Blakes Wins Canada’s Best Diversity Employer for 11th Year

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) is honoured to be named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers 2021.

Diversity is a strength to celebrate and inclusion is woven into the fabric of our Firm. Embracing unique perspectives and approaches is at the core of our commitment to helping our clients succeed and our people thrive. Blakes has received this award more often than any other firm in Canada. We are proud to earn this recognition in 2021 for the 11th time.

Through internships, educational opportunities and internal initiatives like Diversi-Tea, a program that pairs diverse junior associates with mentors at the senior associate and partner levels, we are building a welcome and safe space for all of our people. In partnership with clients and community organizations, affinity groups like Black@Blakes, Women@Blakes and Pride@Blakes strengthen our workplace community with important dialogue and internal and external events in order to increase awareness and provide resources and support.

Blakes is involved with numerous community-based diversity programs and organizations, offering support, mentorship, and internship opportunities to underrecognized communities and equity-seeking groups.

Blakes is an industry leader in the 30% Club, a global organization whose goal is to boost the proportion of women on boards of directors to 30 per cent by 2022, and is a proud partner of Catalyst Canada, the leading not-for-profit research and advocacy organization dedicated to creating opportunities for women and business in Canada.

Through ongoing unconscious bias, anti-Black racism and inclusive leadership training, the Firm fosters communities that champion and promote women, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC leaders — at Blakes, in business and in the legal profession.

We proudly stand with other Canadian business leaders as members of the BlackNorth Initiative (BNI) and their Law Firm Pledge, Law Firm Antiracism Alliance network, and Black Future Lawyers, among others, to support work focused on addressing systemic racism and improve the recruitment and retention of diverse legal professionals.

We recognize that our strength is our people. We believe that each person at Blakes is an important part of our team and key to building a more effective and inclusive workplace and industry.