At Brodies LLP we conduct our business with integrity, transparency and fairness. We are committed to the prevention of slavery and human trafficking in our business and in our supply chains. We procure goods and services in a sustainable and ethical manner in compliance with our values and relevant law and policy, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
We do not accept slavery or human trafficking in our business and we will not work with others in our supply chain who do not share our commitment to preventing slavery and human trafficking. If you have any concerns or suspicions we should know about then please email supplierdd@brodies.com
Our business and supply chains
Brodies is an independent, UK law firm, based in Scotland, regulated by the Law Society of Scotland and authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (650996). We are a full-service law firm offering legal advice to private, public and third sector clients both in the UK and internationally. Our core practice areas are banking and finance; corporate and commercial; dispute resolution and risk; personal and family; and real estate.
We are a limited liability partnership registered in Scotland and we have offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Leeds and London. Further information about our business can be found at: www.brodies.com/about.
The supply chain of Brodies LLP includes providers of services to our clients, and providers of goods and services to our firm. Brodies LLP engages advocates, experts and property search companies on behalf of our clients and officers of the courts to serve official documents. Goods and services provided to the firms include banking services, knowledge management services, food and drink supplies, stationery supplies, building management services for our offices, taxis, couriers, cleaning services, IT hardware and IT services. Brodies LLP also uses recruitment agencies to assist in recruiting professional colleagues.
Compliance
Brodies LLP's Strategic Board and Managing Partner has oversight of, and responsibility for, the management of the modern slavery and human trafficking risk across the business. Brodies LLP's Finance Director has day-today responsibility for identifying, assessing and responding to such risks.
Brodies LLP's Anti-slavery Policy documents our commitment to conducting our business with integrity, transparency and fairness and the steps we take to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not present in our business or in our supply chains. This Policy is mandatory reading for all new employees and applies to our partners, all of our colleagues and to our suppliers, including those who work for or on our behalf in any capacity and includes a mechanism whereby concerns can be escalated confidentially.
This Policy includes guidance with examples of unusual behaviour displayed by workers which may be indicative of someone experiencing slavery or human trafficking. It makes it clear that Brodies will support anyone who raises a genuine concern in good faith.
This Policy builds on Brodies' existing policies relating to Procurement, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Dignity at Work, Grievances, and our Colleague Handbook as well as other internal training we provide. All policies are reviewed annually.
In relation to the financial year ending 30 April 2025 we have:
- kept our compliance approach under review in line with the 2017 UK Government guidance on Transparency in Supply Chains, the 2019 UK Government guidance on modern slavery statements and the Scottish Government’s Slavery and Human Trafficking Guidance for Businesses in Scotland.
- continued to issue our Statement of Business Principles to all new suppliers to reinforce our ethical standards, and ensured that all suppliers will comply with these principles or demonstrate equivalent ethical standards through their own policies and practices
- issued our Slavery and Human Trafficking Risk Questionnaire to suppliers where relevant
- reviewed our Slavery and Human Trafficking Risk Questionnaire and Statement of Business Principles to ensure they are up to date and effectively capture the relevant information needed to assess slavery and human trafficking risks across our supply chain
- assessed the risk of new suppliers and business relationships, applying enhanced due diligence where appropriate
- held discussions at a senior level within the firm to ensure compliance
- reviewed our Anti-slavery Policy, which identifies the firm's Finance Director as the Anti-slavery Compliance Officer with overall responsibility for implementing this Policy
- delivered anti-slavery and human trafficking training to colleagues with direct supplier engagement responsibilities reviewed the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) against which to assess our progress on slavery and human trafficking issues
Due diligence in our supply chains
We maintain a centralised register of our suppliers and manage supplier risks in accordance with our procurement policy and procedures. As part of our procurement process, we carry out compliance risk assessments that include consideration of modern slavery and human trafficking risks. During supplier onboarding, all new suppliers are required to either confirm their acceptance of our Statement of Business Principles or demonstrate that they uphold equivalent ethical standards through their own policies and practices, such as a modern slavery and human trafficking statement or policy.
We take into consideration a supplier’s risk profile, based on factors such as annual spend, invoice frequency, and other relevant criteria when determining whether to undertake further or enhanced due diligence. This may include issuing our Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Risk Questionnaire, which is reviewed internally upon completion. Records of responses are maintained centrally, and appropriate follow-up actions are taken where necessary to ensure compliance and mitigate risk.
Our Modern Slavery and Human trafficking questionnaire communicates our commitment to complying with the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and seeks further information on, amongst other things, the nature of the goods or services supplied, and the controls in place to mitigate the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking.
Where we use recruitment agencies to assist with the recruitment of colleagues, the terms on which these agencies are engaged contain obligations aimed at ensuring compliance with anti-slavery laws. For example, before submitting a candidate, agencies are required to verify their identity and right to work in the UK, as well as their willingness to work for Brodies.
Training
All colleagues are required to certify that they have read and understand our Anti-Slavery Policy. A process is in place to monitor and enforce this requirement. This Policy is available to access on our intranet system.
We have also arranged for colleagues with direct responsibilities for engaging with suppliers to undertake a bespoke anti-slavery and human trafficking training module.
Key Performance Indicators
We use the following measures to monitor the effectiveness of our efforts to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking within our business and supply chains:
- number of colleagues having confirmed that they have read and understood Brodies LLP's Anti-slavery Policy
- nature of and number of Anti-slavery Policy breaches reported to the Anti-slavery Compliance Officer
- number of Policy breaches assessed within a reasonable time of being reported and further investigations concluded as soon as possible thereafter
- the volume and nature of queries received from suppliers relating to modern slavery and human trafficking risks
- any follow-up actions taken with suppliers in response to identified concerns or questionnaire responses.
We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of our compliance regime against these KPIs, assess how we can make improvements to address any changes in risks and take necessary steps to address any instances of slavery and human trafficking. This will include focus on the modern slavery risk profile across our supply chains in light of the increased risks of modern slavery presented by the current economic situation.
We understand that an Anti-Slavery Policy and compliance programme will not in themselves be sufficient to prevent slavery and human trafficking. We recognise the importance of developing a culture within the firm which does not tolerate slavery or human trafficking and is not complacent about the associated risks. Through our good business practices and People Engagement policies, we believe that Brodies has established such a culture. We will continue to take steps to embed and strengthen this culture. We are committed to fostering this culture across Brodies LLP through training, education and awareness initiatives.
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes the Brodies LLP slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 30 April 2025. This statement was approved by the board of Brodies LLP on behalf of its members on 17 September 2025.
Stephen Goldie
Managing Partner
Brodies LLP