competition rules. Both projects highlighted shortcomings that may weaken the rule of law for Danish business and industry. We expect to continue our collaboration with Justitia.

In 2020, we also helped establish the Bindeleddet (the “connecting link”) foundation, the purpose of which is to prevent and reduce youth homelessness and improve the living conditions and quality of life for socially vulnerable young people.

This is achieved, for example, by helping vulnerable youngsters get started with training courses, apprenticeships or part-time work. We will continue our work with Bindeleddet, and we are represented on the foundation’s board of directors.

At our Copenhagen office, we also hosted the first bootcamp in Denmark

by Project Access. The bootcamp was organised by the non-profit organisation Project Access, which helps Danish students apply to the university of their dreams through a tailor-made mentoring network. A new bootcamp is already scheduled for 2021, which we will again host and where we will contribute with knowledge and catering.

When the Forælder Fonden (the “parent foundation”), which helps ­single parents and their children, needed a new director, we offered pro bono legal assistance in connection with the recruitment process. We will continue our involvement with the Forælder Fonden through our seat on the board of directors.

We will continue to assist the Human Practice Foundation charity, where we are represented on the board of directors. In addition, we will also ­continue our long-standing commitment to the Centre for Grieving Children, Teens and Young Adults and to its “spin-off” the Danish National Centre for Grief.

We have increased our focus on diversity and inclusion, and we are in the process of preparing a detailed policy.

Aims for 2021 We will continue our work with and contribution to protecting the rule of law in Denmark. We will also continue our focused efforts on education and ­development of children and young people in Denmark and abroad. In 2021, we will develop a detailed policy for diversity and inclusion.

In the following pages, you can read more about selected CSR initiatives.

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SDGs

Objective attained

Partially

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CSR REPORT 2020

The fight to end youth homelessness

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The Bindeleddet foundation fights and reduces youth homelessness in Denmark.

The foundation was founded in 2020 with assistance from Gorrissen Federspiel. At the time of formation, assistant attorney Danna Zhang took a seat on the foundation’s board of directors.

In 2020, a new foundation came into ­being.

Initially, Bindeleddet (the “connecting link”) started as a project under the auspices of another foundation, i.e. Morgencaféen for Hjemløse (the “morning café for the homeless”). However, Bindeleddet gained the ­status of an independent foundation in 2020.

The new foundation was established with the assistance of Gorrissen Federspiel as we have taken on Bindeleddet as a pro bono project.

Assistant attorney Danna Zhang, who previously volunteered with the Morgencaféen for Hjemløse in Aarhus, is now a member of Bindeleddet’s board of d ­ irectors, and Danna has been the legal driving force behind the formation of the foundation.

“During the spring, we ­a ssisted in the process and took care of all the formalities involved in the formation of a foundation. We offered advice on different ­organisational structures and helped draft the foundation’s bylaws and establish the formal framework,” says Danna Zhang, to whom Bindeleddet has become a “passion”.

Cooperation with corporations The Bindeleddet foundation aims to ­prevent and reduce youth homelessness and ­improve the living conditions and quality of life for socially vulnerable young people.

This is achieved through a mentor match between a young volunteer and the homeless youth. The youth-to-youth relationship is the very core of the foundation’s work.

“They’re able to communicate at a different level than when a social worker from the local authority ‘offers help’. But

when meeting with an ‘ordinary’ young person instead, the vulnerable youth sees someone on the same wavelength and is able to relate to the mentor as a friend or a peer and can provide inspiration for jobs and ­education,” Danna Zhang explains.

On many occasions, she has seen a homeless youth embark on traineeships, part-time work or education after the end of the mentorship course. This is the reason why the Bindeleddet foundation cooperates with corporations in order to create more opportunities for young people.

Cool to assist with legal advice It has been important for Danna Zhang to get involved in something other than her work as an assistant attorney – something where, in her own words, she is able to “give back”.

“It means the world to me to know that my workplace – which has influence and is in a good position in the community – gives focus to social accountability and wants to do good for other people,” Danna says, and she adds that it is only an advantage for her that she is able to use her legal expertise and skills to help others.

Especially in relation to a small ­voluntary organisation that may find it difficult to come by the necessary legal assistance.

“For all organisations, associations and foundations, a legal framework and a fine-meshed set of legal regulations apply, which they somehow have to ­manage. A small organisation like Bindeleddet doesn’t have a whole range of opportunities to ­obtain legal assistance. It’s therefore really cool that I possess the knowledge they need,

and that I’m actually able to contribute my knowledge,” Danna says.

Makes me a better lawyer Danna Zhang emphasises that it means a great deal to her that she is able to help ­another ­person, who is not in the same “privileged ­position” as herself. Apart from helping others, it is also professionally ­enriching to participate on the foundation’s board of directors.

“Some of the other board members have vast experience, and this means that I also get good insight into and experience of the general nature of board work and the part played by the board of directors. It’s very conducive to understanding the nature of organisations and the functioning of the board of directors.”

For Danna Zhang, there is no doubt at all in her mind that her involvement in Bindeleddet also makes her a better lawyer.

“It brings a different perspective to the work you do. When you look up a ­little and see that the world is not just large ­corporations and high-profile cases, I think you gain better balance in your approach to the other things you do, which ultimately makes you a better lawyer,” she says.

As in so many other instances, many of Bindeleddet’s projects, where the concept is physical meetings and creation of human relations between young people, were postponed owing to the coronavirus.

Danna Zhang hopes that the projects will start again in 2021, and that Bindeleddet finds even more cooperation partners and maybe even expands to other cities beyond Aarhus, Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

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CSR REPORT 2020

Bootcamp for young students In 2020, we hosted a twoday bootcamp for 25 young students. The bootcamp was organised by Project Access, a non-profit organisation that helps Danish students get accepted into some of the world’s top universities.

Equal access for everyone to the world’s top universities.

This is the guiding principle for non-profit organisation Project Access, which through a tailor-made mentoring network helps high school students apply to the university of their dreams.

Via a mentor, who is studying at the university to which the mentee wishes to apply, the young high school student will get tips and tricks and the necessary help to complete the application process. In August 2020, Project Access organised the very first bootcamp in Denmark. The two-day bootcamp featured workshops, mock interviews and presentations, all with the aim of equipping the 25 participants to apply to the university of their dreams abroad.

An obvious project to show support The bootcamp was held at Axel Towers, Gorrissen Federspiel’s offices in Copenhagen, where we provided facilities and catering as well as accommodation at a

CSR REPORT 2020

nearby hotel. In her presentation at the bootcamp, Sara Jursic, Head of HR, emphasised that it is a very positive thing if your résumé shows that you have spent time abroad. Moreover, two of our law students gave an insight into their experience of studying abroad for six months.

At Gorrissen Federspiel, we have two benchmarks for our pro bono projects, namely the rule of law and the education and development of young people in Denmark and abroad. For this reason, Project Access was an obvious project for which to show support, Sara Jursic explains.

“Project Access is a very likable project that falls perfectly into line with our focus on youth and ­education. Applying to universities abroad can be a very ­complicated process, and many of the young ­students targeted by the project don’t have the network or ­support to help them in the application process. We therefore found that it was a great initiative for us to get involved in,” Sara Jursic says.

Several offers from universities Following the bootcamp, seven students were ­accepted at universities and an even larger number of students are still waiting for a reply from the universities they applied to, says Oliver Hinnerskov Haulund, Chief Operating Officer in Project Access International.

Project Access is operated by more than 200 student volunteers from the world’s top universities, who help ambitious high school leavers apply to top universities. Since its formation five years ago, Project Access has helped more than 4,000 students from more than 20 countries – including 250 from Denmark. From an average acceptance rate of 5-15%, the free mentorship scheme run by Project Access has raised the acceptance rate to more than 60%.

In 2021, Gorrissen Federspiel will once again host the Project Access bootcamp in Axel Towers.

