Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement | Fieldfisher
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This constitutes our Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement for the financial year ended 31 March 2025.

  1. Fieldfisher LLP operations and policy position

Fieldfisher LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC318472. Fieldfisher is an international legal practice comprising Fieldfisher LLP and its subsidiaries and affiliates, operating in the jurisdictions as detailed on our website here.

We are committed to compliance with applicable laws and ethical business practices across our operations, including on-going monitoring and review of our key practices to combat slavery and human trafficking risks and enhancing our procedures, where necessary. Similarly, we remain committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our operations and direct supply chains and this is reflected in our approach below. 

  1. Risk assessment and profile

Fieldfisher is a professional services business providing professional services in the legal services sector to generally sophisticated clients and employing professional personnel, as such:

  • We operate in a sector context, which is typically identified as low or lower risk concerning modern slavery and human trafficking; and
  • We also have not identified a material level of risk concerning modern slavery and human trafficking issues in our own operations.

Over the last financial year and as part of our firm-wide approach, we have reviewed and updated our risk assessment regarding potential modern slavery and human trafficking risks in connection with our operations and direct supply chain, focusing on our operations in the United Kingdom ("UK"), which represents a material proportion of our operations and personnel (by reference to operational size, revenue and headcount).

As part of our on-going work program across the firm, we reviewed the risk profile of our UK operations and direct suppliers to identify potentially higher risk categories of suppliers and areas of further due diligence.  We endeavour to choose and contract with organisations who we expect to share our commitment to combatting slavery and human trafficking. We concluded that our risk profile remained low overall and our outsourced facilities management in the UK remains an area of focus for ongoing review and monitoring.  This area covers: i) building security; ii) office cleaning; iii) concierge services; and iv) reception and switchboard.

  1. Actions undertaken over the last financial year

Over the course of the last financial year, we undertook the following actions to combat the potential risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our operations or in our direct supply chains:

  1. Engaged with key stakeholders

We convened a group of key stakeholders from offices across our firm and operations (our 'Modern Slavery Operations Group' comprising senior staff from the following teams: Human Resources, Central Management, Operations / Facilities, Risk, Sustainability and ESG, and a Partner from our Employment team with specialist subject matter expertise) to review and update our risk management approach, including on-going monitoring and mitigation steps to address any potential material risks and the overall enhancement of our approach. This group met periodically over the course of the year to review progress.

  1. Refreshed our risk assessment

Given our program focus over the last year, we updated our risk assessment to identify areas of potential material risk within our UK based operations and direct supply chains connected to it where modern slavery and human trafficking may occur. As stated above, a material slavery and human trafficking risk has not been identified within these operations (or been notified to us more generally in connection with our firm-wide operations). We did identify some areas of lower risk that require continuing focus and actions. Our risk assessment also considered categories of supplier or other material risk factors associated with our direct supply chain, such as geographical location, supplier operating sectors, nature of goods and services being supplied, and categories of workers involved. As part of our on-going actions, we will continue to broaden the scope of our risk assessment and update it over the next financial year.

  1. Reviewed our policy framework

As part of our on-going review and update of our risk assessment and approach, we reviewed the revised guidance issued by the supervising government department, the Home Office (UK), released on 27 March 2025 ('Guidance') in respect of the Act. Our Modern Slavery Operations Group considered this Guidance, as appropriate, in the context of our:

  • Review and update to our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking policy position; and
  • Development of our supply chain management and responsible sourcing approach,

which is on-going work.  

  1. Awareness Raising across the firm

In January 2025, we acknowledged National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month across our firm and sought to raise the awareness of our staff about modern slavery and human trafficking (and encourage active learning engagement through a short quiz).

  1. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Direct supply chain management

For our outsourced facilities management in the UK, we continue to work towards ensuring that our direct suppliers and providers in these categories continue to pay the London (or other applicable local) Living Wage (as appropriate) or, minimally, the National Minimum wage.

Fieldfisher introduced a Supplier Management Policy (and supporting Process) for its UK based operations in 2022, which includes consideration of the issue of modern slavery and human trafficking. This process was considered as part of the review of our risk assessment and we have identified further steps to continue to develop our approach and share learning and insights across our firm for the next financial year below.

  1. Future actions and key performance indicators (KPI)

Over the course of the next financial year, we will seek to measure our progress in managing (and enhancing, where appropriate) our risk management approach by reference to the following KPIs.  We will continue to take steps to progress:

  • Our updated Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy position (and, once approved, undertake awareness raising across our operations, with an initial focus on key UK based direct suppliers, which support our largest operations)
  • Our updated risk assessment
  • Periodic meetings of our Modern Slavery Operations Group, which supports our modern slavery risk management approach and action plan
  • Our Supplier Process – by:
    • Developing our approach to supplier engagement and communicating our zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery with, initially, key direct suppliers based in the UK and/or who may operate in a potential material risk category regarding this issue; and
    • For material new suppliers (who may be identified as being potentially higher risk under our risk assessment procedures), requiring confirmation of their compliance with applicable laws and regulations regarding modern slavery and human trafficking.
  • Training and Awareness Raising
    • Development and dissemination of resources and training to our staff, with a focus on those in management roles with direct responsibility for procurement
    • Continuing general awareness raising for our staff through publication of articles or other industry or current information about modern slavery risks
    • Participating in industry events addressing the issue of modern slavery and risks, including through potential pro bono activities or other initiatives.

 

Signed:

Robert Shooter – Managing Partner
Designated Member of Fieldfisher LLP