Briefing
Elements of our CSR Policy and Plan
Equality and Diversity
Commitment
At Kapolyi Law Firm we strongly believe that respect, tolerance and openness at all levels are fundamental part in the life of our firm. Thus, it is essential for us that our working environment is secure and healthy, where behaviours such as harassment, discrimination and bullying are not tolerated at all. We are committed in preventing discrimination and promoting equality and diversity.
Encouraging individuality is a part of our culture. Our aim is to focus on the talent and potential, and to provide an environment which welcomes individuals from different backgrounds, who are able to flourish and achieve their ambitions in a cohesive, supportive and flourishing environment. The atmosphere and conditions which we create are free from any form of discrimination; we are a place where everyone is valued. We embrace diversity and encourage our people to share their views, broadening everyone’s spectrum related the differences. The firm provides an environment which allows everyone to develop and grow regardless of disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, race, racial group, colour, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, sexual orientation, civil partnership status, pregnancy, maternity or paternity. We are committed to ensuring that each member of the firm treats all of their colleagues with dignity and respect. The equal treatment also applies to the professional dealing with third parties, including, but not limited to clients, suppliers, contractors, staff, and other lawyers also.
Recruitment
The Firm ensures that applications are encouraged from a diverse range of people regardless of their disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, race, racial group, colour, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, sexual orientation, civil partnership status, pregnancy, maternity or paternity, part-time and/or fixed-term status. We have a trainee program, through which we employ several university students annually.
Clients
The Firm is generally free to decide whether to accept instructions for any particular client but any refusal to act will not be based on disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, race, racial group, colour, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, sexual orientation, civil partnership status, pregnancy, maternity or paternity part-time and/or fixed-term status.
Openness, transparency
Openness is created by sharing our knowledge. We regularly publish related the current news affecting the market on, whether law or business related, as well as related important legislative changes and decisions, providing an analysis of the effects. We make every effort to ensure that our clients are satisfied with our service and we are striving to:
- properly consider the individual circumstances of each client
- ensure our clients know who has the day to day conduct of their matter
- constantly update and inform our clients regarding the status and progress of their matter, in a clear, practical, business-minded matter
- deliver our services in a clear and transparent way without any hidden information, conditions or complexities
- ensure that our clients are aware to the risks associated with their matters and their instructions
- inform our clients as soon as any conflict of interests emerges
- understand the expectations and demand of our clients while maintaining a professional approach with a caring and understanding style
- ensure that we are flexible in the delivery of the services so to meet our clients individual needs
- provide service to clients in a clear and understandable, business-minded manner, limiting the use of unclear legal language
- only undertake matters which the firm has or will have sufficient resources to complete
- be upfront and as clear as reasonably possible regarding to expected costs and provide explanations as to how and why fees may change over the course of the matter
We are also committed to transparency, and we do everything we can to act transparent, in particular, but not limited to:
- Complying with all legal requirements, with particular regard to client identification and the effective AML and anti-terrorism legislation
- We have developed and successfully apply a highly effective conflict check system used before engaging with new clients
- With keeping the interest of our clients a top priority, we manage to keep our invoicing transparent. Our invoices are issued only following a consultation with the client and based on the relevant timesheet on our performed work preliminary approved by the client
Environment, sustainability
We are committed to running a business that is environmentally sustainable and we continually strive to minimise our impact on the environment. We are endeavour to ensure we maintain and develop an integrated, comprehensive and practical sustainability policy that ranges from how we source our energy and office supplies, to how we print and recycle.
We aim at to engage with suppliers who have determined CSR policies, which apply to our current and future partners also. We seek to follow the best methods to reduce our carbon footprint.
Examples of making differences in our day-to-day life:
- We’ve replaced plastic bottles with filtered tap water, which is served for our employees.
- Waste is collected selectively in our office.
- Minimizing waste and adopting sensible recycling policies in respect of our paper and food consumption.
- Providing safe and comfortable working conditions, separate rooms and offices.
- Encouraging staff to use alternate transport methods to work, i.e. walk or cycle to work by among other, providing shower facilities for our employees.
- Ensuring that electrical equipment and lights are off when not in use.
- Ensuring that heating is turned off or down outside office hours.
We minimized printing by developing an electronic file system through which everything is accessible and urging our people to use it instead of printing
We set the following objectives as part of our CSR Plan to take our part from preserving the environment and work towards sustainability:
- To source our office and cleaning materials from environmentally responsible suppliers.
- Going plastic free: cutting out as much single use plastic (and other materials) as possible.
- Food waste and recycling: improving food waste processing and general recycling throughout the firm.
- World Paper Free Day: we encourage staff to go paper free and avoid printing alongside
- Volunteering for the community.
- Empower employees to develop CSR skills.
Pro Bono
We are engaged in a variety of pro bono activities that benefit the community. We use and apply our legal expertise to assist and educate social groups with different backgrounds, such as:
- One of our associate is a member of a human rights NGO, called as Utcajogász Egyesület – Streetlawyer Association. Their activity includes:
- working to enforce the rights and interest of homeless people and people living in housing poverty
- fighting for a just and inclusive society in which human rights, in particular, social rights
- advocating for and promoting the rrights of people who are prosecuted because they live on the streets or suffering any kind of violation of rights or discrimination due to their position
- operating a free legal aid program at one of the busiest traffic junctions of Budapest for more than eight years, during which time they have provided legal aid to more than 300 people per year
- providing legal opinions via e-mail
- operating two hotlines where urgent cases are dealt with
- One of our partner is an invited lecturer at Budapest University of Technology and Economics, where he holds lectures for students on a monthly basis related FIDIC agreements.
- Our firm donated a PC for the psychologist of a children’s hospice house in order to help the day-to-day work of the institution.
Social
Supporting our own people is just as important as supporting our own local community. Part of our CSR involves ensuring that our employees are healthy, safe, and happy at work. In order to maintain a healthy and happy environment, we:
- Provide and support professional development for all of our employees by contributing to their post-graduate programs;
- Keeping mental health of our employees our top priority;
- Offer a healthy, flexible and innovate work environment which enhances the wellbeing of our employees;
- Promote diversity and equality;
- Empower employees to develop CSR skills;
- Have a weekly team meeting where everyone is able to freely share with others what is on their mind;
- Have several team-building outings annually;
- Have a Christmas party at the firm;
As in all areas and industries of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic had and has an impact on our activity and life. As a responsible firm, we have taken every required steps and precautions to ensure the health and safety of our clients and people, including, but not limited to:
- Installed sanitizing hand rub dispensers in prominent places around the workplace, and made sure these are regularly filled
- Ensured that paper tissues are available at the office
- Our people work in separate, single-person offices, aiding social distancing
- We fully support working from home
- Whenever possible, client meetings are held online