Magic circle firm Linklaters is to combine legal advice with diversity training in a new client offering.

A ‘diversity faculty’ will provide clients with a mixture of legal employment advice and strategic business guidance around diversity and inclusion issues. The firm said the service is designed to help clients manage the ‘often-delicate’ balance between legal, regulatory and governance issues and long-term business reputation.

Daniel Danso, global diversity manager, said: ‘Now more than ever, companies understand, at board level, the importance of making diversity and inclusion a cornerstone of their business strategy. The difficulty in achieving that in practical terms has led to an increasing demand for practical advice and hands-on support that delivers diversity and inclusion objectives and provides legal certainty for businesses.’

Laurie Ollivent, practice development lawyer at Linklaters, added: ‘The diversity faculty will provide clients with the full spectrum of guidance on diversity and inclusion issues, from understanding legal and regulatory frameworks through to the practical implementation of plans and policies.’

Several City law firms have introduced targets this year in a drive to boost diversity. Magic circle firm Allen & Overy now aims to have 15% ethnic minority partners and 25% ethnic minority lawyers and support staff by 2025.

Meanwhile, Clifford Chance says 15% of new partners and 30% of senior associates and senior business professionals should be BAME by 2025.

Almost 30 City outfits have also signed a Race Fairness Commitment, pledging to improve racial diversity among their senior lawyers.