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CSR REPORT 2020

The rule of law under scrutiny Think tank Justitia is behind a three-year project that looks into procedural justice for Danish business and industry. In 2020, two projects concerning access to the courts of law and competition law, respectively, were completed with the assistance of Gorrissen Federspiel.

CSR REPORT 2020

"Maybe our efforts will lead to structural changes of the Danish authorities. It would be amazing if in fact it would bring about changes."

Two projects conducted by the think tank Justitia were completed in 2020 with the assistance of Gorrissen Federspiel. Both projects fell within the scope of an overarching three-year project “The rule of law for businesses and industry”, which was managed by Henrik Rothe, former President of the Maritime and Commercial High Court.

The 150-page report “The Access to Justice for Businesses and Industry” was published in May 2020. In the period from October 2019 to April 2020, assistant attorney Yas Farah Bakhsh Akbatani was on pro bono secondment for two days a week at Justitia, where she helped throw light on the challenges relating to the rule of law that arise when businesses come across the law courts.

It was concluded that small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, choose not to use the courts as a dispute resolution body.

At the same time, the think tank also presented five specific recommendations aimed to ease the access of businesses to the courts.

The report pointed to, among other things, case processing times, costs and financing as focus areas in order to improve the rule of law.

Calls for change The analysis was presented at a conference held in September at Christiansborg Castle, the seat of the Danish Parliament, in the presence of the Minister of Justice Nick Hækkerup, among others.

During her time with Justitia, Yas Farah Bakhsh Akbatani found herself reflecting more deeply on the wider legal and societal impact.

“It was so cool to be at a place where I could really reflect on the law and the legislation, and where legal advice was put into a societal context,” says Yas Farah Bakhsh Akbatani.

The five recommendations made in the report may lead to amendments of the Administration of Justice Act. It was not only the courts of law that were subject to scrutiny in 2020, because when the first project concerning the rule of law in civil procedure finished a new project was launched. This new project brought into focus competition law and the rule of law challenges associated with the enforcement of competition rules in Denmark. Attorney Christian Liborius took part in this project from May until October, where just like Yas Farah Bakhsh Akbatani he was on secondment two days a week.

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Scrutiny of the system Christian Liborius works in Gorrissen Federspiel’s EU & Competition practice group, and his secondment to Justitia gave him an opportunity to see competition law from a different ­angle. Together with Justitia, Christian assessed in detail the entire ­organisation of the Danish competition authorities with an eye to identifying any challenges in terms of the rule of law or potential concerns relating to the structure of the system.

“Corporations and individuals involved in competition ­cases are under a lot of pressure. For this reason, it’s of immense importance – for the protection of the corporations’ rights – that the case management procedures comply with the rule of law ­guarantees,” says Christian Liborius.

The project group examined, for instance, whether case management procedures are set up in an optimal way and whether the Competition and Consumer Authority has sufficient indepen­ dence from the ministries.

“We took a closer look at the system to see whether there was room for innovation, and whether it could be designed more ­optimally so as to provide better protection of the rights of the ­parties involved,” he says.

Analysis led to consultation response The project coincided with the implementation by 4 February 2021 of the EU Directive concerning competition law enforcement. In connection to this, a bill was tabled to amend the Competition Act that represented the most fundamental amendment to Danish competition law in recent times.

The completion of the analysis turned into a race against the clock and ultimately materialised in a 98-page consultation response, which was submitted in October 2020. In this context, the project group made a number of recommendations concerning amendments to the Competition Act in order to address the concerns identified regarding the rule of law. The group ­recommended, for instance, that the Danish Competition Appeals Board in its present form be abolished.

“Maybe our efforts will lead to structural changes of the Danish authorities. It would be amazing if in fact it would bring about changes. Or at least spark a debate as to whether the structure of our systems is adequately designed,” says Christian Liborius.

Professional and personal interests Working at Justitia afforded Christian Liborius an opportunity to combine practical work providing advisory assistance to Gorrissen Federspiel’s clients with his personal interest in underlying social and politico-legal issues. He is pleased that Gorrissen Federspiel feels a responsibility to contribute to and leave its mark on the ­politico-legal debate at a more abstract level.

“It’s important that some of the heavyweight actors also e­ ngage in work with no bottom line impact. At the end of the day, you get the society that you contribute to creating,” Christian Liborius says.

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CSR REPORT 2020

Advising the new British Ambassador

CSR REPORT 2020

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International outlook is part of Gorrissen Federspiel’s DNA. It is in this spirit that we have offered pro bono advice to the British Embassy in Copenhagen for several years. In 2020, we served as advisers to Emma Hopkins, the new British Ambassador to Denmark.

In October 2020, the United Kingdom appointed a new a mbassador to Denmark. ­ This took place when Emma Hopkins took over from former a ­mbassador Dominic Schroeder.

For quite some time, attorney Sofie van Hauen, who works in our Labour & Employment practice group, has provided legal advice to the Embassy’s HR staff.

“We mainly advise the Embassy on issues concerning Danish employment conditions, such as maternity/paternity ­leave, holidays and sickness, as well as in connection with the termination of employees,” says Sofie van Hauen.

The new Ambassador to Denmark, Emma Hopkins, came from a position as British Ambassador to Bulgaria, ­where she resided from 2015.

Together with attorney Mette Bjerregaard Bjerrum, Sofie van Hauen helped getting Emma Hopkins ready to take over as head of a Danish workplace.

“Danish labour and employment law differs ­somewhat from that of other countries. We had a number of meetings with the Ambassador where we talked about the Danish rules and about the ­differences relative to what the Ambassador knew from other countries,” says Sofie van Hauen.

Gorrissen Federspiel has close historical ties to the United Kingdom. Thomas Federspiel, a former partner at Gorrissen Federspiel, s erved as chairman of the ­ British Import Union that now falls under the auspices of the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark, which today has partner Klaus Søgaard as chairman. In ­addition to this, partner Michael Steen Jensen is Honorary Legal Adviser to the British Ambassador to Denmark.

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CSR REPORT 2020

Adviser to the Forælder Fonden Every year, the Forælder Fonden supports single parents and their children to help overcome vulnerable life situations.

In 2020, we helped the foundation hire a new CEO to lead the way in creating the best environment for parents.

Ever since 1966, the Forælder Fonden (the “parent foundation”) has worked to help ­single parents and their children. The foundation offers help by counselling, by ­providing housing and by giving support in finding the necessary balance and tranquillity in everyday life.

Gorrissen Federspiel has been involved in the foundation’s work since 2019, when partner Camilla C. Collet ­b ecame a member of the foundation’s board of directors.

Last year, we assisted the foundation with filling the CEO position. Attorney Sofie van Hauen, a member of Gorrissen Federspiel’s Labour & Employment practice group, was in charge of providing legal assistance in the recruitment process.

“At first, I had a chat with the chairman of the board of directors in order to ­e stablish the terms of employment. For ­example, what would be considered appropriate staff benefits etc. in a foundation that exists on the basis of donations and fundraising,” says Sofie van Hauen.

She provided ongoing advice to the foundation on how to adapt and adjust the CEO’s agreement. Ultimately, she also ­reviewed the final agreement before it was signed. In fact, this is the same kind of legal assistance that she also provides in her work as a lawyer at Gorrissen Federspiel.

“It’s nice to be able to help someone who does good for others. In this way, we help support a really good cause with what we’re good at,” says Sofie van Hauen.

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Labour

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CSR REPORT 2020

Labour

When it comes to labour, we are ­committed to the ­principles of the ­ UN Global Compact: Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 4: The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour; Principle 5: The effective abolition of child labour; and Principle 6: The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Our ambitions Within the framework of our 2022 “In a league of our own” strategy, it is our objective to be the best place to work in the legal profession with the best and most committed employees.

Our employees are our most important asset, and one of our strong focus areas is therefore development and satisfaction. If we did not have the most competent employees in the profession, we would not be able to provide top-class legal advice.

