Head of Marketing & CSR, Sam Ridgway, explains more about our B-Corp journey.
We’ve always believed in using our business as a force for good at White & Black.
While our reach extends to international clients, markets and networks, we remain deeply committed to supporting the community within which we operate. Our primary purpose is to provide strategic legal advice that helps business leaders achieve growth, manage risk, and maximise value. But as we grow and develop, we want to ensure we meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. That’s why we’ve embarked on our B-Corp journey.
But this process is far more than a box-ticking certification. We want to use it as a tool to ensure White & Black is a genuine force for good for our clients, our people, our community in Oxford, and the wider environment, for many years to come. As a people-first organisation, the values encapsulated in the B Corp movement and certification align perfectly with our direction as a business. We want to take ownership of our actions and impact in our community, be open and transparent about the ways in which we’re operating and embrace any changes that are needed to meet B-Corp’s rigorous standards”.
What is a B-Corp?
Simply put, it’s a company certified by B Lab as meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. It’s about balancing profit with purpose and considering the impact of our decisions on our employees, customers, community, and the environment. B Corps are legally committed to considering the interests of all stakeholders, not just shareholders. Think of it as a “gold standard” for sustainability credentials.
A Growing Movement
The B Corp movement has gained significant global momentum in recent years, with over 9,500 certified businesses worldwide. This is no longer just a niche trend. It represents a fundamental shift in how businesses are approaching their responsibilities. In the UK, this growth is particularly notable, with the B Corp community expanding rapidly as more and more companies recognise the value of embedding purpose into their core operations. Data indicates that B Corps are not only doing well but also performing well, often outperforming ordinary businesses across key metrics such as revenue growth and employee retention. Between 2023 and 2024, small and medium-sized UK B Corps saw a 23.2% increase in turnover, compared to the national average of 16.8%. This tangible growth underscores the benefits available to businesses when properly considering all stakeholders.
B Corps also experienced a 9.6% increase in employee headcount, while the national average saw a decrease of 0.5% during the same period. This highlights the value that lies in a strong ethical purpose, helping businesses attract and retain top talent, and building resilient teams for the future. The B Corp framework inherently addresses risk. By formalising social and environmental best practices, B Corps are better positioned to navigate regulatory changes, strengthen stakeholder relations, and enhance resilience.
While the B Corp movement is gaining traction across various sectors, the legal sector is still in the early stages of embracing this framework. Globally, the number of certified law firms remains relatively limited. At White & Black, we view this as an exciting opportunity to continue leading the way within our industry. We believe that law firms play a crucial role in shaping business practices and facilitating ethical and sustainable approaches to commercial activity. We are proud to be among a growing number of forward-thinking legal practices that recognise the increasing importance of balancing profit with purpose and demonstrating a genuine commitment to all stakeholders.
Our Commitment
We want to do all we can to reduce our impact on the environment and bring about positive change. That’s why we’re using the B Corp Framework to formalise existing practices and policies and bring in more changes to our day-to-day work at White & Black. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve already achieved, but we know we need to keep improving and that there is always more to do.
By baking the B Corp values into everything we do as a business, we can continue to balance profit with what is right for our stakeholders and our environment. Our B Corp journey has already begun. We’ve done a first run at our B Impact Assessment, and our B Corp project team are busy looking at what needs changing and adding before we submit it for assessment later this year.
Example One – Focusing on Our Supply Chain
Our supply chains provide a huge opportunity to further reduce our impact on the environment. Most recently, as just a small part of our B Corp journey, we’ve been assessing our suppliers across different business functions, adding to our list of approved local suppliers for things such as business and facilities services, catering, and event venues. We have long-standing and trusted relationships with many of our wider stakeholders. Whilst we only engage partners who share our values and vision (and therefore our ambitions for truly sustainable business), we will begin formalising this shared vision where possible, through codes of conduct and environmental due diligence.
Example Two – Focusing on Our People
We’re committed to looking for new ways to enhance our employees’ financial security, health & safety, wellness, career development, and engagement & satisfaction. Most recently, we’ve been assessing our employees’ career development opportunities and personal development planning. It’s crucial to us that every individual within our organisation is enabled to thrive and fulfil their full potential, ultimately benefiting our clients and the community around us. We believe that White & Black is already leading the way with the range of training & development opportunities available to our team, but we want to do more. As a small part of the B-Corp assessment process, we’re further evolving the way we facilitate career development and training. We’ll be enhancing our process with new structures and financial and human resources, tailored to every individual.
The Bigger Picture: ESG for Business Growth, Risk and Value
ESG is increasingly integral to business growth, value and effective risk management.
Environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business practices can drive innovation, attract environmentally conscious customers, and open up new markets. Brand reputation can be augmented, and stronger stakeholder relationships developed, ultimately contributing to long-term business growth and, crucially, resilience. Our expertise in areas like international expansion and acquisitions now incorporates a keen understanding of ESG factors, ensuring your growth strategies are both ambitious and sustainable.
Investors are increasingly prioritising companies with robust ESG credentials, recognising their lower risk profiles and potential for sustained returns. Attracting and retaining top talent, a significant contributor to your business’s value, is also enhanced by a demonstrable commitment to social responsibility. Paying proactive attention to environmental regulations, socially responsible supply chains and robust governance structures can help you avoid costly legal challenges and operational disruptions. Our understanding of the evolving ESG risk landscape allows our experts to provide you with comprehensive strategies to protect your business and its future. By understanding and embracing ESG, we can partner with you to build more resilient, responsible, and ultimately more successful businesses in the years to come.
Join Us on Our Journey
We’re excited about our B Corp Journey and invite you to follow our progress. We’ll be providing updates on social media and you can sign up for email updates about our B Corp Journey here.
Please note, we are not yet (and do not claim to be) certified as a B-Corporation. We are at the start of our journey and look forward to sharing more along the way.