Modern Slavery

This statement is made by Sacker & Partners LLP (‘Sackers’) under section 54 of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 for the financial year ending 31 December 2023.

Organisation and structure

Sackers is a firm of solicitors based in London, practising English law. Areas of work include workplace and personal pensions, risk transfer, investment, corporate activity, regulation and governance, and dispute resolution as it relates to pensions and retirement savings law.

We are registered under the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000 (OC308089) and authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) (Regulation number: 00408231). We employ approximately 110 people and operate from one office. All employees are based in the UK. Our Management Committee makes strategic and operational decisions on behalf of the firm.

Business and supply chains

Sackers is committed to preventing acts of modern slavery and human trafficking from occurring within its business and supply chain. We do not have intricate supply chains. The goods and services we purchase to allow the delivery of our legal services is limited and primarily relates to professional services, such as the firm’s accountants, banks, brokers and insurers, furniture suppliers, office supply companies, office cleaners, caterers, electrical and building contractors, archive facilities, suppliers of IT equipment, software and licences, software developers, website designers, couriers, travel advisers, recruitment agencies, trainers, seminar providers, publishers of hard copy and digital materials, transport providers, event managers and photographers.

Risk assessment

As a professional services organisation that is office-based, we consider the risk of modern slavery, servitude or human trafficking existing within our business or professional services supply chains to be relatively low. However, we are committed to taking steps to ensure that it does not occur in any of our supply chains.

Due diligence

We have reviewed all existing suppliers to risk assess their vulnerability to modern slavery and confirm their compliance with modern slavery provisions.

As part of our processes for contracting with new suppliers and renewing contracts with existing suppliers, we will, where reasonably practicable and appropriate:

include specific prohibitions in our contracts with our suppliers against slavery and human trafficking, including a right for us to terminate the arrangement if the supplier breaches its obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015;
check that the supplier has an appropriate slavery and human trafficking policy in place and/or has published a current slavery and human trafficking statement if the supplier is required to do so by the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

We will terminate our relationship with a supplier if they or their contractors and suppliers tolerate slavery or human trafficking in any part of their business or supply chains.

Our efforts to monitor and reduce the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring within our supply chains involve (where possible) building long-standing relationships with suppliers who understand and are clear about the expected behaviours to enable the firm to:

establish, monitor, assess and reduce areas of potential risk in our business and supply chains
carry out due diligence on new suppliers and ask them to adhere to our Supplier Code of Conduct if appropriate
screen new employees and ensure they receive appropriate reimbursement and fair contractual terms
ensure we have in place a whistleblowing procedure.

Policies and procedures

The relevant polices and procedures supporting our efforts to address the risks of slavery and human trafficking are set out in the following documents.

Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy

This explains how to identify and report concerns regarding modern slavery and sets out the firm’s responsibilities, and that of staff and suppliers, in observing and upholding our position on modern slavery.

Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the firm and its staff comply with those anti-corruption laws, including the Bribery Act 2010 (“Bribery Act”), the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”), and Part V of the Criminal Justice Act 1993 (“the CJA”).

Whistleblowing Policy

We encourage all our employees to report any concerns related to the direct activities, or the supply chains of, our organisation and we provide various mechanisms and confidential reporting processes to support this.

Sustainable Procurement Policy

This sets out the economic, social and environmental commitments we expect from suppliers.

Supplier Code of Conduct

This Code outlines the basic legal and ethical requirements that suppliers should adhere to.

Training

All staff are required to read and comply with our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy and to undertake training so that they can understand the implications of slavery, identify risk factors, assist with implementing the policy effectively and report where necessary.

Monitoring and reporting

We offer a confidential reporting line, managed by an independent third party, which is accessible by telephone or online 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is available for use by staff and third parties including our suppliers and contractors.

If anyone in the firm becomes aware of an instance of modern slavery or human trafficking occurring in any of our supply chains, we will work to resolve the issue through legitimate and proportionate procedures.

Ongoing commitment

The firm is committed to identifying and mitigating the risks of modern slavery throughout its supply chain. Over the next 12 months we will continue to use our procurement procedures and processes to ensure that our obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 are passed through to our supply chain.

These policies and procedures will be reviewed annually by the Risk and Compliance Lawyer.