We wish to offer our employees an exciting and developing career, and we believe that there are several paths to a good and meaningful working life.

We look at the individual employee and adapt their career paths to their individual ambitions and life situations.

One of the key elements to our CSR policy is that everyone with a talent can perfect their talents at Gorrissen Federspiel. We wish to be an inclusive workplace, and we never look at aspects such as social background, culture, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, colour or sexuality.

We are confident that diversity is the key to our continued success. It is therefore our goal to achieve and maintain a diverse workforce at all levels.

Our focus on diversity and inclusion is underpinned by a number of initiatives, for instance The Diversity Council.

Gorrissen Federspiel has adopted a number of policies and guidelines that serve to create a good working environment for our employees. These include, for instance, polices concerning unwanted sexual attention, working flexibly and working from home, social media, smoking and drinking alcohol during working hours, as well as workplace conditions. These policies have been developed by our HR department, which continually reviews the policies and ensures that they are complied with on a day-to-day basis. The policies are all available on our intranet and can be accessed easily by all employees. Our policies are also communicated to all new employees as part of the induction process.

The importance of focusing on labour High professionalism and outstanding talent are our bread and butter. Being a ­knowledge-based firm, we depend greatly on our ability to attract and retain the most talented lawyers in the legal industry. Evidently, this imposes demands on us as a workplace because the competition for talent is not diminishing – on the contrary.

We are constantly developing as a modern enterprise at the same time as new generations enter the labour market. Today, younger generations are keenly aware of what they want from a career and an exciting working life. They hold high expectations of their workplace and demand accomplished and attentive management, flexibility and, last but not least, purposeful work.

The history of Gorrissen Federspiel dates back more than 150 years.

The exercise, therefore, is to maintain our DNA while at the same time m ­ oving forward and ensuring constant development in order to provide the best workplace in the business.

If our focus on diversity, inclusion and employee satisfaction fails, we run the risk of missing out on talented employees and weakening our business in the long term.

Objectives for 2020 We wished to continue working towards our 2022 goal to attract the most ­talented and committed employees through a number of initiatives with ­employee satisfaction as the focal point.

We also wished to continue focusing on diversity and inclusion throughout the entire firm, for instance through our cooperation with The Diversity Council.

CSR REPORT 2020

Progress in 2020 and expectations of continued development Our focus on employee satisfaction took quite an unexpected turn in 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic saw the start of the year characterised by uncertainty and new workplace restrictions. Moreover, when during lockdown our offices were closed and our employees asked to work from home, we were suddenly faced with completely different realities. The new situation called for a clear focus on our employees’ well-being but in a different context than anyone had imagined.

From March and throughout the entire lockdown, our main priority was to create clarity and safety for our employees. This was achieved through ­f requent and clear communication from the Managing Partner and management team. As long as the majority of our employees are working from home, senior management and partners will remain conscious of remote management and prioritise frequent contact with employees.

In the autumn, we conducted the annual employee satisfaction survey, which showed that despite the year being dominated by Covid-19 ­employee satisfaction had increased. The survey was conducted in collaboration with market research institute Ennova, with the feedback provided used to ­categorise employees based on their levels of engagement and loyalty. Based on this ­segmentation, we had set a target that by 2022 we should have 90% of our ­employees falling within the category of either “eager beavers” or “core ­employees”. By 2019 we had already made good progress, with a share of 87% in these two categories, but this was surpassed in 2020 with an impressive 91%.

Although in relation to our employees Covid-19 was the predominant theme throughout most of the year, we did find room to pursue several of our focus areas. Our inclusion and diversity efforts were essentially carved in stone when Managing Partner, Martin André Dittmer, signed The Diversity Council’s so-called CEO Pledge. By signing this document, Gorrissen Federspiel has committed to “driving and accelerating progress towards more gender diversity in management and to work for more inclusive workplaces and equal opportu­ nities for all talents”. We will continue our commitment to The Diversity Council and remain committed to creating diversity by being an inclusive workplace.

One of our 2020 targets was to prepare a detailed diversity and inclusion policy. Unfortunately this exercise had to be postponed as our main priority in 2020 was to navigate our employees and Gorrissen Federspiel safely through the Covid-19 crisis. We are expecting to adopt a diversity and inclusion policy in 2021.

In 2019, Gorrissen Federspiel introduced new career avenues in order to accommodate our talented employees’ different career preferences. In 2020, in collaboration with the AVT Business School, we established the “GF Academy” – an entirely new concept with an emphasis on management, strategy, business ­development and networking. Looking ahead, it is the intention that all Practice Area Counsel and Managing Counsel will receive the offer to attend the GF Academy.

As of 31 December 2020, the number of female lawyers, excluding partners, had increased to 54%. In 2019, the figure was 52%.

Aims for 2021 It is our wish to promote efforts for more diversity and inclusion in the legal sector. We aim to achieve this goal through our involvement with The Diversity Council and a number of other initiatives that are centred on diversity. We also wish to complete the drafting of a detailed diversity and inclusion policy.

We will remain focused on employee development through, for ­instance, new training initiatives. In addition to this, we will continually gauge our ­employees’ satisfaction on parameters such as work environment, management, employment terms and well-being.

In the following pages, you can read more about our efforts within the areas of diversity and employee satisfaction.

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SDGs

Objective attained

Partially

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CSR REPORT 2020

Focus on employee satisfaction in the year of Covid-19

CSR REPORT 2020

Employee satisfaction is always a focal point at Gorrissen Federspiel – whether in times of crisis or in less turbulent times.

In 2020, however, we paid special attention to guiding our employees safely through the unusual Covid-19 situation. At the same time, the #MeToo movement put the legal profession under the microscope.

Against this backdrop, we stressed both internally and externally that we have a zero tolerance policy regarding unwanted sexual attention.

Being a leading law firm in Denmark does not come easily. Our clients place high ­demands on our professionalism and skills as a trusted adviser, and we place correspondingly high demands on our employees in terms of performance, commitment and good teamwork. We make no secret of this.

However, we do not only make ­demands on our employees. We also make demands on ourselves as a workplace.

Moreover, so do our employees. We are constantly seeking to create the best environment and conditions to ensure that our employees thrive, develop, are motivated and feel at ease going to work.

We need the sharpest talent in the profession. Focus on employee satisfaction is an integral part of our operations and also a quite natural part of what it takes to be a modern enterprise. It is not something we opt in to or opt out of at will. We see this as the foundation of our business.

For this reason, it is not a coin­ci­ dence that an element of our 2022 strategy is about being the best place to work in the legal profession, with the most satisfied and engaged employees.

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Uncertainty among employees In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic meant that employee satisfaction took a slightly different turn than expected. Already in the month of February, Sara Jursic, Head of HR, sensed that something out of the ordinary was on the horizon. She recalls February and March as “a crazy period of time”. Being Head of HR, Sara Jursic’s telephone was constantly off the hook. There was uncertainty among employees, whilst at the same time it was necessary to draw up internal guidelines for meetings, travel and all types of everyday matters such as how to pick up lunch and where to eat it, all at a time when the situation was constantly changing. It was our principal priority to create both ­clarity and safety for our employees.

Sara Jursic saw a major need for clear and concise communication to ­employees, with guidelines on how to navigate this extraordinary situation. Measures and guidelines that applied one day could be out of date a few days later.

Accelerated communication In the interest of addressing our ­employees’ need for communication, we introduced daily updates from Managing Partner, Martin André Dittmer. These received a very ­positive response from our ­employees.

At the same time, all practice groups were encouraged to maintain visible management, in order to ensure that no one would feel isolated in their home offices and that Gorrissen Federspiel could continue to o ­ perate as a united team – albeit that ­suddenly we were all scattered across 500 or so individual workplaces.

In addition, all departments put ­increased focus on the role of immediate­line managers, who had to adapt quickly to remote management and to a management style with increased focus on presence and interaction.

