There is a perception that some UK private practice IP firms have a diversity imbalance. They have an overreliance on just a few specific universities; a nod and wink, ‘Welcome to the club old boy’ door policy; that there is distinct advantage to a specific demographic. Whilst we at Fellows and Associates would certainly argue that for candidates entering the profession today, the stereotype no longer mirrors reality, imbalances do persist. Diversity and inclusion have been key concepts in recent years, but given that such changes often require cultural transformations, the reality of attracting and retaining a more diverse workforce will take time.

Whilst we’re in the data collecting phase for the 2025 salary survey, I thought I’d review the prior two years’ results on a few key criteria and see if the needle is actually moving in the right direction.

Education

Historically, some firms have exclusively recruited graduates from Oxbridge, others have allowed for a little more diversity but still tend to hire from a select few universities. One of the issues with this strategy, especially in the face of diversity and inclusion, is that it tends to reinforce other stereotypes and prejudices – typically those from Oxbridge have also had the privilege of attending a private school and /or come from non-ethnic minority backgrounds. Whilst both Oxford and Cambridge have both taken steps to diversify their own intakes, they still have an unrepresentative number of private school students.

From the survey data over the last couple of years, there does appear to be a positive shift in secondary school education to be more inclusive with fewer having the benefit of a private education.

Do we put that down to firms having a more enlightened approach to hiring? Or is it down to the universities themselves also trying to embrace and attract a more diverse range of students, often offering scholarships and bursaries in order to open up opportunities to those that would otherwise be denied?

When it comes to university representation there’s been less of a shift. Those having attended Oxbridge still dominate and firms continue to favour a select few universities over others. On a positive note, certainly at degree level, there appears to be growing representation across a greater number of universities.

Is this sourcing of talent from a limited pool because only a few universities advertise IP as a career, and / or IP firms only showcase themselves at a few universities, thus only graduates from these universities are aware of IP as a career? Or is the bias more systemic than that and firms like to hire from within their own alma mater?

Ethnicity

According to the 2021 census 18% of people in England and Wales identified as being from an ethnic minority. For those that completed our survey, only half that number identified as such. Whilst I acknowledge that our survey is completely voluntary, I would still argue that it is representative, and as such the IP community still have much to do in this area to attract candidates from ethnic minorities.

Gender

There does appear to be a positive move towards a more gender balanced workforce with 45% of respondents in 2024 identifying as female (2023: 40%). Unfortunately, this does not appear to be at all levels and the appointment of women to leadership positions is still lagging behind. 38% of respondents (2023: 32%) shared that 80% or more of the senior positions in their firm were held by men, whilst only 10% of respondents (2023: 6%) stated that they worked in firms where men accounted for 80% or more of the organisation.

In 2024 we asked respondents to rate their firm’s approach to diversity and inclusion in a number of areas and calculated a weighted average score.

Whatever these results are, I wonder…is this the reality of the situation and firms simply need to do more, faster? Or is this the perception because people are slow to see the reality of the significant changes that have already been made?

Why not share your views on the matter (anonymously or not) by completing this year’s survey? If you have any questions or would like to know more, please get in touch with us at [email protected]