How do law firms define their core values and embed them at the heart of their workplace cultures? The Brief investigates.

Today most serious organisations, from SMEs upwards, have core values designed to inform their conduct and guide their staff. Law firms are no exception.

These values can sometimes be platitudinous to the point of meaninglessness. In other instances, however, they are well thought-out and play a key role in defining and maintaining a firm’s culture.

So, how do firms define and promulgate these values? And what unique challenges have to be overcome in a traditionally individualistic sector in which lawyers are encouraged to develop personal followings, and it is not uncommon for entire teams to decamp from one firm to another?

Differentiation

Amrit Sandhar is the founder of the workplace culture specialist & Evolve. He says, “With most firms built on similar commercial foundations – billable hours, utilisation and leverage – it’s reasonable to ask whether values and culture really make a meaningful difference.

“Productivity still matters, margins still matter, and partners are often incentivised to build powerful personal followings that can move with them.

“This is precisely why values matter. Values and culture define how work gets done, how people treat one another under pressure, and what is truly rewarded beyond financial performance.

“In a sector where individuals can be bigger than the institution, values provide the glue that turns a collection of high-performing individuals into a firm people actually want to belong to.”

Values provide the glue that turns a collection of high-performing individuals into a firm people actually want to belong to.

This, in turn, breeds loyalty by creating consistency.

“When people experience the same standards of behaviour, leadership and decision-making across teams and practice areas, the firm becomes bigger than any one partner,” Sandhar explains.

“Shared values reduce dependency on individual personalities and create a sense of collective identity. Clients notice this too.

“When values shape how teams collaborate, communicate and solve problems, relationships become institutional rather than purely personal, making them far more resilient when individuals move on.”

Defining values

So, how do firms decide upon their core values?

Florence Brocklesby, founder of the London workplace law and commercial disputes firm Bellevue Law, says, “In my view defining, and refining, values is an iterative process.

“In order to be meaningful, core values and purpose need to be set from the top of the organisation so that they are clear, distinct and don't fall into the trap of trying to be all things to all people. However, they will evolve over time, and this is likely to be informed by feedback from the business and wider stakeholders.

“By way of example, our decision to become a B Corp was taken by the firm's senior management team. However, we communicated it to our team publicly in advance of accreditation and sought input on the details of the policies and practices we put in place to achieve certification.

“And we continue to ask clients and colleagues alike for feedback and questions about our ESG approach in annual surveys and around any key milestones.”

Amy Norman, the marketing partner at Bury-headquartered Butcher & Barlow, which has 11 offices around the North West, says her firm took a similar approach. She says, “At Butcher & Barlow, our values are clearly led from the top, but they are only meaningful if they are understood and lived by everyone across the firm.

“Our rebrand within the last five years gave us the opportunity to reflect carefully on who we are and how we want to be seen, both internally and externally, and to articulate that in a clear and practical way.

Our values are clearly led from the top, but they are only meaningful if they are understood and lived by everyone across the firm.

“We defined our core values as being open, honest and approachable, and the focus has always been on embedding these into everyday working life. That includes the language we use, how colleagues communicate with one another, how people are supported and guided, how decisions are made, and how we work with clients and suppliers.”

Victoria Young, is managing director at the Manchester-headquartered employment law specialist Watershed. She says, “Our values aren’t just handed down from the top. They’ve been shaped over time by the people who do the work every day.

“We’ve built them together, drawing on real experiences and desired output – quality work, rather than theory. By keeping things collaborative instead of hierarchical, our values reflect who we actually are – not who we think we should be.

“Everyone has a say, and that say matters. Values apply to everyone.”

Clarity on culture

Sandhar says developing meaningful values can neither be entirely a top-down branding exercise, nor a bottom-up “free-for all.” The starting point, he explains, is to be clear about the culture the firm wants to create.

He says, “That requires an honest understanding of the existing culture, best gathered from those who experience it most directly, such as junior lawyers, business services teams and clients.

The gap between current and aspirational culture highlights what genuinely needs to be valued.

“Their lived experience reveals how work is really done, not how partners believe it’s done. From there, partners can articulate the aspirational culture: one that makes people want to come to work, do their best work, grow their careers and stay.

“The gap between current and aspirational culture highlights what genuinely needs to be valued. This is where values emerge, not purely as abstract ideals, but as enablers of performance, collaboration and sustainable growth for the firm.

“Crucially, this also surfaces what matters to partners beyond financial achievement alone.”

Communication and reinforcement

Once values have been defined, they need to be embedded throughout the organisation.

Ben Churchill, director of responsible business at the national firm Freeths, says, “Once values are defined, they must be communicated consistently and reinforced throughout the firm – from onboarding and leadership messaging to internal communications, client materials and supplier engagement.

“Effective organisations do not treat values as slogans; they embed them in governing documents, policies, decision‑making frameworks and expectations of professional conduct so that values genuinely guide behaviour. Values endure when people see a clear alignment between what an organisation says and what it does.”

Effective organisations do not treat values as slogans; they embed them in governing documents, policies, decision‑making frameworks and expectations of professional conduct.

Ensuring values are lived in practice, he continues, requires more than policy updates.

He says, “It depends on visible leadership role‑modelling, systems and incentives that make values‑aligned choices the default, and a culture where colleagues feel empowered to shape how values come to life.

“Recognition, accountability and avenues for influence across a business all strengthen ownership. Monitoring adherence involves both formal and cultural indicators, from audits and due diligence to colleague feedback and lived‑experience insights.”

Embedding at all stages

The West Yorkshire firm Chadwick Lawrence defines its values as: trust, respect and inclusion; curiousness and courageousness; kindness and happiness; and humour and fun.

Managing partner Neil Wilson says, “Anyone involved in our recruitment process is made aware of our values at that stage and openly asked if they can commit to them. At Chadwick Lawrence, values are then introduced to new starters from day one and embedded through our induction framework, onboarding materials and mandatory training, sitting alongside compliance, risk and client care.

“We are also rolling out an enhanced onboarding platform to immerse new starters even more in our culture before they even join.

Values are introduced to new starters from day one and embedded through our induction framework

“Our leaders actively translate values into everyday behaviours by being approachable, listening, recognising success and championing diversity and inclusion. Each department also makes specific commitments to keep the values visible and relevant at a local level.”

The firm invests in leadership development programmes, Wilson says, which “ensure values remain practical and lived, rather than aspirational statements”.

He continues, “Wellbeing is a core expression of our values and is embedded into our benefits. Every colleague receives two hours of funded wellness time each week, and we actively use Microsoft’s Viva Engage and internal communications channels to share value-led stories and peer recognition.

“This brings concepts such as kindness, inclusion and humour to life in tangible, everyday ways.”

Feedback and improvement

Fee-share firm Excello Law’s business model is different from that of a traditional partnership, or a company in which colleagues are all employees. Nonetheless, values and culture are a key are of focus.

COO Jo Losty says, “Our values of excellence and diversity are aligned with our non-traditional business model, which supports happiness, provides flexibility and offers a wide opportunity to lawyers from all backgrounds.

“We monitor, encourage and enforce commitment to our values from the top with accessible leadership, awareness through consistent communication and by actively seeking feedback and suggestions for improvement. We always celebrate the success of our lawyers including through financial incentives to refer work between colleagues and our pioneers programme to reward long service.”

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