Some employees also went through a period in which – apart from having to get used to an entirely new workplace situation – they had to adapt to home-schooling and to looking after children sent home from

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CSR REPORT 2020

”We’ve witnessed first-hand the very ­special Gorrissen Federspiel team spirit, with its strong sense of unity and ­belonging, despite the fact we were working apart and without the usual daily contact at the office. In spite of the physical distance, we somehow moved closer together.” school and nursery. This created a need for understanding in a situation where we all had to adapt our everyday lives to work in the best way possible at the intersection of work and family life.

Gauging satisfaction In light of the initial experience with home offices, we conducted a survey aimed ­specifically at working from home. On the one hand we wanted to get an impression of how our employees felt about working at home, and on the other hand we w ­ anted to learn and benefit from any positive experiences. In light of this survey, we ­prepared a specific working-from-home ­ p olicy which reflected our employees’ wishes for ­increased flexibility. We also offered all ­employees extra IT equipment for the home office, an offer which a large number of ­employees welcomed and accepted.

In the autumn, we conducted the annual employee satisfaction survey ­­– a survey that, in a year marked by Covid-19, could point in any direction. Fortunately, the survey showed that employee satisfaction was intact – and was even at a higher level than the year before.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of the survey, with ­employee s atisfaction increasing even in a year ­ marked by the pandemic. We’ve a strong foundation due to our persistent focus on employee satis­faction – not just in times of crisis – and ultimately we’ve come through the year stronger,” says Sara Jursic.

Transparency of cases The satisfaction survey in 2020 also ­included additional questions concerning sexual harassment. This was already on our agenda before the increased public attention on the topic, and in the future it will ­continue to be included as a permanent part of the annual employee satisfaction survey.

“Decency is an integral part of our DNA, and so it is imperative to us that there are no instances of unwanted ­sexual attention. However, we are a large firm, and it would be unrealistic to believe that it will never happen. Therefore, it is important to send a clear message that we have a zero tolerance policy, that we come down hard on any instances and that we handle it effectively,” says Martin André Dittmer, Managing Partner.

Gorrissen Federspiel’s employees must feel safe and secure when they go to work. We have an ongoing focus on being an inclusive workplace. This means that, among other things, we do not tolerate discrimination or harassment – including ­unwanted sexual attention.

In the autumn, the #MeToo wave rolled over Denmark and the spotlight was also directed at the legal profession.

Unfortunately, unwanted sexual attention also occurs in our profession, and unfortunately it has also been the case at Gorrissen Federspiel.

An article in the Danish daily newspaper Berlingske covered the three ­instances of unwanted sexual attention ­reported at our firm. The outcome of these cases was two warnings and one dis­missal. We decided to be open about it because it was and still is important for us to ­convey – both internally and externally – that ­abusive behaviour is not something we ­accept in our firm.

No new reports The increased attention on sexism also prompted us, in the autumn, to reassess the firm’s HR policy regarding instances of sexual harassment. There was no need to revise it, however, as the policy was already very clear.

In the autumn, at a virtual Managing Partner meeting to address all employees, Martin André Dittmer spent some time addressing the increased ­attention on sexual harassment in the legal ­profession. At the same time, he ­reiterated that when it comes to unwanted ­sexual attention there is zero tolerance, and if it should occur it is important that it is ­reported. This is because if such instances are not brought to the attention of the HR department and management, the situation is difficult to deal with.

“Our culture is founded on ­decency, and in a decent culture we interact with each other and treat each other with respect. In such a culture, we do not tolerate ­inappropriate conduct, ­including b ehaviour i­nvolving unwanted sexual ­ ­attention,” he stresses.

CSR REPORT 2020

Neither the increased public focus on unwanted sexual attention nor calls to approach the HR department with reports of any incidents – or for that matter the ­survey regarding this topic – prompted any further reports from employees.

“Against this background, we’ve concluded that the general tone of communi­ cation in our firm is characterised by ­decency and respectfulness,” says Sara Jursic.

Closer to each other at a distance Although 2020 was far from the year we had contemplated, it also brought a lot of ­positive experiences – in relation to working from home and digital communication, for instance, which demonstrated that when required we are able to adapt very quickly to a new situation.

“We’ve witnessed first-hand the very special Gorrissen Federspiel team ­spirit, with its strong sense of unity and ­belonging, despite the fact we were working apart and without the usual daily contact at the office. In spite of the physical distance, we somehow moved closer together. This has been an extremely positive experience,” says Sara Jursic.

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In our quest to attract the best and most engaged employees, among other measures we have set targets for employee satisfaction and feedback to management.

Gorrissen Federspiel conducts employee satisfaction surveys in collaboration with Ennova, with the feedback received providing a snapshot of engagement and loyalty that segments employees into categories. Based on this segmentation, it has been our goal that by 2022 we should have 90% of our employees falling within the category of either “eager beavers” or “core employees”. By 2019 we had already made good progress, with a share of 87% in these two categories, but this was surpassed in 2020 with an impressive 91%.

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CSR REPORT 2020

A signature for diversity and inclusion

CSR REPORT 2020

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In 2020, our commitment to The Diversity Council was sealed by signing the so-called CEO Pledge. By signing the Pledge, Managing Partner, Martin André Dittmer, affirmed together with 18 other top executives the commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

It is not a novelty that we at Gorrissen Federspiel are ­committed to a diverse workforce and wish to be an inclusive workplace for everyone who has an ambition and a desire to be part of Denmark's best law firm. From our perspective, this is not only responsible behaviour but also the key to our continued success.

In 2020, a new dimension was added to our diversity efforts when Managing Partner, Martin André Dittmer, ­together with 18 other top executives, signed a pledge to “drive and promote development towards more gender diversity in the management corridors and to work for more inclusive workplaces and equal opportunities for all talents”.

From talk to action The CEO Pledge, which was also signed by other top executives from organisations including Maersk, Tryg, Dansk Erhverv, Microsoft, Coloplast and Vestas, was launched by The Diversity Council, of which Gorrissen Federspiel is a founding partner and member since 2016.

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CSR REPORT 2020

“As a law firm, we’ve committed ourselves to working actively to be an inclusive firm.

We’re pulling out all the stops and commit to spending time and investing resources towards this goal and to not just talk about it,” says Martin André Dittmer.

“The increased focus will be reflected in management training and communication and in the way we look at recruitment,” he adds.

“Inclusion will be something that we’ll work with ­c onstantly and in a targeted way. It’ll not just be something we say but also something that’ll have tangible effects,” says Martin André Dittmer.

“We must be able to embrace and respect all types of people. Gorrissen Federspiel is an open working ­community where everyone must have equal opportunities to succeed and to advance,” he emphasises.

Since 2016, Gorrissen Federspiel has been a member

Diversity discussions in CEO network In Martin André Dittmer’s view, being an inclusive workplace with an inclusive ­management means that one is able to ­ embrace people’s ­differences, and that everyone regardless of background feels at ease and has a happy work life at Gorrissen Federspiel.

as equal treatment, diversity and inclusion.

“Diversity is what is ­created when you put ­together employees of different backgrounds, gender, religion, ­nationality, etc. Inclusion, on the other hand, is Gorrissen Federspiel’s active efforts to

"We must be able to embrace and respect all types of people. Gorrissen Federspiel is an open working community where everyone must have equal opportunities to succeed and to advance." of The Diversity Council, and Martin André Dittmer participates in the organisation’s CEO network, where he meets with executives from some of the largest Danish corporations.

In this forum, they share experiences and discuss issues such

e­ nsure that we have a diverse workforce,” he explains.

A stop to “unconscious bias” It is important for Martin André Dittmer as Managing Partner to create a workplace

where everyone feels ­accepted, ­valued and respected. One of the issues currently u ­ nder s crutiny by management is ­ “unconscious bias”, where ­decisions are ­u nconsciously made based on past e­ xperiences and ­stereotypes.

