Granting free management of working time, promoting the consumption of local products, paying attention to the way in which customers or suppliers intervene in their environment…” Since the creation of the firm in 2019, it has seemed obvious to us that we must have a positive impact on the society around us. We always wanted therego further than the legal only “recall Delphine Gallin and Océane Phan Tan Luu, associate lawyers of the Marseille firm Garoé Avocats Associés. Garoe. This name also refers to a tree endemic to the Canary Islands. At night, its leaves suck up moisture so that when day breaks, it “rains” under it, creating an ecosystem of plants and insects all around. A way, there too, to act for the preservation of what surrounds it.
Since 1er January 2022, Garoé decided to go further in its approach by deciding to become a company with a mission and thus defined its raison d’être: ” Include legal activity in a responsible ecosystem, respectful of societal and environmental values. The status of company with a mission was introduced in 2019 with the Pacte law. But it is only since the arrival of the health crisis linked to Covid-19 that companies have taken hold of it, being more aware of these issues. There are 600 in France and around twenty in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. ” We are the first French law firm to become a company with a mission “, underlines Delphine Gallin who did not expect such positive feedback from colleagues or business leaders. ” It is in the era of time. Two years ago, I’m not sure that would have been the case. The former president of the Association of Corporate Advocates (ACE) adds: This trend will also certainly strengthen in our profession because there is a movement that denounces the conditions of exercise. »
Delphine Gallin: “All lawyers with an innovative vision are welcome”
By becoming a company with a mission, what the firm naturally promoted was going to be process. Because this involves mentioning the raison d’être in the articles of association and the carrying out of audits by independent third-party organizations (OTI) in order to verify the CSR policy and compliance with the missions defined by the company. ” We must therefore start from reference points in order to achieve objectives. This is what we are working on today with the implementation of a CSR charter, the constitution of a retroplanning of actions… “, details Delphine Gallin. One of the firm’s employees is responsible for monitoring these assignments, on a voluntary basis.
Garoe’s goals
These objectives, the Marseille firm has classified them into four main themes: societal actions, human management, environment as well as ethics and business relations. On this last point, a committee will be created internally to examine the compliance of a client’s practices with the values held by the firm. Employees will have a right of withdrawal if they consider that the two do not match. ” The objective is not to fire everyone but, conversely, to convince all our customers of this necessity. “Add the two lawyers. By showing them by example that these values are also, ultimately, beneficial to the development of a company. ” Working is no longer enoughcontinues Delphine Gallin. Employees now seek to give meaning to what they do. “A finding that is illustrated within the firm since since he began to assert his values, he has received more CVs.
Among the actions already implemented, Garoé supports the Woman for Sea association with skills sponsorship to help them define internal governance and strategy. The same is true with the Carbao business club, which notably offers a program dedicated to business creation. ” We are going to support two projects by helping them to draft the contracts because local economic development is also one of our objectives. “, continues the lawyer.
Océane Phan Tan Luu also lists: “ We offer coffee and tea in bulk and self-service to our employees, with dried fruits, oats; at noon we try to consume locally and avoid waste with takeaway meals; we have gone paperless and all our files are digitized, except for some related to litigation; we optimize our trips; we weigh our waste; we named a chief happiness officer etc. So many actions that are set to continue and expand in 2022.
