Multi-disciplinary, international law firm with roots in the North East of England dating back more than 230 years, has been providing legal services for its clients for over two centuries and has over 400 employees based in the local region. Its Newcastle team works across all sectors including manufacturing, energy, tech, education, charities and the public sector; as well as growing industries such as digital, international trade, clean growth and regional investment.
Reaffirming its commitment to the region, WBD has recently moved its Newcastle workforce into new offices at The Spark, a cutting-edge, highly sustainable office space located in the heart of the city inside Newcastle's innovation quarter, the Helix. The transformational move has environmental considerations at the forefront, creating a viable workplace of the future in the centre of an inspiring new community of businesses. It has also expanded its Teesside presence with the opening of its new office at the Wilton Centre.
In today's challenging political and economic landscape, businesses across the region and beyond have been facing a range of difficulties. Unprecedented costs, staff shortages and financial disputes are issues which are increasingly impacting organisations, and pragmatic, tailored, legal advice is invaluable to pre-emptively seek to avoid problems, or to deal with them when they arise.
WBD has been supporting local businesses through all of these challenges in a range of ways, including by providing educational webinars for employers to help navigate these challenges as well as bespoke advice and regular communications regarding regulatory and other legal developments.
But that's not all. WBD is committed to giving back to the local community as part of its Responsible Business Framework. The firm delivers real social value through charitable giving, volunteering and sharing its expertise.
Highlights over the last 12 months include donating 136 desktops to schools in local areas to help tackle the digital divide, donating £126,000 to 海角视频 charities working to support social inclusion, and achieving the Bronze Payroll Giving Mark. The business has also donated over £70,000 to the Ukrainian Crisis Appeal and staff have undertaken over 800 hours of volunteering to support initiatives such as litter-picking projects and activities at youth centres.
To take its support further, WBD's 海角视频 offices select national charities to partner with each year. For 2022/23, the firm's Newcastle team has been working closely with Anxious Minds, which offers counselling and well-being services for those who need it, the West End Foodbank, which supports local families in making sure they're provided with nutritious meals, and Smile For Life, a youth charity working to support disabled and disadvantaged young people in the community.
Just last month WBD teamed up with Smile for Life as part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week to raise awareness of neurodiversity in the workplace, delivering talks about the importance of inclusion and creating a safe place in the workplace for people to be their true selves. Professionals also shared strategies for promoting awareness of neurodiversity at work and in people's everyday lives. Throughout March, WBD took part in the Neurodiversity Umbrella Project, with multi-coloured umbrella displays set up across its eight 海角视频 offices as a conversation-sparking, awareness-raising, and visual representation of neurodiversity.
With such a significant presence in the region and multiple support projects lined up for 2023, it's no surprise that WBD will also be partnering with the this year to sponsor the Team of the Year category.
Hilary du Randt, partner and head of the North East employment team at WBD said: "We are delighted to sponsor the flagship award at the HR & D Awards, for the Team of the Year. Those organisations which appreciate the importance of their people teams are putting themselves in a position to be able to recruit and retain the best talent and deliver on their strategic objectives. We're looking forward to celebrating the success of the region's people professionals, who are playing an instrumental part in helping their organisations to capitalise on opportunities at such an exciting time of prospective growth and investment for the North East."
The much-awaited awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 15 at The Fed, Gateshead - details about tickets and nominations can be found .