2023: A Year to Remember; A Year to Celebrate
Taking stock of a year is no easy task. Among the many projects, achieved goals, and significant milestones, it’s a challenge to pinpoint the high points. Nevertheless, 2023 was a year filled with reasons for celebration and achievements worth remembering at BMA.
BMA Inspiration, our program for pro bono and volunteer work, had plenty to celebrate. To name just a few of the many cases we were involved in over the year, we helped to structure and implement the Memories in the Wind (Memórias ao Vento) project, dedicated to preventing and combating violence against women and girls, and we acted in administrative proceedings to assist the Fight for Peace (Luta Pela Paz) Association, which works in communities affected by inequality and violence, empowering youth for holistic development, and contributing to a more inclusive society.
Another highlight of the year is BMA Education, our in-house continuous training initiative, which offers 20 different subjects – including Visual Law, Public Speaking Techniques, and Business Plans – for a total of 180 hours of instruction. We also encourage our professionals to pursue extension and continuing education courses, and provide financial support through our subsidy program for LL.M. courses, undergraduate and graduate degrees, and language studies.
In 2023, BMA Diversity, our plurality initiative, took a significant leap. The scope of the initiative grew with the addition of a new affinity group focused on religious freedom, and we worked hard on the cause of racial equity over the year. Striving for equality within the firm, one of our objectives was to hire, retain and develop Black professionals to ensure their representation at all levels of our organization.
Our internship program, #SejaBMA (#BeBMA), which reserved 50% of the positions for Black students, exceeded expectations with over 80% of slots filled by talented young Black individuals. We also worked with outside consultants to hold meetings just for Black members of our firm, to provide a safe space and identify ways in which BMA can create a more inclusive environment.
Gender equity was also a focal point for talent development. The second edition of the BMA Women Mentoring Program saw 17 of our women practitioners preparing to accelerate their careers. In addition, BMA, along with 12 other full-service law firms in Brazil, launched the Legal Alliance for Gender Equity (Aliança Jurídica pela Equidade de Gênero), with a special focus on Black women, LGBTQAIPN+, and individuals with disabilities.
The Well-Being Committee also had reasons to celebrate. Our partnership with consultant André Fusco, a psychoanalyst with over 10 years of experience in mental health in organizations, continued to yield positive results. Through studies with new focus groups, we gained a deeper understanding of the environment at BMA, with a total of 76 consulting hours and contacts with approximately 180 members. These results support our work to develop best practices and policies with a careful eye on the mental health and well-being of our people.
All these initiatives contribute to our commitment to excellence, consistently endorsed by clients and business partners. In 2024, we will continue to expand and strengthen our initiatives and projects with the aim of becoming more inclusive, seeking greater equity, dedicating more time to studies and to society, and fostering even stronger partnerships and synergy with our clients. This is what we believe in. This is what we aim to build.
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