Irish firm Mason Hayes & Curran LLP (MHC) is among four law firms named by Accenture as winners of its first 2021 Outside Counsel Diversity Awards.

The three other firms were Arthur Cox, Covington & Burling and Crowell & Moring.

The global consulting group has recognised the contributions of outside legal firms for the past few years.

The awards now also honour its legal service providers for what it calls their “exceptional efforts” to create a culture of equality in their workplaces and communities.

Inclusive workplace

Accenture’s legal team selected the winners from more than 65 firms, considering awards across small, medium, and large law firms in three geographic regions.

According to the judges, MHC has gone above and beyond its peers to shift its culture to create opportunities for diverse hiring and progression for people of diverse backgrounds, and to ensure diverse staffing on Accenture matters.

“The firm has also invested in efforts to increase the representation of women and ethnic minorities at senior and executive levels,” Accenture says.

“We work hard to ensure that we have a diverse and inclusive workplace for our people, but also for our clients and suppliers,” said MHC’s head of employment law Melanie Crowley (pictured).

She said the firm had invested significantly to increase diversity through initiatives such as the UCD Sutherland Opportunities Fund and Trinity Access Programme.

“We have also revamped our own recruitment programmes to ensure that our teams are more representative of society,” she added.

Accenture said that Arthur Cox, which has a strong presence in Ireland, "exhibited strong commitments to gender equality within the firm as well as allyship to the LGBTQ+ community". The firm was also praised for establishing concrete goals tied to inclusion and diversity.