Martin André Dittmer dismisses the idea that, for ­instance, a quota tool would work for Gorrissen Federspiel today. All present and future ­employees are assessed on the basis of their skills. We never look at a person’s social background, ­ c ulture, ethnicity, ­gender or age.

“Inclusion and diversity must permeate the way we build teams, the way we develop ­talent and leaders, the way we look at our skill development and the way we view our ­performance.

We’re taking this journey, and we’ll have to end up at a place with an open culture where we respect each other regardless of background and where there’s room for everyone,” he stresses.

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Gender diversity in Gorrissen Federspiel The gender distribution among lawyers at Gorrissen Federspiel is almost equal with a slight preponderance of women. In 2020, we once again saw a positive ­development in the number of female lawyers. As of 31 December 2020, the proportion of ­female lawyers (excluding partners) was 54%.

This represents an increase from 2019, where the figure was 52%. The share of female lawyers across the entire legal profession was 39% in 2019 (source: the Association of Danish Law Firms’ publication “Advokatbranchen i tal”).

The firm’s top management body, the board of directors, still has one ­female member, which corresponds to approx. 17% of the entire board of directors. We have

set a target for our board to be composed of at least two women by 2022, which is 33% with the current number of board ­members. In 2020, a new chairman was appointed when the former chairman ­resigned from the board. The new chairman was already a member of the board of directors. No further appointments were made in this regard.

At Gorrissen Federspiel, we have a general desire for greater diversity, which also extends to the rest of the firm’s ­m anagement – the partners.

At the end of 2020, we had 18% female partners, which is a positive development ­c ompared to 14% in the previous year. A survey ­c onducted by AdvokatWatch in

September 2020 shows that the distribution among the industry's ten largest law firms ­a verages 15.5%. A p ­ ipeline of female talent is ­e ssential to ­ensure a ­d iverse pipeline among the firm’s partners. For this r­ eason, we are making a special effort among our younger ­lawyers to ensure the retention of both genders.

Gorrissen Federspiel is an open ­working community where everyone must have equal opportunities to succeed and to a dvance. Therefore, important focal ­ points for us are professional and personal ­deve­lop­­­ment, good working conditions, f lexibility and different career paths to attract and retain talent.

Gender distribution

Female lawyers (excluding partners) 2020 54% 2019 52%

302 women / 212 men

Female senior lawyers 2020 40% 2019 47%

Maternity leave

Female partners 2020 18% 2019 14%

27 women / 18 men

Women on the board of directors 2020 17% Target for 2022

33%

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CSR REPORT 2020

The team spirit extends beyond the law At Gorrissen Federspiel, we offer a range of different activities to our employees organised by our employees. We believe that this serves to emphasise the sense of belonging and to create good working relations and team spirit. In 2020, our first Counter-Strike team saw the light of day.

Gorrissen Federspiel is not just a place of work. We see ourselves as a team.

Although the law is the pivotal point of the firm’s operations, the social dimension is equally important for creating a team spirit and being an attractive place of work.

In a year characterised by working at home and away from co-workers, we really came to realise how much the social interaction with our co-workers means to our well-being and our sense of belonging at the workplace. Such interaction may just be a quick chat while grabbing a cup of coffee or popping into the next-door office to ask a question.

Under normal circumstances, it is important to us to get together and gather our employees for ­social events, for instance summer parties, Christmas ­parties, a Friday drink and events to celebrate lawyers ­obtaining admission to the Danish Bar. We believe that these events are essential components in being a good workplace, where it is fun to go to work.

We have several cycling teams and football teams as well as a running club, and we book ­badminton, squash and tennis courts for our employees. We also ­offer yoga classes at the office before working hours.

The latest addition to our employee-organised activities is our Counter-Strike team, launched in 2020.

With this, we now have our very first e-sports team.

The team defends Gorrissen Federspiel’s ­honour against other Danish companies in the YouSee eSportligaen, Kollega-Ligaen. In 2020, our team c­ ompeted in the fifth tier out of nine, and reached the final round in their group.

“Many of the other teams in the league are good clients of ours. A number of other law firms also have teams, and we wish to be represented. It’s very e­ njoyable spending time outside of the office with some of the companies we work with,” says attorney Frederik Jakob Schlichtkrull. He is one of the founders of the team and now bears the title of team captain.

The firm’s first e-sports team At Gorrissen Federspiel, we have a number of initiatives organised by our employees. We believe that commitment to your workplace and your co-workers reinforces a sense of teamwork that extends far beyond everyday legal work and helps create good co-worker relationships and a cohesive energy.

Gaming nurtures networks It all started with a social event where ten employees went to an internet café after work to play CounterStrike. It evolved from there, says Frederik Jakob Schlichtkrull, who has a background as a teenage Counter-Strike player.

CSR REPORT 2020

“A couple of us thought it would be fun to do this more regularly and in a more organised manner, because we really had a good time, and then we came across the YouSee eSportligaen. Some of us have played privately for a number of years, but some of our team members jumped on board as complete beginners,” he says.

Although each player sits behind his or her own screen, Counter-Strike also has a social dimension.

Whenever possible, the team likes to rent a room at an internet café, where they can sit and play together. We also managed to organise a match against a close business partner in 2020.

“Counter-Strike can also be used to nurture ­networks and business relationships. Our Corporate/ M&A practice group has a lot of dealings with the ­c ompany in question, and as soon as the Covid-19 ­situation allowed it we met up with them at an internet café for a few games,” he says.

The team has yet to meet one of the other law firms. Frederik Jakob Schlichtkrull says that the team has been trying to organise a friendly match for quite some time, but so far this has been p ­ revented

by Covid-19. Next season, however, promises a ­regular ­derby when Kromann Reumert and Gorrissen Federspiel meet for a group match.

Huge interest from colleagues In the autumn, Frederik Jakob Schlichtkrull saw the height of his career as a Counter-Strike player, when the YouSee eSportligaen livestreamed one of the team’s matches in which the team was defending its first place in the group.

“We received huge support from our ­c o-­workers. At the peak of the match, almost 100 spectators, ­r anging from students to partners, were watching,” says the team captain. It is his ­general ­impression that ­c o-workers have shown a great ­i nterest in the team.

“People are keeping tabs on whether we’re ­w inning or losing, and there’s an expectation that we ­provide updates and reports. As an aspiring lawyer, I didn’t think that it would be possible to play CounterStrike at a large Copenhagen law firm. It’s one thing that we’re allowed to use the firm’s name, but ­a nother

thing is that it seems as if the entire firm finds it fun to follow us,” he says. As a matter of fact, he has been quite surprised to see the number of “hush-hush” CounterStrike players out there and the massive ­internal ­support. From his perspective, it makes it all the more enjoyable to go to work.

“On a personal note, friendly relationships ­between co-workers mean a lot to me, instead of us just hiding behind our desks all day long. You also ­develop friendships with people outside your own practice groups – with whom you do not n ­ ecessarily work with on cases – because we’re connected by the same ­interest,” team captain Frederik Jakob Schlichtkrull adds.

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CSR REPORT 2020

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Environment

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CSR REPORT 2020

Environment

When it comes to the environment, we are committed to the ­principles of the UN Global Compact: Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; Principle 8: Undertake initiatives to promote ­greater ­environmental ­responsibility; and Principle 9: Encourage the develop­ment and ­diffusion of environmentally friendly ­technologies.

Our ambitions As a responsible law firm, we have a desire to run our business in a manner that leaves the smallest-possible climate footprint. With this in mind, we are constantly looking for new and more environmentally friendly solutions across the organisation in the operation and maintenance of our two offices. Having decency as an integral part of our DNA extends to protecting the environment.

This is reflected in many ways, including the way we handle waste, our purchasing and consumption of food in our canteens, recycling of IT equipment, use of solar energy and encouraging employees to use environmentally friendly means of transportation by, for instance, offering to have their bicycles mended right next to the office during working hours.

