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Backing – From left to right , managing partner Jason Wainwright , HR director Nicola Leyden , director of operations Debbie McCormack and senior partner Hugh Welch .
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Law firm Muckle finds a B-etter way to do business as it joins the ranks of the B Corps
Ben & Jerry ’ s , innocent drinks and Patagonia are just some of the more well-known of 8,100 B Corps across 161 industries in 95 countries .
In 2024 , leading regional law firm for business Muckle LLP joined the ranks – becoming the first legal firm in the North- East and Cumbria to do so .
In a world where it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to play their part in driving societal and environmental change , B Corp certification has become a mark of distinction for companies prioritising purpose alongside profitability .
Started by the non-profit B Lab , B Corp accreditation is awarded for social and environmental performance , transparency and accountability .
In practice , what does that mean ? Rather than focusing on a single goal of delivering a financial return , a B Corp adjusts this position so that employees , suppliers , the environment and the wider community also get a look in , alongside profit .
“ Becoming a Certified B Corp is a wonderful endorsement of all that we are doing ,” said Muckle ’ s senior partner Hugh Welch , who heads up the firm ’ s environmental , social and corporate governance ( ESG ) programme .
“ The B Corp Business Impact Analysis tool provides a comprehensive framework that supports continuous improvement . Our goal is to increase our initial score by a minimum of 10 per cent when we are reassessed in three years ’ time .
“ This isn ’ t just a tick-box exercise for us – we started this journey because we want to be held accountable and to continuously improve .”
Hugh said the idea of becoming a B Corp was first discussed some years ago , with the equity partners giving it their full backing in 2021 .
“ It was key that the equity partners were all completely in favour of this
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