Corporate Social Responsibility

De Marco Solicitors give serious consideration to its Corporate Social Responsibility in all aspects of its business practices. We look at how we can reduce, reuse and recycle in order to minimise the impact our working processes have on our planet. We also assess the impact of our business on our clients, suppliers, our staff and the local community.

We were the first business in the UK to be awarded the Responsible Business Standard by ORB (Organisation for Responsible Business) and gained the Gold standard being the highest level award.

De Marco Solicitors' contribution to to corporate social responsibility includes:

Environmental responsibility:

• We operate a paperless office where possible minimising the use of paper and toner cartridges
• Electronic communication is our main form of corresponding with clients and suppliers avoiding duplication in hard copy.
• All our staff are able to work from home for a number of days per week, reducing carbon emissions
• We offer advice by telephone and e-mail, thereby reducing travel for clients and staff
• We switch off equipment when we leave the office rather than leaving it on standby.
• The lights in our premises automatically switch off when not in use
• We ensure that we recycle our toner cartridges and paper.

Dealing responsibly with our clients:

• We communicate with you in plain English
• We are transparent about what we will do for you and how much it will cost
• When something does go wrong we want to know about it and we tell you exactly how to complain
• We make our Complaints Procedure visible to our clients on the website and throughout our communication

Dealing responsibly with our suppliers:

• Where possible we use local suppliers in order to further reduce carbon emissions. At present 90% of our suppliers are from the local business community and our client base.
• We choose our suppliers for their ethical practices and work closely with them to build long term relationships
• We communicate with our suppliers electronically minimsing the need for paper invoicing
• We pay our suppliers on time, and many of our suppliers are also clients of the firm

Work with the local Community:

• De Marco Solicitors are keen to build relationships with our local Community
• Each year we support a local charity.
• Last year the firm has supported Blue Coat School, Cardinal Wiseman School and Kenilworth School in their work experience scheme having students for one week placements and speaking at Career Workshops
• Sandra Garlick is a Non Executive Director and Board Member at the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce
• Sandra Garlick is a Trustee and Board Member of Sky Blues in the Community, a local charity.
• Sandra Garlick is a Trustee for the Heart of England Community Foundation

Taking responsibility for our Staff:

Sandra Garlick, the Principal, recognises that the team at De Marco Solicitors is our major asset. As a result she ensures that our team:

• are trained to exceed our clients expectations
• are able to work flexible hours and work from home, subject to client deadlines
• have annual health checks and sight tests
• work in a comfortable working environment
• have a work/life balance
• have fun!