It is important for our employees to know that their workplace does not blindly emit huge quantities of — and ruthlessly exploit natural resources, but rather runs a responsible business that applies sustainable solutions so as to minimise our footprint on the climate as much as possible. We know that these issues are important to many people, and our clients expect from us – and rightly so – that we are a responsible player in the industry.

We conduct pro bono work relating to environmental and climate ­issues, and we have a strong conviction that we hold a special responsibility for d ­ isseminating knowledge about environmental and climate law by actively attending seminars and conferences, and engaging in debates.

Apart from our CSR policy, we do not have a separate written ­policy regarding the environment, since our business model does not involve ­considerable environmental risks and on the whole our suppliers do not have a significant negative impact on the environment.

The importance of focusing on the environment As a social actor, we endeavour to operate in the most climate-friendly way. As a participant in this world, it is important for us to focus on the environment so that we do not leave a large climate cost for future generations.

As a legal adviser, we do not directly impact the environment through our primary activities. This does not mean, however, that we cannot make a difference. We have a strong wish to take responsibility for the climate and influence the things that we can – for instance, in our choice of business partners and suppliers.

Objectives for 2020 We aimed to further strengthen our efforts in this area through more sustainable initiatives across the organisation, including an ambition to increase the proportion of organic food in the canteen and an intention to print as little as possible.

CSR REPORT 2020

Progress in 2020 and expectations of continued development From an environmental perspective, 2020 was a very good year for Gorrissen Federspiel aided by the Covid-19 situation. With many employees working from home for most of the year, our water and electricity consumption was significantly reduced in the offices, food waste was more or less eliminated owing to the Covid-19 measures introduced, and printing was also reduced by more than one and a half million sheets of paper. The reduced paper consumption was further aided by the launch of a new financial and matter management system, which served to optimise and digitalise our work procedures.

Aside from the consequences of people working from home during the Covid-19 lockdown, we have also introduced other more planned environmental measures. Plastic bin bags, for example, are now a thing of the past having been replaced by a 100% biodegradable alternative. Our kitchen in Axel Towers has ­received the Organic Cuisine Silver Label issued by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, all coffee and tea products are now organic, and we have replaced our coffee makers with more environmentally friendly alternatives. We will continue our focus on organic products and sustainable suppliers from the local area.

Our employees all received a reusable tote bag with the firm’s logo, which they can use for carrying belongings between the office and their home or university. In addition, in 2021 we generally aim to replace a good deal of our stationery and merchandise with more sustainable solutions.

In 2020, we once again recycled used IT equipment – all in all 103 items of IT equipment. This corresponds to environmental savings of 25,750kg ­fossil fuels, 72,100kg — emissions, 2,266kg of chemicals, 154,500 litres of clean drinking water and 236,900 kWh. In collaboration with our IT adviser Codeex, we are also expecting to send used IT equipment for recycling next year.

Aims for 2021 We are continually searching for more environmentally friendly alternatives and the most sustainable approaches. This applies across the organisation and within all the areas where we can make an impact.

In this spirit, we will maintain a strong focus on organic products in our kitchens and we wish to introduce more meat-free days. Sustainable suppliers from the local area are also a focus area.

We are expecting that the year of home-working will lead to a change of mind-set towards more paperless work procedures and thus a reduction in printing.

In the course of 2021, we are also expecting to replace our office supplies and merchandise with more sustainable alternatives based on environmentally sound and reusable materials.

In the following pages, you can read more about our efforts to minimise our climate footprint.

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SDGs

Objective attained

Fully

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CSR REPORT 2020

Office operations and the environment

CSR REPORT 2020

It is the goal of ATP Ejendomme, Gorrissen Federspiel’s landlord in Copenhagen, to reduce energy consumption in Axel Towers by at least 10% by the end of 2025.

This calls for intense supervision and continuous fine-tuning of the property’s operations.

In 2018, Axel Towers ­received recognition for the active ESG efforts put into the property.

The ­recognition took the form of a DGNB Silver Certification from the Green Building Council Denmark. The certification confirms that the property holds social, economic, environmental, technical and process qualities that significantly exceed the requirements of the Danish building regulations (source: ATP Ejendomme).

Several years ago when we were looking for a new location for Gorrissen Federspiel in Copenhagen, from an environmental perspective it was essential for us to find a future-­ oriented building.

For this reason, we greatly appreciate our collaboration with ATP Ejendomme, especially because ATP as a property investor has over a long period of time placed an increasing focus on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance). Not only in connection with the construction of a new building, where sustainability is considered throughout the entire process to limit the environmental ­impact as much as possible, but also going forward in the operation of the building.

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introduced improvements in the supply network. For ­example, green power, biomass and better heat pumps in the district heating network. ATP Ejendomme has an objective of reducing energy consumption in its properties by between 10% and 20%, relative to the 2018 figures, by the end of 2025 at the latest.

In 2017, we moved into Axel Towers, a b ­ uilding f eatur ing, among other ­ things, solar cells on the roof and ­c ertified wood on floors and on walls that guarantees ­responsible forestry.

Optimal use of resources Although the completion of Axel Towers occurred a few years ago, keeping the b ­ uilding as CO2-neutral as possible is an ongoing process with the ­v arious heating, ­e lectricity, ventilation and cooling ­i nstallations being constantly ­adjusted and improved.

“A building is like a ­ l iving organism. There’s ­always something going on. The ­number of users may change, the design may be a ­ ltered at the ­request of the tenants, and the installations need ­t uning so that everything runs as ­intended. Our operating staff are continually analysing data from operations and work with our property inspectors on site to ensure that resources are used as effectively as possible," says Peter Bruun, Head of ESG at ATP Ejendomme.

In general, it is ATP Ejendomme’s aim to contribute to a carbon-neutral society by 2050 in line with the ambitions of the 2015 Paris Agreement ­– primarily by reducing resource consumption in ATP’s property portfolio.

Peter Bruun explains that in addition to keeping a tight rein on consumption, sustain­able operation is also about making sure that the property benefits from ­newly

Positive trend for Axel Towers Owing to the impact of the corona­ v irus situation, it is d ifficult to compare A xel ­ Towers’ 2020 carbon footprint to that of 2019. Water consumption fell significantly and electricity consumption also took a dive. “The drop in heating consumption was not quite as c­ onsiderable because although there were periods with fewer people at work the offices still had to be heated,” says Peter Bruun.

Although the 2020 figures are a little out of the ordinary, the Head of ESG sees good overall momentum for Axel Towers. In the first months of 2020 we saw a positive trend with reduced energy consumption, which followed a similar trend in 2019.

“When we look at the property, consumption is ­going in the right direction, but there’s still room for improvement. This is something we’ll address,” he adds.

2021 will be a year of optimising operations at Axel Towers. ATP Ejendomme will continue to identify areas of optimisation, adjustment and replacement.

“We’ll ­c ontinuously a djust the installations ­ ­depending on how the ­pro­perty is used and the tenants’ w ­ ishes.

It’s part of the ongoing operation. We wish to reduce the property’s environmental footprint and in that context energy efficiency is crucial,” says Peter Bruun.

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CSR REPORT 2020

Carefully chosen suppliers When we choose suppliers for the ­production of office supplies, printed matter and merchandise, it is important to us that this is done with environmentally friendly solutions in mind. For instance, one of our main areas of focus is products made from recycled materials.

At Gorrissen Federspiel, we strive to run our business in a way that is as ­environmentally efficient as possible. This is also reflected in our marketing department, where we are constantly seeking to select the most environ­mentally friendly solutions for ­office supplies, printed materials and merchandise.

“It’s important to us that all work-­related products developed for our ­employees, as well as the things we use in our branding activities, for example when we participate in career fairs and similar activities, are in line with our social ­responsibility and our concern for a sustainable society,” says Katrine Prien, Head of Communication at Gorrissen Federspiel.

