Pride 2025 at Shoosmiths: Celebrating allyship & inclusion

In this article we reflect on what Pride month has meant for us at Shoosmiths in 2025. This year, an important focus has been on allyship—recognising that being an ally is not a one-time act, but a continuous commitment to support, uplift, and stand alongside our LGBTQ+ colleagues and communities.

Learning to be better allies

We hosted a powerful firmwide webinar in partnership with our inclusion partner, Inclusive Employers, titled “How to Be an Ally to the LGBTQ+ Community.” This session explored:

• the importance of allyship in championing inclusion
• how to use respectful and inclusive language
• practical tools to challenge exclusion and bias
• key terminology and statistics to deepen understanding

Over 120 colleagues joined the session live, and it’s now available on demand as part of our growing library of Pride and allyship resources.

Pride across the UK & Ireland

This year we have supported more Pride events than ever before. From celebration lunches to parades, our Proud Network has worked tirelessly to create opportunities for colleagues across the country to get involved.

Events so far, and what’s still to come

• Pride celebration lunches in Birmingham and Northampton
• marching in Edinburgh Pride, followed by a post-march gathering at the festival
• London Pride – 5 July: For the first time, Shoosmiths will be marching in London Pride, proudly partnering with our clients HSBC and the Leasing Foundation. This milestone moment includes a pre-parade brunch at our London office and a post-parade gathering
• marching at Glasgow, Leeds and Nottingham Pride plus an office celebration in Belfast and attending the official Pride Afternoon Tea in Manchester

A visible commitment

Throughout June, we proudly incorporated the rainbow flag into our Shoosmiths logo both internally and externally— a visible symbol of our support and solidarity.

Supporting our LGBTQ+ colleagues

We continue to signpost internal and external support resources available to LGBTQ+ colleagues, which include our Employee Assistance Programme, our network of Mental Health and Wellbeing Champions and the firm’s Proud Network.

Pride at Shoosmiths is more than a month—it’s a reflection of our values and ‘being ourselves’, and our ongoing journey toward a more inclusive workplace.

Thank you to everyone who has participated, supported, and celebrated with us this year.