Introduction
A diverse and inclusive workplace that encourages and supports differences and promotes innovative perspectives reflects both the core values of our firm and the communities in which we live and do business. Our firm-wide programs, leadership commitment and vision all focus on maintaining and expanding the diversity of our firm’s lawyers and staff and creating an environment in which everyone can flourish.
Harper Grey has always been enriched by its diversity and clearly recognized the benefits of building a genuinely inclusive culture. Our strength is in the uniquely valuable characteristics, experiences and perspectives of our people. It is precisely those differences – the diversity of thought and people – that drive originality and innovation and enable us to better serve our clients.
British Columbia is the most ethnically diverse province in Canada and Vancouver continues to excel in terms of multiculturalism and diversity. As the face of Canada and the world changes and becomes more culturally diverse, Harper Grey will continue to change with it and be enriched by that diversity. We want our firm to reflect the diversity of the communities surrounding us and are relentless in our pursuit of building on our culture of inclusivity.
Our goal has been to create a workplace that reflects a cultural and generational mosaic. You need only walk our halls to appreciate how diverse we have become. Not only do we speak many different languages we understand and embrace the many different cultures those languages represent.
Our Commitment
Our culture is founded on the value that a range of perspectives, ideas and experiences provides. We are committed to continually cultivating an inclusive work environment that celebrates our differences whether grounded in gender, race, sexual orientation, language, socioeconomic status, cultural background, religion, age or disability.
Our Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee focuses on Harper Grey’s firm-wide diversity and inclusiveness strategies and supporting initiatives to identify, enhance and implement best practices in all areas of diversity and inclusion.
The Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee is led by our Chief Diversity Officer, Owais Ahmed, and supported by various committee members including staff and lawyers.

Gender Balance and Women’s Initiatives
We are committed to building and leveraging an inclusive culture in everything we do. For many years, we were proud to lead the way when it came to inclusion of women in the workplace. And we continue to lead because we know that only by example and innovation can we effect change.
Our commitment to advancing women through our ranks began early — only 26 years after women received the right to vote in Canada. Miss Winifred Langfield, secretary to Mr. Craig, became qualified as a barrister and solicitor and immediately joined “Craig and Tysoe”, as our firm was then known, becoming a partner in 1945.
In keeping with this pioneer spirit, more than 25 years ago Harper Grey created a written maternity and parental leave policy for its lawyers that provided top-up for women lawyers during their leaves at a time when such policies were notably absent. We were also a leader in developing flexible work and part time policies and have had flexible work arrangements for partners and associates for nearly 25 years.
Since early days, Harper Grey has attracted, retained and promoted talented female lawyers at rates exceeding the averages for large law firms. Our firm has had at least 20% female partners for the last 25 years. We attribute our success in retaining and advancing women in our firm to our early recognition of the need to accommodate family responsibilities. As a result of this and other supports, Harper Grey now enjoys a female partnership ratio of 26%. In addition, 40% of our associate counsel, 61% of our associates and 62% of our students are women.
We are deeply committed to the retention and advancement of women lawyers at all levels. This commitment is reflected in the number of women that hold leadership positions in our firm as practice group chairs and co-chairs, committee chairs and members of our management committee. The women in our firm are respected as leaders and role models and contribute to the ongoing professional development and success of other women lawyers within the firm.
A number of our women lawyers have been recognized as leaders in the legal profession. Three of our female partners are Queen’s Counsel, three have been recipients of Lexpert 40 Under 40 awards, one the recipient of a Lexpert Women Leaders Zenith award as well as a Stronger Together Women in Law Leadership Award, and many are recognized by peer-review related publications including Best Lawyers®, Benchmark Canada® and Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory®.
Our commitment to the advancement of women also extends outside of the firm. Many of our female lawyers hold roles on various boards and associations and are involved with industry events that support women such as Women in Cancer Crusade, Dress for Success and WOWriders. Many of our female partners are mentors through the CBA’s Women’s Lawyers Forum.
Gender Breakdown


Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Harper Grey LLP Diversity Award
September 2021 will mark the first disbursement of the Harper Grey LLP Diversity Award at the University of Victoria. The $1,000 award will be made to an undergraduate Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour (BIPOC) woman student entering the UVic Faculty of Law.
We hope this entrance award created together with the UVic Faculty of Law will support and encourage equity and diversity amongst future law students, and further promote inclusion within our profession as a whole.
30% Club Canada
On March 22, 2019, Harper Grey become a member of the 30% Club Canada as affirmation of its commitment to promote the retention and advancement of women in business leadership.
The 30% Club is an organization with the aim of achieving a better gender balance at the board level and senior management level in businesses across the country. They are working to build a strong foundation of business leaders who are committed to meaningful, sustainable gender balance in business leadership. The goal of the organization is for 30% of board seats and C-Suites to be held by women in Canada by 2022.
As a member of the 30% Club, Harper Grey is publicly indicating our support for the notion that it is good business practice to have women holding 30% of the C-Suite and board seats in Canada and that we, as key members of Canada’s business community, share the aspiration to collectively reach this goal by the end of 2022.
Read more about the 30% Club Canada here or here.
Justicia Project
We are an active member of the Justicia Project. The Justicia Project was developed by the Law Society of Upper Canada in response to concerns relating to the retention and advancement of women lawyers in private practice. Implemented in British Columbia in 2012, the Project is a voluntary program bringing together law firms committed to sharing best practices and developing resources and programs to support women lawyers.
As a participating firm, Harper Grey has committed to supporting the Project and achieving goals in the following four areas:
- Tracking gender demographics
- Reviewing flexible work arrangements and parental leave policies
- Adopting initiatives to foster women’s networking and business development
- Promoting leadership skills for women
Learn more about the Justicia Project here.
Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network
On March 19, 2015 Harper Grey joined the Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network (LFDIN), as affirmation of its commitment to promote diversity and encourage a culture of inclusion.
The LFDIN is a group of Vancouver law firms who have agreed to work together to promote diversity and inclusion in our firms and the broader legal profession. We meet regularly to share best practices to support all forms of diversity and inclusion.
As a participating member, Harper Grey signed the LFDIN Statement of Principles. The member law firms:
- share ideas for the promotion of diversity and inclusion in connection with recruitment, retention and advancement within law firms;
- work with Legal Leaders for Diversity and other general counsel, law departments, business leaders and professional associations in their efforts to advance diversity and inclusion;
- support outreach programs in law schools and broader community;
- promote thought leadership and constructive dialogue on issues of diversity;
- consistently evaluate our efforts.
Read the Statement of Principles here.
Memberships
Our lawyers are active members in a number of organizations involved in actively promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and broader community, such as:
- BC Ismaili Conciliation and Arbitration Board
- Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia)
- Ismaili Business and Professional Association (BC IBPA)
- Pacific Community Resource Society (PCRS)
- Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise
- South Asian Bar Association of British Columbia (SABA BC)
- West Coast LEAF
- Women in Insurance Canada, BC Chapter (WICC BC)
Check out our blog to see some of our initiatives.
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