Corporate Social ResponsibilityAs a highly successful law firm with talented employees Dickinson Dees is in an excellent position to help the communities in which it operates. The banner under which the firm promotes these activities is Beyond Our Business - or BOB. The character BOB himself was designed for us by local school children and is our mascot for our "giving something back" efforts. Throughout 2010, the majority of BOB activity supported our Charity of the Year, Children's Hospices UK. We raised over £40,000 through the efforts of our people. This was done through regular dress down days, cake bakes, auctions and raffles. Our current charity of the year partnership is with Great North Air Ambulance.Very often, the fact that volunteers are willing to give up their time to assist on a specific project means far more to the individuals who receive the assistance than the donation of money. For these reasons, the firm is also involved in a number of community projects. An example is Young Enterprise North East, in which school children run their own business over the course of an academic year with support from our employees. OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOUEquality and DiversityWe are a founding signatory to the Law Society's Diversity and Inclusion Charter and have hosted the regional launch of the Law Society's standards and toolkit. More recently we have become one of only seven law firms in the country to be shortlisted for a national award by The Law Society for excellence in equality and diversity.We encourage accessibility and have been involved in initiatives that allow us to reach a more diverse pool of candidates. We have participated in an employability project tasked with improving disability awareness, mentored students on the National Mentoring Scheme which supports students from ethnic minority backgrounds (and won an award for it!) and visited comprehensive schools to raise awareness of how to access a career in the law.We are working towards an equality standard and are developing a broader equality, diversity and inclusion strategy. As part of this commitment, the firm is proud to be one of the founding members of PRIME - a profession-wide initiative aimed at improving access to work experience opportunities for young people from less privileged backgrounds. 11

EnvironmentWe are committed to excellent performance in relation to our environmental impacts. In particular, we have taken action in relation to recycling, our energy consumption and the efficiency of our travel arrangements.We have also organised volunteering days - for example, recently there was an opportunity to volunteer to help the National Trust's staff with clearing/controlling and removing invasive conifer seedlings from regenerating broadleaf woodland on an 18th century landscaped park and nature reserve. The event was very well attended. BenefitsWe want our people to be proud of working for Dickinson Dees and to feel valued and rewarded. A key part of this is ensuring we have an excellent benefits package. We also recognise the diversity of our people and so we have created a benefits package with something for everyone, so people can pick and choose what suits them best.You will be entitled to 25 days holiday per year in addition to bank and public holidays, to join our pension scheme and to opt into flexible benefits such as the cycle to work scheme, dental insurance, health cash plan and Christmas savings club.Financial SupportWe pay GDL and LPC fees. We also offer a maintenance grant to help you through your studies, although we do not pay retrospective fees if you have already completed your GDL and LPC studies.Social SceneOur social committee meets on a regular basis to organise social events throughout the year. Theatre trips, quizzes, beach barbecues, karaoke competitions, fancy dress, bike rides and pub hunts have all featured in the past, and will no doubt feature again in the future.We recognise that two years is a long time between being offered and starting a training contract with us. We therefore arrange social events to allow you to keep in contact with the firm and with your fellow future trainees. There are also a number of sports teams, with matches generally being played against clients, law firms and other local businesses.12