Anti-slavery and human trafficking statement

Mathys & Squire LLP is an intellectual property law firm providing legal services to clients worldwide. As an organisation providing professional services and with a relatively short supply chain, we assess the risk of modern slavery within our business and supply chain to be low. However, we are committed to ensuring that modern slavery does not take place anywhere within our business and that our supply chains are free from such activity.  We have a culture of respect for individuals in which slavery and human trafficking has no place.

Mathys & Squire has a zero-tolerance stance to any form of slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. This stance is communicated to our staff and Partners who are made aware of the steps that they can take if they are concerned about modern slavery. Whilst our culture is such that we encourage staff to raise concerns openly, we also have a formal whistleblowing policy in place which is designed to make it easy for staff to make disclosures.

Partners and staff involved in the procurement of goods, services and/or labour (either directly, or indirectly through third party suppliers), are responsible for ensuring that our suppliers, contractors and business partners meet the firm’s ethical standards and zero tolerance approach to non-compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (“The Act”). Those who are involved in the procurement process undertake specific training to ensure they understand how to identify and report signs of modern slavery and to improve their knowledge and understanding of the requirements under the Act.

Our formal procurement policy aims to ensure that all our suppliers, contractors and business partners are required to demonstrate that they, and any organisations within their own supply chains, comply with the provisions of the Act and follow the firm’s stance on anti-modern slavery and human trafficking.

Our suppliers are required to: 

• respect the firm’s values in relation to treating people fairly, with dignity and respect;
• ensure that they and each of their subcontractors comply with all applicable laws, statutes and regulations relating to the Act;
• purchase resources, products or services only from organisations who do not use forced labour in their operations; and
• sign a statement of compliance and to notify us should they become aware of any actual or suspected slavery or human trafficking occurring within their business or supply chain.