Robert is Clayton Utz' Chief Executive Partner. In this role, he is responsible for consolidating the firm's position as Australia's leading independent law firm.
Robert has significant experience and history with Clayton Utz. Rob joined the firm in Sydney in 1991 and became a partner in 1998. He carved out a successful career in Litigation and Dispute Resolution. Rob served as partner in charge of the Canberra office from 2000 to 2004.
Robert is committed to the firm's vision to be the leading Australian law firm embracing diversity and inclusion. He chairs Clayton Utz' Diversity Council and promotes diversity and inclusion outside the firm through various roles, including being a BoardLinks Champion and a Pay Equity Ambassador for the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
The Office for Women conducted an interview with Robert to gain an insight into his firm’s actions to address gender equality in leadership as well as his motivations for championing BoardLinks.
Why do you value diversity on boards and/or in your organisation?
We value diversity for many reasons, but we highlight three in particular that help us drive superior performance:
- People: A diverse and inclusive workplace attracts and retains talented people. The most engaged and productive employees are those who are empowered to realise their full potential; are fairly recognised, rewarded and encouraged; and are comfortable to be themselves.
- Clients: Our clients are increasingly diverse and we need to meet their expectations. We can learn from and share ideas with our clients around gender equality.
- Innovation: Building a culture of innovation is important to Clayton Utz and diversity is a key to unlocking our potential in this regard.
As a law firm we have an important role to play in promoting diversity, equality, respect and inclusion in society more broadly. We are well placed to advocate for (as the Law Council of Australia Diversity & Equality Charter provides) "the principles of justice, integrity, equity and the pursuit of excellence upon which the profession is founded".
What have you/your organisation done to increase diversity?
We're removing barriers through a combination of initiatives, including:
- setting gender targets;
- conducting training around unconscious bias for our people;
- implementing a progressive flexible work policy with a dedicated Flexibility Manager to support all parties;
- setting diversity KPIs for our leaders;
- introducing superannuation on unpaid parental leave (in addition to contributions on paid leave) in an effort to reduce the gender wealth gap between men and women at retirement;
- maintaining gender pay parity across legal career levels;
- setting expectations around gender representation at internal and external events;
- assessing gender equality at all talent management touchpoints;
- requiring our large suppliers to align with our gender equality principles; and
- maintaining a partner/employee action group to drive and underpin the gender strategy (called "Momentum").
We also tap into the Male Champions of Change, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), the Diversity Council of Australia and other gender equality thought leaders to ensure we are exploring best practice.
Our initiatives are outlined in a specific Gender Strategy for our business which is endorsed by our Diversity Council.
How do you role model for gender equality through your own behaviour as a leader?
My behaviour as a leader is critical for ensuring a wider, more enduring change at Clayton Utz. The Male Champions of Change have termed this impact the "leadership shadow".
I am vocal about gender equality, communicating with the partners and employees at Clayton Utz on a regular basis about diversity and our progress. I am proud to be a speaker or to introduce speakers at Momentum events or in external forums and I use these opportunities to articulate why gender balance is important.
Beyond lending my voice to the cause, my actions also directly support and drive gender equality at the Firm. I have built a management team at the Firm which has a strong representation of women. I chair our Diversity Council and earlier this year asked the Firm's external board director (Christine Bartlett) to join it. I have visibly championed the Firm's flexible working policies, encouraged flexible working within my team and am transparent about my own practices. I introduced gender diversity as a strategic priority of the firm and I account to my Board for its objectives.
How do you bring both men and women into the discussion? What does your organisation do to create work cultures and programs that encourage both men and women to engage with the issues they face in the workplace?
We find that human rights, parenting and flexible work are levers to engage both genders on gender equality. Our Pro Bono and Community Connect work, for example, offers all partners and employees exposure to gender-related issues including domestic violence.
We make a conscious effort to target men or non-parents with our flexible working initiatives, focusing on the opportunities it offers for their unique and changing needs during different life and career stages. A useful exercise for us was following closely the Equilibrium Man initiative (led by WGEA) and hearing first-hand from two of the "e-men" at sessions for our partners and employees in the Sydney and Melbourne offices.
We also have our highly successful Momentum program. Whilst its focus may be on advancing women, men are encouraged to join its committees and participate in its activities. Our lawyers have found Momentum events to be excellent opportunities to connect with their clients.
Finally, an evidence-based approach works well in a law firm. We share data and offer educational programs, adopting best practices whenever possible.
Why did you become a BoardLinks Champion?
I lead an organisation with a strong representation of high-performing women. As well as being lawyers and experts in their fields, many are active in the community, engaged in sporting and arts pursuits, as well as raising children. They have a skill set beyond advising on their area of practice and can contribute significantly to Australia's boards, and the Australian economy. I have a unique opportunity to identify and sponsor this talent. The numbers have been inadequate for too long and we need to disrupt the status quo through interventionist programs such as BoardLinks.