B Corp Impact Report
Imagine A Law Firm
Imagine a law firm that exists to protect
Imagine a law firm where promises are kept
Imagine a law firm that never settles for less
A law firm that’s always there to help pick up the mess
Imagine a law firm that sees nothing but the potential in you
In its people, its community, the old and the new
Imagine a law firm that strives for the best
That lives and breathes every day to be put to the test
Imagine if excellence was the standard at least
A standard that’s met, matched, bettered and increased
Imagine a team that wears their heart on their sleeve
That beats with a passion and strives to achieve
Imagine this all with a smile on a face
Imagine a place that stands for all, creed, culture and race
Imagine what if, what now, what next
Imagine kindness, care, clarity and context
Imagine if distinction was matched with success
Imagine a law firm
A law firm anew
Imagine a law firm that’s sincere and true
Imagine a law firm with loyalty, compassion and empathy for you
Imagine together what we could do.
A message from our CEO
In 2022 EMG Solicitors resolved to pursue B Corp status, having kept this under consideration since 2018. It felt like an unusual step at the time – B Corp was not widely known and it was seen as a standard that manufacturing companies might choose, rather than the professional services sector. In April 2024, we were delighted to be accredited – at the time, only the second law firm based in the North East to do so.
Our initial B Impact score was 81.3 out of a possible 200. Clearly, there is work we can do to improve, and this will be a focus over the 2024-27 period, as we work towards reaccreditation under the new standards (version 7).
As part of becoming B Corp, we promise that each year we will produce and publish a report charting our B Corp journey, and the impact it has had. This is the inaugural report, and (we hope) the first of many to come. Our improvements have been limited this year as our initial focus was on publicising becoming B Corp, of course because it is a public relations opportunity, but more importantly because shouting about becoming B Corp is a way of getting the message into the wider world about what B Corp stands for and how businesses can be a force for good. The more we do this, the likelier it becomes that someone who did not know about B Corp before, sees it, enquires about it, and may be inspired to become involved.
We publicised our B Corp status both internally and externally – we educated our team about what it means to receive the accreditation and what this means for us in the future.
We decided to align our internal working groups with the five B Corp pillars in order to ensure that our activities are focussed on actions that will have a positive impact upon our B Corp status and support the goals set out in the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence. B Corp announced during our first year of accreditation that they would be restructuring their standards, so we delayed this
re-alignment until the new standards were known. They were released at the end of our first year, so the drive for 2025-26 will be on assessing ourselves against them and then making and following a plan of improvements to work towards, prior to our (hopeful!) 2027 re-accreditation. We are in the process of re-launching our internal teams to be the: Purpose team, JEDI team, Green team and Social Impact team, to more closely align with the new standards, and the improvements they intend to drive.
At the beginning of our first year we did not set out specific goals for improvement. More detail about our achievements can be seen in the coming pages – I am proud that we have made progress in all areas. This report sets out our goals for the coming year by reference to the seven pillars of the new accreditation standards.
Finally, it was heartening to see recently that a new client specifically stated that their reason for choosing us, was our B Corp status. This reminds us that B Corp is being used as a selection tool by clients and consumers, which enhances our commitment to using business as a force for good, and continuing to improve our standing within the B Corp community.
Thank you for taking the time to read this report, and showing an interest in our B Corp journey,
Emma Gaudern, CEO
Our B Corp Impact Score
Certified B Corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Business needs comprehensive, credible, comparable impact standards to support economic systems change.
The B Impact Assessment is a digital tool that can help measure, manage, and improve positive impact performance for environment, communities, customers, suppliers, employees, and shareholders; receiving a minimum verified score of 80 points on the assessment is also the first step towards B Corp Certification.
Based on the B Impact assessment, EMG Solicitors earned an overall score of 81.2. The median score for ordinary businesses who complete the assessment is currently 50.9.
