Travers Smith LLP is delighted to announce that its partner Daniel Gerring has been included in 2016 OUTstanding Leading LGBT+ & Ally Executive List, presented by the Financial Times.
The prestigious list, instigated by OUTstanding, a professional membership organisation for global businesses, focuses on high performing individuals, who have made an exceptional contribution to promoting LBGT+ and its inclusion in the workplace and society. Those on the list were nominated by peers and colleagues and selected by a judging panel who scored the nominees’ seniority and influence of their role as well as their business achievements.
Travers Smith’s Daniel Gerring is one of only eight lawyers included in the list this year. He is the firm’s champion of LGBT equality, Chair of the firm’s LGBT+ network and a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion more broadly. Throughout his career Daniel has worked tirelessly on a wide range of initiatives aimed at creating a more inclusive workplace for LGBT people, as well as their allies.
Some of Daniel’s key achievements this year include:
- Instigating a partnership with the Police and Stonewall in the wake of the Orlando shootings to design an innovative new campaign aimed at promoting safety at Pride and other LGBT events.
- Supporting the launch of Freebar, a new professional LGBT networking group for barristers and those working in their chambers.
- Developing Travers Smith's CSR Art Programme, which this year showcases work aimed at promoting LGBT inclusion.
- Supporting the roll-out of Stonewall's 'Rainbow Laces’ campaign at Travers Smith, through which members of the firm's many sports teams 'lace up for equality’ to show their support for LGBT inclusion.
- Being selected as a founding member of the new Law Society National LGBT Committee for the legal profession.
- Providing a variety of support for a number of LGBT organisations, including Stonewall, The Albert Kennedy Trust, Just Like Us and The RVT.
As Travers Smith’s CSR Partner, Daniel recently founded and now sponsors the firm's CSR Art Programme, an innovative project aimed at supporting graduate artists from the firm's local community. The programme now incorporates a space dedicated to promoting diversity & inclusion and CSR and currently includes a photographic series by an LGBT artist which illustrates 'coming out' stories of LGBT people living and working in Cumbria.
Daniel is a passionate proponent of pro bono activities and has recently led a small team of Travers Smith lawyers to create a new charity Refugees at Home, aimed at supporting refugees and asylum seekers entering the UK. Since its launch last year the charity has provided over 5,500 nights of accommodation for vulnerable people, including LGBT asylum seekers, entering the UK. Travers Smith’s work supporting Refugees at Home was recently awarded the 'Law in the Community/Pro Bono Award' at the 2016 Halsbury Legal Awards.
Daniel's specialist practice at Travers Smith is in the pension funds field, in which he is recognised as one of the country's leading lawyers. He provides a broad range of advice in relation to some of the UK's most complex and high profile funds, often finding innovative solutions to challenging situations for clients. Daniel also participates in a number of industry groups and is a regular speaker at pensions conferences and contributor to the pensions press.
Travers Smith's Senior Partner Chris Hale commented: "Many congratulations to Daniel for winning this important accolade, which is richly deserved. He has been an effective advocate for LGBT equality, both within Travers Smith and beyond, and has contributed immensely to the firm's inclusive culture."
Daniel Gerring added: "It is a great honour to be included in this list, alongside such an impressive group of LGBT leaders. The wide range of work undertaken by all of those here remains as relevant and important as ever and I am pleased to be able to play my part."