Responsible production One of the areas in which we as a company can make a positive contribution to reduce our environmental impact is in our choice of suppliers. In the marketing department, we therefore make a point of finding ­suppliers

who operate in a responsible manner and to whom sustainability is a natural part and focus of their business, so that they constantly seek to identify the best alternatives for materials and production.

“Being a knowledge-based firm, our climate footprint is only marginal ­because our end product doesn’t depend on a large ecosystem of actors, which all leave a footprint on the climate – as is the case in manufacturing companies, for example.

Nonetheless, we’re still producing things for our own use, and in that process we do have a responsibility for taking into account our climate footprint in interactions with our suppliers,” says Katrine Prien.

Every year we issue a number ­of ­publications, for instance to share professional knowledge with our clients.

For this purpose, we collaborate with the printing firms Cool Gray and Knudtzon Graphic, both of which are environmentally certified which is our guarantee

that our publications are produced in an ­environmentally friendly way and burden the environment as little as ­possible. We contribute to this by paying an environmental fee every time we order a printed product. In addition to this, the paper we use for our printed materials is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and the EU Ecolabel,

CSR REPORT 2020

as well as i­ nspected for Nordic Ecolabelled printing.

More recycled materials For the development and production of merchandise our chosen supplier is Metz, which like us has joined the UN Global Compact. Metz is also ISO certified under ISO 9001 for quality and ISO 14001 for environmental practice. When we develop

solutions in collaboration with Metz, we often have the opportunity to order products made from recycled materials. We are also always informed of our options for disposing of surplus stock in a sustain­ able way.

In 2020, this included a reusable tote bag for our employees, which they can use for carrying belongings between the ­office and their home or university. In a ­ ddition to

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offering our employees a sustain­able solution in terms of reusability, the bags were made from recycled materials.

In 2021, we aim to replace a range of our other work-related products with new, more sustainable alternatives. For instance, we are currently looking at the possibility of producing umbrellas, laptop bags and work bags from recycled materials.

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CSR REPORT 2020

Recycling IT equipment and reducing paper consumption An increased focus on sustain­ ability and energy optimisation in Gorrissen Federspiel’s IT department paid off in 2020, when print consumption fell drastically and an increased number of IT products were sent for recycling.

At Gorrissen Federspiel, we are constantly trying to find the best solutions and alternatives in terms of sustainability. This is also the case in our IT department, which provides daily support to our over 500 employees. The IT department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all IT systems and hardware across the offices in Aarhus and Copenhagen.

In recent years, we have placed further focus on minimising our climate footprint in relation to IT equipment, such as mobile phones and computers. We are also seeking to optimise energy consumption in relation to the operation of our infrastructure.

As with cars, boats and bicycles, computers, mobile phones and other redundant IT products can also be recycled. This extends the life cycle of each product, for the benefit of CO2 emissions and the earth’s raw materials.

More than 100 IT products for reuse Two years ago, we partnered with IT company Codeex which has specialised in the recycling of used IT equipment. Some equipment is refurbished and resold, while other equipment is sorted and sent for recycling.

In 2020, we sent 103 items of IT equipment for r­ ecycling with Codeex. This corresponds to environmental savings of 25,750kg fossil fuels, 72,100kg CO2 emissions, 2,266kg of ­chemicals, 154,500 litres of clean drinking water and 236,900 kWh. “By including sustainability and energy optimisation into the lifecycle of our IT equipment, we help create a circular ­economy where resources and products are used more efficiently. In this way, we can also contribute towards reducing the company’s overall climate footprint,” says Niels-Jørgen Will-Nielsen, Head of IT at Gorrissen Federspiel.

According to Codeex, the production of one computer corresponds to between 400 and 900kg CO2 emissions during production and transportation to the consumer. Up to 1,500 litres of clean water are used in the process, and up to 25kg of chemicals are released into the environment. By comparison, a passenger car in Denmark emits on average about 2,000kg CO2 per year. In simple terms, this means that when Codeex recycles three computers – thereby rendering the production of three brand new ones superfluous – it corresponds to neutralising the CO2 emissions of a passenger car for one year.

CSR REPORT 2020

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Reduced print consumption per employee from 2019 to 2020

24 per cent

Drastic decrease in paper consumption In a large law firm like ours, we naturally have many matters and many voluminous case files in our archives, because when a matter is closed it used to be common practice to print and file all documents. In recent years, we have taken active steps to change this and to adapt our work procedures to paperless and digital solutions.

Our IT department has already introduced a number of initiatives, for instance an optimised print solution and a better file sharing system, in order to enhance “paperless work”.

Aided by a year marked by Covid-19, where many employees worked from home, Gorrissen Federspiel’s consumption of paper saw a drastic decrease in 2020. Our consumption of paper totalled 7,077,887 sheets in 2019 and fell as low as to 5,402,645 sheets in 2020 – a fall of 1,675,242 sheets of paper. This means that every day in 2020, we printed 4,590 fewer sheets of paper than in 2019.

Lasting change in behaviour In February 2020, we implemented a new financial and matter ­management system, which supports the move towards more ­digitalised processes and work procedures, and which ultimately also has a positive effect on paper consumption.

Although the Covid-19 situation has played a significant role in reducing paper consumption, our IT Manager is expecting the effects to last and believes that in the future we will see lower paper consumption than before the pandemic.

“We've all gone through a collective digitalisation in the way we work – including when it comes to printing. Many of us have realised that it’s not necessary to have all documents in a printed version in order to read, mark up and comment on them – it also works well on the screen. As I see it, we’ll experience a change in behaviour in the way we work, which will continue after Covid-19,” says Niels-Jørgen Will-Nielsen.

According to the Codeex statement, we have achieved environmental savings equivalent to:

25,750kg fossil fuels

72,100kg CO2 emissions

2,266kg chemicals

154,500 litres clean drinking water

236,900 kWh electricity

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CSR REPORT 2020

Sustainability is the benchmark In our kitchens, we are constantly seeking to identify the most sustainable solutions – including when it comes to coffee machines, bin bags and vegetables. In 2020, we once again introduced a number of new measures.

More organic foods, more sustain­ability and more animal welfare – this is the short ­version of the situation in Gorrissen Federspiel’s kitchens in 2020, which u ­ nder normal circumstances are responsible for ­c atering for many hundreds of ­employees and guests every day. During the year of Covid-19, things have o ­ bviously been ­d ifferent, but this does not mean that the vision for increased sustainability has been dormant.

The chocolate we purchase from ­external suppliers and offer to guests at meetings in Axel Towers, for instance, has been replaced by the kitchen’s own 100% organic alternative. Our kitchens also ­continued to focus on organic products and our climate footprint. In 2020, more meatfree days were therefore introduced, and we always have a vegetarian dish on the menu.

As it turned out, the Covid-19 ­situation had an unintended positive effect.

Throughout most of the year, the usual buffet service was replaced by individual servings.

“This means that we had virtually no production waste, because it’s so much easier to calculate consumption for individual servings. Against this backdrop, we reduced food waste remarkably,” says Maj-Britt Leander, Head of Meetings and Catering at our Copenhagen office.

At Axel Towers, we reached an ­important ecological milestone, when our

kitchen received the Organic Cuisine Silver Label issued by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration. This was our goal throughout 2020. The Organic Cuisine Label is a state-guaranteed labelling scheme proving that a kitchen is serious about ­organics. In order to obtain the Silver Label, 60-90% of the raw ingredients used in ­preparing the entire menu must be ­organic. In the last three months of 2020, the average share of organic raw ingredients used by the kitchen in Axel Towers was 66%.

Eco-friendly coffee The Organic Cuisine Label was achieved ­b ecause, among other things, we gave ­priority to the selection of suppliers where sustain­ability, organics and animal welfare are paramount for the collaboration. Our suppliers offer a very broad range of ­organic foods, and our meat supplier is a leading supplier of organic products.

