Not your typical law firm. Welcome to Forum and Summit Partner, Joelson

“The opportunities are endless when you are a thoughtful, impact-led business.”

We’re delighted to announce that Joelson is partnering with our Forum and Summit events.

To celebrate this exciting partnership we held a quick Q&A with Joelson’s Managing Partners Paul Chiappe and Phil Hails-Smith, ahead of our Forum event in June.

Joelson was one of the first legal firms in the country to receive B Corp certification. What differences has that made to your company?

Receiving B Corp status last year was a monumental step in Joelson’s history, re-shaping our purpose, our mission and what was important to us as a business. However, the process to becoming a B Corp took us 5 years, beginning in 2018 so it has been a gradual process and is a real journey – it is not something where the business changes overnight after being certified.

Being certified means that B Lab confirms that Joelson meets exacting standards in key impact areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customer Relations.

One of the real benefits of B Corp certification, is that it has opened our network up to other like-minded B Corps and it is an amazing community to be part of and learn from.

How important are the B Corp principles for how you work with businesses and investors?

Joelson is delighted to actively follow the B Corp principles in our day-to-day activities and to be a business that seeks to be a force for good in the world which is an ongoing commitment. Every business decision we make has the B Corp principals at its core and we question ourselves constantly if a business decision is in line with our values from how we choose our suppliers to our recruitment process.

Joelson team members volunteering at the firm’s chosen charity, City Harvest.

Everyone at Joelson is granted a volunteering day each year and they are often used to team build together at City Harvest

How did you get involved with Forum?

We have been searching for an events partner that focuses on impact led businesses that aligns with our values and Blue Earth is the perfect fit. The calibre of speakers and content is fantastic and the whole movement is inspiring – aiming to make the world a better place.

What are you most looking forward to about Forum?

We are most excited to grow meaningful connections with the Blue Earth community, getting in front of other like-minded businesses and meet those who are looking to raise capital as well as being a force for good in the world.

What opportunities do you see for businesses that focus on impact and purpose-led practices in the future?

The opportunities are endless when you are a thoughtful, impact-led business. It attracts and retains the right people in an organisation, enhances a brand and can organically increase innovation and profitability.

Tell us about Joelson:

Joelson is a London based B Corp certified commercial law firm, being the go-to law firm for impact led businesses spanning across a range of sectors. However, we are not your typical law firm – we are passionate about helping founders and entrepreneurs from start-up phase, their very first investment round and all the way to Exit and everything in-between.

We were also one of the first commercial law firms in the UK to receive B Corp certification in 2023. We were inspired by our clients and the B Corp principles to become a business that seeks to be a force for good in the world – the B Corp ethos and values are part of what we stand for at Joelson. Our journey for B Corp certification began in 2018 and were then certified in July 2023.