Governance - 15.7
Accountable & transparent across the company
Environment - 3.5
Making sure our impact is as little as possible
Workers - 33.7
Ensuring diversity, inclusivity & flexibility in the workplace
Community - 24.5
Sharing time & resources with our community
Customers - 3.6
Giving our customers the best experience possible
Governance - 15.7
What we have done:
9 Revisited our Vision, Mission and Values alongside our Strategy Map and Balanced Scorecard, to make our commitment to the principles of B Corp clearer
What we need to do next:
• Review the above documents to ensure they align with the new standards, and publicise them both internally and externally, so that our stakeholders understand who we are and what matters to us
• In 2026 we plan to publish our firm’s first annual report which will focus on the achievements of the 2025-26 financial year and highlight our social and environmental performance
• We plan to incorporate formal B Corp training into our induction programme and expand the responsibility of considering social and environmental impacts to more of our leaders
• We will create methods for all our stakeholders to feed back on our performance, and develop a system to track and reply to that feedback
• We will review our marketing policy to ensure it is clear about the need for transparency in all social and environmental claims made
‘Providing the legal support our clients require to achieve anything from their basic needs to their wildest dreams and everything in between’
Workers - 33.7
What we have done:
9 Trained our team in relation to psychological safety in the workplace
9 Presented our EMerGing Leaders programme to a cohort of 16 future leaders in the business
9 Promoted ten leaders from within the business, improving career prospects and remuneration for them all
9 Delivered several initiatives to support our colleagues across the firm
9 Carried out an accessibility audit carried out for each office with recommendations for improvements in accessibility made to the Workplace Manager
9
Firmwide awareness sessions have been delivered on:
• Neurodiversity in the workplace
• Immigration and refugees
• Psychological safety
• Biological wellbeing
• Stress awareness
• Sleep awareness
• Resilience We have raised awareness internally throughout the year on:
• Pride and LGBTQ issues
• Diwali
• Parkinsons Disease
• Bowel Cancer
• Ramadan
What we need to do next:
9 We celebrated B Corp month with a media campaign both internally and externally to celebrate one year since our accreditation, detailing our commitment to B Corp and the benefits of being part of the UK B Corp community, contributing to the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
• We plan to review our benefits package in order to ensure that we remain competitive and offer benefits that are useful and desirable to our team
• We will create a formal structure for our team to raise issues and discuss concerns
• We will review our salary structure and make this more transparent for new and existing employees
Our Community - 24.5
What we have done:
9 Transferred our grant making fund with Point North to endowment status, to ensure we create a long lasting impact
9 We placed over £50,000 into our charitable fund
9 £14,250 in grants made to grassroots causes in the last 12 months to:
• Moving On Durham - A Housing Project.
• If U Care Share Foundation - The Beyond Loss Project, supporting familes affected by suicide.
• Winter Warmth Fund - funding for the vulnerable in Cumbria
• Durham Agency Against Crime - supporting community outreach events
• Opera Nova - an Arts/Music community outreach programme
• Blind Life in Durham - supporting sessions for blind/partially sighted people
9 Over the Easter period our colleagues donated Easter eggs to food banks across County Durham, Newcastle, Darington, Penrith and Manchester. 290 eggs were donated by the colleagues in total!
9 Collected and delivered Christmas hamper donations to various foodbanks.
9 Provided support and training into our community by delivering a mentoring programme for young neurodiverse students at several schools and colleges within the Witherslack group
9 Collected clothing items via our Newcastle office which have then been donated to Smartworks (Newcastle), a charity which supports and helps women back into the workplace
Spocky Dog
What we need to do next:
• Encourage our employees to be more involved in community service initiatives
• Make our 2025 donation into our charitable endowment fund, in order to improve our long term ability to give
• Create our programme specifically designed to improve social mobility and provide the opportunity for those who would otherwise struggle to develop a career in the law, to realise their potential
Meet our mascots.
