Sally Dallow, from Womble Bond Dickinson, shares her career journey and reflects on her latest role at the international firm
“I’ve always been deeply passionate about responsible business, from community engagement and charitable giving to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the firm,” says Sally Dallow, partner lead for responsible business at Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD). After 30 years as a restructuring and insolvency lawyer, Dallow now focuses exclusively on the firm’s responsible business strategy, which spans environmental strategy, community engagement activity, DEI, wellbeing and governance, as well as ESG-advisory.
I ask Dallow what motivated her to take on this role back in April. She shares her personal connection to the world of inclusion and responsible business. “I am a mum to a fabulous, cheeky 13-year-old, who is severely disabled with complex needs,” she explains. “This experience has given me valuable insight into a world that was previously unfamiliar to me,” says Dallow, reflecting on her journey. Balancing her commitment to responsible business with a demanding fee-earning role hasn’t always been easy. “I’ve always tried to find time for responsible business work,” she explains. “Then, a major case I was working on came to an end, leaving me with the rare opportunity of a clear desk. I decided to make the most of it and took on this new and exciting role for the business.”
This opportunity came at a time when WBD was increasing its focus on responsible business initiatives. “As a firm, we began to establish a more structured approach to our responsible business agenda,” Dallow explains. “We were already doing great work, but it wasn’t as visible to our colleagues, clients, and communities as it could be. Taking on a full-time role in responsible business felt like the right step both for the firm and for me personally.”
Dallow notes how the firm’s renewed focus on responsible business is a cornerstone of its overall strategy. “When reviewing our vision and strategy for the future, our board made a clear commitment to being a responsible business,” she tells me. “Leading the way in this area is now one of our six core strategic objectives.” She adds that clients are increasingly prioritising responsible business practices. “It’s the right thing to do for many reasons, but it also makes commercial sense — and I’m not embarrassed to admit that,” Dallow says. “As long as our actions are authentic, we’re doing the right thing, and it aligns with what clients want to see. It’s a win-win.”
I was keen to learn more about Dallow’s goals when she stepped into her new role. “I had three main objectives,” she explains. “The first was to take a more holistic approach — bringing people from across the firm together to build and strengthen the programme.” Her second focus is communication. “It’s crucial to ensure everyone understands what we’re doing and to generate excitement around responsible business,” she says. Lastly, Dallow aims to adopt a “fewer, bigger, better” strategy. “Instead of spreading ourselves too thin, we need the confidence to select two or three key projects and truly spotlight them,” she explains.
Dallow tells me that the responsible business team are working on some exciting plans for the year ahead, and I am curious to know what types of projects the firm has spotlighted so far. “Achieving disability confident leader accreditation was an amazing achievement,” Dallow replies. “It took time, effort and commitment to achieve that. This project was spearheaded by our disability and neurodiversity network, and was supported by others from across the firm. This shows what we can achieve when we’ve got some real focus.” The disability and neurodiversity network at WBD has also been involved with implementing reasonable adjustments across the firm. “We’ve introduced sensory kits. We’ve introduced quiet rooms for client meetings or events,” Dallow says. “These adjustments are not costly. They’re small tweaks, but they can be powerful in enabling people to really shine and reach their potential.”
Dallow continues:
“In the wellbeing space, we’ve got an ongoing project with the mindful business charter and there are some exciting plans in motion for the year ahead. We have also collaborated with Talk Club, the men’s mental health initiative. We’ve set up our own talk club in Leeds and are planning to launch one in Newcastle. This is another smaller project that has a very powerful impact.”
So, what role do trainee and junior lawyers have in projects like these? “The younger generation joining the firm now are very enthusiastic about responsible business,” she responds. “They like that sense of purpose and I think it’s a really great way for them to get to know different people from around the business.” Getting involved in responsible business can also be a way of gaining responsibility in the firm, developing skills and connecting with clients. “Junior lawyers can join our networks and take a role on a committee, taking on responsibility that they might not have an opportunity to do yet in their legal role,” Dallow says. “Additionally, I encourage junior lawyers to talk about this work with clients. It’s a very natural conversation that junior lawyers can confidently have with their clients and it’s a way to find common ground and shared values. There’s nothing better than working with people who share your values,” she concludes.
Sally Dallow will be speaking at ‘Driving Change: The Impact of Responsible Business — with Womble Bond Dickinson’, a virtual student event taking place 20 January 2025. APPLY NOW.
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