Maj-Britt Leander points out that organics is not just organics for the sake of organics. It makes no sense, for example, to buy organic raw materials abroad in order to have them transported across Europe. The kitchen will always opt for local producers.

With regard to hot drinks, organic products have also been an area of focus in 2020. A new supplier has ensured that all tea and coffee products are now organic.

From July to December alone, two tonnes of

organic coffee beans were used. In addition to this, all coffee machines were replaced by more environmentally friendly solutions.

“The machines feature improved cleaning programmes with reduced ­water consumption. With our new coffee ­machines, both the beans and the machine have been designed with the environment in mind,” says Maj-Britt Leander.

Goodbye to plastics It is not only in relation to food that the kitchen is constantly seeking to reduce the climate footprint. In 2020, biodegradable bin bags were introduced at all places of food waste production. This corresponds to around 3,2oo bags a year, which have now gone from pure plastic to a more environmentally friendly alternative.

“We’ve been waiting to find the right manufacturer. Our new bin bags are 100% biodegradable. We can throw them out ­together with food waste, and there’s ­nothing left in nature,” says Maj-Britt Leander.

In 2021, she is anticipating that we will see a number of initiatives to support the vision for increased organic products, sustainability and animal welfare. A further reduction in meat consumption is a clear objective, as is the considerable exercise of maintaining all the good and important progress made in 2019 and 2020.

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CSR REPORT 2020

Anti-corruption

CSR REPORT 2020

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CSR REPORT 2020

Anti-corruption

When it comes to anti-­corruption, we are committed to the ­principle of the UN Global Compact: Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.

Our ambitions Decency is deeply rooted in our DNA, and ethics is one of our five core values.

It is a fundamental principle that our actions must always be capable of bearing close scrutiny. From our perspective, this is at the very core of ethics.

It goes without saying that we expect all employees at Gorrissen Federspiel to comply with applicable rules and regulations, including anti-­ corruption rules.

In recent years, we have brought into focus our internal compliance processes, particularly in relation to customer due diligence and AML ­processes.

They must help ensure that we do not become involved in any cases of ­corruption and bribery.

It is also important to us that all our employees know the procedures for how to act in the event of a breach of the anti-corruption rules. These rules have once again been emphasised in our new anti-corruption policy, which describes in detail how employees must handle any critical issues, including through our whistleblower scheme. The policy is based on our CSR policy and applicable law in this area.

We continue to be committed to the AdvokatKODEKS (“the Lawyer’s Code”), which we endorsed in 2018. Under the Code, we are obliged to work with the five elements of CSR selected by the Association of Danish Law Firms, including the handling of ethical dilemmas.

The importance of focusing on anti-corruption Our high professional standards and the trust of our clients are essential ­elements in our legal work. We live by our reputation and decency. This is the reason why we do not tolerate behaviour and actions that may call into question our integrity and credibility as legal advisers.

We are generally seeing a greater societal focus on acting responsibly and ethically as a business. Cases of bribery, extortion, fraud or nepotism, for example, would be damaging to our reputation and have major negative ­consequences for our business.

Our ethical profile is not just about us. Lawyers play an important role as actors in the community, and we are acutely aware that there are high ­expectations on us from the surrounding community. Any negative story about lawyers or law firms hurts the entire legal sector. For this reason, we also have a responsibility to uphold the reputation of the entire legal sector.

In our business model, where we as a knowledge-based company ­provide legal advice to Danish and international companies, we have not identified any significant corruption risks in our activities or with our business relations.

CSR REPORT 2020

Objectives for 2020 We aimed to continue our focus on ethics and decency in our work.

Moreover, we aimed to continue our compliance work, including new digital systems to further optimise our compliance processes.

Finally, we aimed to develop a detailed anti-corruption policy to guide our work going forward.

Progress in 2020 and expectations of continued development In 2020, we implemented a number of new compliance and anti-corruption initiatives.

We introduced new digital tools to support and optimise our compliance processes, particularly in relation to AML, and we continued our internal training in this area.

Having compliance as our focus of attention, a detailed anti-corruption policy was the natural next step. This was accomplished in 2020, when our pre-existing practices were laid down as guidelines. The purpose of this is to ensure that Gorrissen Federspiel complies with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption rules and regulations.

The policy details our position in relation to corruption, bribery and facilitation payments as well as to gifts and entertainment. The policy also clarifies where and how employees should report any violations of the policy, and to whom they can turn in case of doubt, for instance in relation to gifts.

In the context of annual CSR reporting, our management reviews the anti-corruption policy and assesses whether it needs to be updated.

We are now well on track with a number of compliance and anti-­ corruption initiatives. We will continue to highlight ethics and decency in our work, and we must ensure that all employees are aware of the contents of our anti-corruption policy.

Aims for 2021 It is our aim for 2021 to roll out the anti-corruption policy and for it to “live its own life” in our organisation. This will first and foremost be achieved by actively drawing attention to the fact that we have a new policy and making it visible to our employees. Initially, we expect this to happen via our intranet.

In addition, we will strive to incorporate it into our induction ­programme so that all new employees are introduced to the policy. We also aim to incorporate it into our ongoing staff training in KYC/AML. In the following pages you can read more about our new anti-corruption policy.

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SDG

Objective attained

Fully

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CSR REPORT 2020

New anti-corruption policy Gorrissen Federspiel adopted an anti-corruption policy in 2020.

The purpose of the policy is to consolidate and streamline already existing practices and to establish clear guidelines and a governance structure that is clear to all employees.

In our efforts to systematise and ­professionalise our CSR work, Gorrissen Federspiel adopted a comprehensive ­anti-corruption policy in 2020.

The policy brings together pre-­ existing practices and spells out to all ­employees the firm’s position on corruption, bribery, facilitation payments, gifts and entertainment. This means that new employees will no longer have to “decipher” a culture, and in case of doubt are able to double-check by consulting a clear and ­consistent policy.

“This represents a codification of our zero tolerance practice when it comes to corruption. Concurrent with the growth of our company, there’s an increased need for written policies. The culture alone can’t ­sustain everything when we welcome so many new colleagues every year,” says Camilla C. Collet, chairman of Gorrissen Federspiel’s CSR Committee.

Our position is communicated widely The policy also clarifies the processes for how our employees should act if they ­become aware of suspicious circumstances.

CSR REPORT 2020

“We’ve established a very clear ­ overnance structure, which makes it clear g to everyone where to go if you have questions, who handles the various issues and how to act if you become aware of ­critical ­issues. The policy refers, among other things, to our whistleblower scheme, where employees are able to report concerns,” says Camilla C. Collet.

She emphasises that corruption and bribery have always been illegal and unaccept­able at Gorrissen Federspiel.

“But there’s value in having a policy and showing that we take it seriously, while at the same time making sure that our position is communicated widely to everyone,” says Camilla C. Collet.

To be disseminated to our employees From Camilla C. Collet’s perspective, the anti-corruption policy has been the natural next step in integrating the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, which Gorrissen Federspiel committed to in 2018, into the firm’s strategy and day-to-day operations.

“Although anti-corruption work is important, it’s our assessment that corruption isn’t our primary risk area. Initially, our area of focus was therefore other compliance areas like AML and GDPR, which involve regulatory requirements for the processes. We’ve now come to anti-­ corruption,” she explains.

Although the anti-corruption p ­ olicy is now in place, our work with this policy will continue in 2021. “Because apart from actually drawing up the policy, the most important thing is that it’s not just a policy that lives in a drawer,” Camilla C. Collet points out. Now, therefore, it is all about making our employees aware of its existence and content.

“The policy will be rolled out across the entire organisation. One of the issues we’re looking at is to incorporate the ­policy into the induction of new employees. We provide continuous KYC and AML training, and it would make good sense for the anti-­ corruption policy to become an integral part of the programme for new joiners,” she says.

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