We are proud to be supporters of the Wild in Art sculpture trails which raise money for St Oswald’s Hospice. We have supported the trails since 2016 and have sponsored three sculptures which greet the clients visiting our offices.
‘Summer Flowers’ Elmer
‘Ram-bler’ Shaun
“Brain injury can change lives in an instant. It can lead to social isolation and incredible pressures being placed on families. This has been yet another magnificent event which supports our annual Look Ahead North activity weekend; an opportunity for brain injury survivors to experience the camaraderie, confidence building, and emotional support which are essential in life after brain injury.
The support provided by EMG Solicitors over the past nine years has been phenomenal. This enabling and empowering weekend is for many people affected by brain injury, the highlight of their year as it gives them so much confidence. And it simply would not be possible without the efforts of Emma and Jemma, their team and all those who contribute to the amazing WonderLAN Ball each year.”
Luke Griggs, CEO of Headway – The brain injury association
Nights to remember
There have been a few... as being happy and having fun is a key part of who we are, we have to make sure we play hard too!
Each year, EMG Solicitors host a charity event to raise money for brain injury survivors for the ‘Look Ahead in the North’ event which takes adults and children to The Calvert Trust for an unforgettable weekend of outdoor activities.
Some of our best nights have been our WonderLAN Charity Ball: from Bucks Fizz to Boney M, from Willy Wonka to Winter WonderLAN, we’ve had them all. We are overwhelmed by the popularity of this event and in 2023 saw four hundred guests join us for this very worthy cause in aid of Headway - a charity that supports people affected by brain injury and their families. We have raised over £100,000 for the charity now and cannot thank our supporters and sponsors enough for the love and kindness they have shown to us and this very valuable cause
Much of the work we do here at EMG Solicitors involves helping those clients who have suffered an injury and require professional deputyship services. Last year we raised £40k for Headway - the brain injury association and in total we have now raised over £140,000.
Read more about the Look Ahead in the North weekend and hear about the expirence of one of the brain injury survivors who have attended.
Our Customers - 3.6
What we have done:
9 We improved our annual review pack that is provided to our vulnerable clients in order to give them better quality information in a more understandable way
9 Our Court of Protection Health and Welfare team now has five accredited legal representatives under the Law Society Mental Capacity (Welfare) Scheme, giving us regional coverage to support and advocate for people unable to speak up for themselves regarding health and welfare and community care matters giving a voice to the vulnerable and ensuring their wishes and needs are met
9 We undertook our annual Lexcel reaccreditation and passed with flying colours!
9 We improved our Review Solicitors mechanism, in order to ensure that more clients are given the opportunity to give us feedback
9 We set up a working group focussed on gaining client feedback in order to increase the touchpoints at which clients are asked to feed back
9 We set up a working group around our five Values to consider how they translate into our client service and how we can ensure that our clients are made aware of – and able to hold us to account in relation to – those Values
our word for it... Don't just take
" We have worked with EMG on several property purchases and the service has been fantastic. I have made recommendations for friends and business partners to work with EMG. "
" I needed help with a challenging new build purchase. Richard was always on hand to steady the ship with his experience and knowledge. I felt very supported throughout the whole purchase. "
" The whole experience was professional yet very friendly. Calls were returned immediately and emails answered efficiently. All questions were answered to clear any queries I had. Kept up to date all through the process. "
" Gemma listened to my views and gave sound, fair advice. She was always calm and friendly and took the time to explain everything clearly. It was easy to get in touch with her when needed and she responded to emails promptly. "
What we need to do next:
for it...
• Finalise and implement the recommendations of the Values working group, to improve communication of our Values to our clients and improve the frequency and usefulness of the feedback we receive
• Work towards our CyberEssentials Plus accreditation, in order to improve our cyber security for the benefit of ourselves and our clients
worked with EMG on property purchases and the been fantastic. I have made recommendations for friends and partners to work with EMG. "
" The whole experience was professional yet very friendly. Calls were returned immediately and emails answered efficiently. All questions were answered to clear any queries I had. Kept up to date all through the process. "
for it...
