Diversity
NautaDutilh is committed to fostering an inclusive environment, in which each of our colleagues is recognised as a valuable participant of our firm as a whole, regardless of their background, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or family situation. We wish to realise the goals of a diverse workplace, encourage internal discussion of diversity, and actively promote these ideals externally.
NautaDutilh is no stranger to this subject: Adolphine Kok, the first female lawyer in the Netherlands, used to work for Dutilh, a predecessor of our firm. To this very day, we are committed to stimulating the career development of women, based on assessment of talent, ambition and passion. Our activities include the introduction of the internal female development programme 'Get the corner office', maternity coaching, the support of NautaDutilh Women Initiatives (including a quarterly lunch with all female partners and senior associates) and the internal mentoring programme 'CareerMaintenance' available to all our employees.
Furthermore, NautaDutilh endorses the declaration of intent 'Diversiteit binnen de advocatuur' ('Diversity within the Bar') of the Netherlands Bar Association and signed the 'Talent to the Top' charter in 2008. That same year, our firm won the Sonja Boekman Prize for the most effective diversity policy. In 2012, NautaDutilh was proclaimed 'Best firm for Women in Business Law: Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands'. We also actively participate in the Legal Woman of the Year awards, which Nora van Oostrom won in 2014 and Petra Zijp in 2015.
Also in 2014, NautaDutilh launched the ERG 'ND Globe' (focussing on LGBTQIA+ diversity) that aims to contribute to an explicitly inclusive work environment where all employees, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, are given opportunities to reach their full potential. The network provides support, raises awareness, and strengthens NautaDutilh’s presence in the LGBTQIA+ community. NautaDutilh is a member of Workplace Pride, an international platform for LGBTQIA+ inclusion at work. Furthermore, NautaDutilh is one of the founders of FORWARD, the first legal LGBTQIA+ network in the Netherlands.
In 2017 NautaDutilh signed the Declaration of Amsterdam to stress the firm's commitment to an inclusive workplace where LGBTQIA+ employees feel valued and welcome. This declaration, an initiative of Workplace Pride is a call to action for employers to foster "a more inclusive workplace for your LGBTQIA+ employees".