Our Firm

Ethics and Honesty

As lawyers, our first and fundamental obligation is to act honestly, ethically and with integrity in everything we do.  We have duties and responsibilities to the court, duties and responsibilities to our clients and duties and responsibilities to each other which we can only discharge properly by being completely honest.  There is no greater attribute that we can bring to the role and there is no greater failing in that role than to act without full and complete honesty and integrity.

All Lavan lawyers are required to:

• Recognise the primary duty to the court and the administration of justice within which the legal profession operates.
• Consistent with that primary duty, act with undivided loyalty to each client.
• Treat everyone with whom the lawyer engages in the practice of law with courtesy, dignity and respect.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Lavan is committed to the core premise of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for all staff members irrespective of gender and based on merit.

Lavan embraces an EEO strategy ensuring that best practice mechanisms for recruitment, promotion, remuneration, training and staff development are formulated focusing on sound principles of merit.

Lavan complies with all legislation encompassing Equal Employment Opportunity.  It is the firm’s responsibility to ensure that all recruitment, promotion, remuneration, training and staff development, including involuntary separations, are undertaken without discrimination.

Each partner, manager and supervisor has responsibility for maintaining a work environment which is free from discrimination.  Employees are treated equally and are given every opportunity to develop their career and personal aspirations based on merit.

Lavan’s managing partner, Dean Hely (pictured above) is a member of CEOs for Gender Equity.

“As managing partner, I am committed to driving gender equity and gender balance within the firm to enable all of our people to thrive in a safe and inclusive environment where everyone has equal opportunities to be successful.  We know we have a lot more to do and are determined to improve for the benefit of our people and each other. I look forward to driving these changes at Lavan and keeping us accountable in achieving a more equitable future.” Dean Hely.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Lavan is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our people, clients and visitors. We recognise that a healthy, safe, and supportive working environment can positively affect the physical and psychological wellbeing of our people. We take responsibility to create and maintain a positive and supportive work culture that promotes connectedness, inclusiveness and a sharing of responsibilities.

Health and Safety

At Lavan, safety is everyone’s responsibility. The Firm provides and maintains a working environment in which all steps are taken to ensure our people are not exposed to hazards. Our people are also encouraged to take reasonable care to ensure their own safety and health at work, and to avoid adversely affecting the safety or health of others.

Wellbeing

Lavan recognises the importance of taking steps to reduce workplace stressors. As part of this process, our people are offered a range of health and related benefits including:

• A continental breakfast is available in the Staff Lounge each morning. This venue and its balcony are open all day for our people to eat lunch or meet up with colleagues after work in a relaxed and comfortable environment with first class facilities provided;
• Bowls of fresh fruit are provided around the office every day;
• Seminars on health, stress and personal wellbeing are provided on a regular basis throughout the year;
• The Firm makes a financial contribution towards gym memberships;
• Flu injections are offered each year;
• Ergonomic assessments are available on request;
• Lavan supports and actively encourages participation in various sporting activities including the Rottnest Channel Swim, HBF Run for a Reason and The City to Surf;
• Professional counselling is made available to our people as required through the Firm’s Employment Assistance Program (EAP) provider, People Sense; and
• The Firm has a Corporate Healthcare Agreement with HBF and Medibank and can offer our people a discount on their membership fees.

Environmental Sustainability

Lavan is committed to minimising the Firm’s impact on the natural environment and to supporting environmental sustainability. We recognise we can make a difference in achieving long term environmental sustainability by reducing our carbon footprint and impact on climate change.

Lavan’s environmental initiatives are a continual and evolving process and include the following:

• Lavan is a signatory of CitySwitch Green Office, which is a select group of leading organisations who acknowledge that climate change is a serious issue and greenhouse gas emissions from commercial buildings contribute to this global concern.  A visible demonstration of the firm’s commitment is Lavan’s participation in Earth Hour each year.
• A move to a paperless office.  Considerable progress has been made towards this goal with paper based matter files being replaced by electronic ones.  One of the many benefits of using electronic files is that people do not need to go to the office to access them, which reduces travel and associated carbon emissions.
• The single largest source of our carbon emissions is electricity consumption.  Our goal is to reduce electricity based emissions through efficient use of power.  This is monitored by checking monthly meter readings for each work area and by an annual NABERS audit.
• Energy efficient T5 lighting system has been fitted across the Lavan tenancy which automatically turns lights off when people leave the office.
• All office equipment has a four star energy rating or above.
• Cloud based “as a service” systems are being used wherever practical.  Our cloud based providers use the latest systems and techniques to minimise electricity consumption.
• Recycling bins for plastic, aluminium and glass are provided in convenient locations around the office and paper recycling bins are located in all offices and workstations.
• Lavan is vigilant in ensuring, to the extent possible, our purchasing requirements are met by reputable Western Australian companies whose workplace practices, including their environmental focus, are well known and verifiable.
• Lavan diligently sources environmentally friendly products.  We will continually talk to our suppliers about their focus on sustainability and seek opportunities to work with them in ways that can integrate sustainability into our procurement processes. For example biodegradable products and water saver taps are used in kitchens.
• Lavan complies with all relevant environmental legislation and will continue to measure its impact on the environment and set targets for ongoing improvement.

Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption

Lavan is committed to conduct all business in an honest and ethical manner. As a firm, we value, promote and maintain the highest levels of integrity, ethical behaviour and accountability. The firm has a zero tolerance approach to bribery and corruption.

Lavan is firmly committed to:

• Upholding and abiding by applicable bribery and corruption laws.
• Not offering or paying bribes of facilitation payments, or condoning the offering of bribes or facilitation payments, so as to gain a business advantage.
• Not accepting bribes, or agreeing to bribes being accepted in order to influence business.
• Ensuring that all partners and staff members accept and understand the firm’s sustainable business practice.
• Avoiding doing business with others who do not accept Lavan’s sustainable business practice and who may harm the firm’s reputation or expose it to legal liability.
• Monitoring and auditing compliance with these principles on an ongoing basis.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Lavan is committed to ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion is an integral part of the way we do business. We recognise the value of attracting and retaining staff members with different backgrounds, knowledge, experiences and abilities.

These objectives are achieved by:

• Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion through our actions.
• Taking action to prevent and stop discrimination for any reason.
• Maintaining a culture that empowers staff members to act in accordance with this sustainable business practice.

The Firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is responsible for examining issues, sharing ideas and ensuring best practices regarding diversity, inclusion, and the firm’s workplace culture.