" I had my Will done for my mam and Mike was brilliant, so patient and the end result was so professional. Not to mention how kind they are while you wait to be seen, I have recommended them to my friend and their prices are good, don't hesitate just call them. "
" Gwen and her team have been immensely helpful to me over the years with our property portfolio. Always friendly, helpful and accessible. "
" I used EMG for my conveyancing, and they were excellent- responding to queries in a timely manner, chasing queries with the seller's solicitor, and keeping me updated with progress. They pushed to get my purchase completed before Christmas, making the process much less stressful than it could have been. "
" Friendly, and efficient, always answered any daft questions I may have had. Really would recommend highly. "
" Gwen and her team have been immensely helpful to me over the years with our property portfolio. Always friendly, helpful and accessible. "
help with a challenging build purchase. Richard always on hand to steady with his experience and knowledge. I felt very supported throughout the whole purchase. "
worked with EMG on property purchases and the been fantastic. I have made recommendations for friends and partners to work with EMG. "
" Gemma listened to my views and gave sound, fair advice. She was always calm and friendly and took the time to explain everything clearly. It was easy to get in touch
" The whole experience was professional yet very friendly. Calls were returned immediately and emails answered efficiently. All questions were answered to clear any queries I had. Kept up to date all through the process "
" I really appreciated how Sarah responded quickly to my initial Court of Protection enquiry and arranged a call to understand the input required. It was apparent that the team were very experienced and knowledgeable. The work was carried out efficiently, with good communication from Bethany and Sarah on the progress and the results were very good. I would definitely return to the team on needing further input. "
" I really appreciated how Sarah responded quickly to my initial Court of Protection enquiry and arranged a call to understand the input required. It was apparent that the team were very experienced and knowledgeable. The work was carried out efficiently, with good communication from
" Approached EMG to enquire
" I used EMG for my conveyancing, and they were excellent- responding to queries in a timely manner, chasing queries with the seller's solicitor, and keeping me updated with progress. They pushed to get my purchase completed before Christmas, making the process much less stressful than it could have been. "
" I would highly recommend EMG Solicitors to anybody needing an excellent law firm from reception staff to legal secretaries to solicitors. They were extremely friendly and very professional. Cannot recommend this company highly enough I will certainly be using them again in the future. "
" I would highly recommend EMG Solicitors to anybody needing an excellent law firm from reception staff to legal secretaries to solicitors.
Environment - 3.5
What we have done:
9 Began to monitor energy usage in order to set targets for reduction
9 Removed single bins and implemented standardised recycling stations across the business.
9 Implemented separate recycling, WEEEE, paper and hygiene waste disposal services.
9 Updated our supplier onboarding service to record and risk assess environmental and sustainability credentials
9 Set a target to have all energy contracts switched to renewable sources by December 2027
What we need to do next:
• Review and improve our administrative system for monitoring energy efficiency, before monitoring our energy usage to set a baseline for improvements from May 2026
• Move to a single supplier for each of: energy, waste, travel, stationery, facilities and cleaning to monitor effectively and measure initiatives – we will implement this over a five year plan in our bid to be carbon neutral by YE2030
• Monitor waste from May 2026
• Monitor travel from May 2027
• All energy will move to renewable sources by December 2027
• Following this, we will consider what steps we can take to improve our energy and water efficiency, and reduce our waste
• We will consider how we can improve our purchasing policy to make it more environmentally friendly
• We will review how we can improve our environmental footprint with a view to commuting and travelling between offices
We envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good. This economy is comprised of a new type of corporation — the B Corporation — which is purpose-driven and creates benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders. As Certified B Corporations and leaders of this emerging economy, we believe: That we must be the change we seek in the world. That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered. That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all. To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.