UK law firms have continued to scale up responsible business activity in the past year, topping an annual index that sees them continue to outperform US counterparts.
While scores for the UK top 100 were up 12% on 2024, the US top 50’s average total score dropped by 30% in the face of political headwinds.
The annual report, published by Lamp House, part of leading legal rankings and insights intelligence company Chambers, analyses the websites of 150 leading law firms, tracking reported responsible business activity across three categories: People, Planet and Governance.
Overall, UK-headquartered firms’ average score was double that of their US counterparts, with 65% of UK firms seeing their average scores increase year on year.
UK firms made the most significant progress on the environment and sustainability, supporting women in the profession and social mobility when compared to 2024, while US firms saw the biggest drops in initiatives supporting ethnic minorities, women and LGBTQ+ individuals.
The top five highest ranking firms (in alphabetical order):
— Clyde & Co
— DWF
— Pinsent Masons
— Simmons & Simmons
— Taylor Wessing
Planet
Nearly six in 10 UK firms (58%) now have a publicly declared net zero target, up from 44% last year, with still only 19% now reporting on how they are progressing the notoriously challenging issue of tackling business travel-related emissions. This compares to 9% of firms in 2024.
The three most reported actions in relation to the environment were waste reduction programmes (67%), energy reduction measures (56%) and use of renewable energy (51%).
People
Initiatives to support the retention and progression of women showed the most growth in the UK, up 6% over the last 12 months, with more firms publicly disclosing parental leave policies accounting for much of the change. There was also an increase in the number of firms designing and promoting career development programmes for ethnic minority talent within their firm – 13% of firms are now doing this compared to 8% in 2024 – and the majority of firms are now taking action on recruitment efforts aiming to improve social mobility, with apprenticeships offered by almost three quarters (73%) of UK firms.
Action to support LGBTQ+ individuals and those with disabilities scored lowest compared to other under-represented groups.
Governance
Some 42% of the UK firms have a responsible business board or steering committee, up from 32% a year earlier, while 46% have minimum standards in place for suppliers.
The biggest year-on-year increase in the governance category was in the number of firms describing how responsible business-related risk forms a part of their risk register, up from 13% in 2024 to 24% in 2025.
Lisa Hart Shepherd, chief product and innovation officer at Chambers and Partners, says: “While UK firms continue to make heartening progress when it comes to responsible business, political headwinds in the US appear to have had a significant effect on what US firms are prepared to disclose, particularly in relation to initiatives designed to support the recruitment, retention and progression of women, ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community.
“That doesn’t mean the initiatives in place have disappeared overnight, but firms are rethinking and reshaping the public communication and positioning of those efforts in the light of the political risk.
“The continued commitment of UK firms on the environment, social mobility and women in law in particular is welcome. We know how important progress in these areas is to talent and clients as well as society as a whole and we hope that long term we continue to see an expansion of responsible business initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic.”
