Calgary Associates

Corporate Social Responsibility

Community Involvement

Stikeman Elliott enjoys a long tradition of pro bono and community service work. Students and junior lawyers, in particular, are encouraged to support causes and initiatives for which they have energy and passion.

In 2006 our firm became a founding member of Imagine Canada, a nationally recognized organization geared towards promoting programs that encourage corporate giving, volunteering and community support. Imagine Canada challenges corporations to give back 1% of their pre-tax profits to the community as well as to become more involved in their communities through volunteer work.

With the firm's support and encouragement, many of our staff and lawyers contribute significantly to their communities. In our Calgary office:

We encourage Grass Roots initiatives, which have recently included Theatre Calgary's The Big Run, the Kananaskis 100 Relay Race, the Ronald McDonald House Rock the House Run, and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's Run for the Cure. Many of our lawyers annually grow moustaches in support of Movember for Prostate Cancer Canada.
We support our firm members by providing an annual matching donation for those who act as directors on the board of a registered charity. The firm will also match dollar per hour for volunteer time invested in a charity. In 2010 we donated almost $16,000 to local charities through matching programs.
We provide pro bono legal services for charities. All of our lawyers are encouraged to take on pro-bono files, and often discover pro-bono opportunities for themselves through volunteer activities.
We proudly promote our SEeing is Believing program. This program allows all firm members to participate in pre-arranged volunteer work throughout the year during regular office hours. In 2010, our people volunteered over 300 hours with local charities through our SEeing is Believing program.
We encourage firm members to be involved with and join boards of charities. Our Calgary lawyers act on the boards of numerous local organizations such as Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta, Theatre Calgary, CODE Canada and the Discovery House Family Violence Prevention Society.
We annually host a United Way campaign which involves our entire office and raises a significant amount of funds. Our yearly campaign includes games, events, guest speakers, volunteer initiatives and considerable individual pledges.

In addition, our Calgary office works closely with Inn from the Cold, an organization that provides emergency shelter, support and programs to homeless children, their families and others in need. Stikeman Elliott recently launched the Kids Inn Play program, which provides funding and supplies to allow the children at Inn from the Cold to participate in recreation programs during the summer and throughout the year. This program engages children in safe and fun activities, connects them to their communities and strengthens their families.

Our Calgary office has been recognized numerous times for its active role in the community, including awards from Volunteer Calgary and Alberta Venture magazine.

Diversity Initiatives

The firm is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment, and to promoting diversity initiatives in the communities in which we work. Our internal initiatives include recruiting outreach to diverse communities at law schools, a mentorship program and career development sessions. Stikeman Elliott was named one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers in 2010, as well as one of Canada's Best Employers for New Canadians, as selected by Mediacorp. as part of the Top 100 Employers survey.

Our firm members have also worked to support a variety of community initiatives, including outreach at local schools and pro bono and volunteer work with organizations aimed at integrating Calgary immigrants into Canadian society.

Women's Initiatives

At Stikeman Elliott, we are immensely proud of the role that women lawyers play at the firm - both as role models and as leaders in their areas of practice. Some of our specific programs to promote women's success in the firm include mentorship programs, progressive policies on maternity leave, telecommuting and flexible hours.

Our Calgary office has a Women's Networking Committee, which provides focused business development and skills training for our female lawyers. We hold an annual women's event where we invite female professionals to network and build new relationships. We also focus on women's issues in the community, working regularly with the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter and the Calgary YWCA.

The Environment

Stikeman Elliott's GoingGreen Program, officially launched in 2008, is part of our continuing effort to reduce the environmental impact of our day-to-day operations. The Program involves the firm wide implementation of market-leading environmental best practices, co-ordinated by a Green Committee with membership from a broad cross-section of firm members.

Stikeman Elliott's Canadian offices were certified as being carbon neutral in 2009, through the support and enthusiasm of our firm members for our GoingGreen program and the implementation of strategies to reduce waste. We are the first national Canadian law firm to achieve this milestone. Locally, our Calgary office has undertaken a number of Green initiatives, including the elimination of all plastic drinking bottles and utensils, automatic double-sided printing, light timers and internal programs such as "Bus to Work on Us."

In 2010 Stikeman Elliott was selected as one of The Green 30 - Canada's 30 Greenest Employers, as selected by Maclean's and Canadian Business magazine, in partnership with Hewitt Associates. The award represents a culmination of the firm's efforts to fully integrate environmental stewardship into our operations and values.

By streamlining operations, sponsoring relevant environmental programs and encouraging individual participation at the firm, Stikeman Elliott continues to remain at the forefront of corporate social responsibility initiatives in the legal industry.