Sustainable Development – Maiwald

Sustainable development

Nurturing the future

As an internationally operating law firm, we take our social responsibilities seriously. In fact, sustainable development is Maiwald’s core corporate value.

To ensure we are always on the right track, we adhere to the 17 goals of the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted in 2015 (Agenda 2030). In practice, this means participating in numerous ecological and social projects that aim to protect and preserve natural resources.
Those same principles are upheld when dealing with our staff, too. We nurture an environment of growth, treat each other with fairness, and support each other’s socially conscious and eco-friendly activities.

Trust is more than a promise to us – it is the basis of our actions and our success. With our Code of Conduct, we create a strong set of values that provides us with guidance internally and sends a clear message externally: for integrity, professionalism and transparency.

We understand our clients’ perspectives, respect their values and jointly develop solutions that stand the test of time. At the same time, respect, responsibility and a strong sense of unity shape the way we work together as a team.

Our Code of Conduct is therefore not just a formal guideline, but an expression of who we are and what we stand for. It makes our values tangible in everyday life – for our clients, our business partners and every single person at Maiwald.

Patents protect inventions – values protect our community.

Values are not rigid rules for us, but an attitude we live by every day. They provide guidance, inspire trust and form the foundation for how we interact with one another and work together with our clients.

Sustainability is an integral part of Maiwald’s corporate philosophy. We take responsibility for the environment and society and voluntarily report on our measures – in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Health and well-being

We foster our employees' health by facilitating good work-life balance, and their physical health by supporting various fitness activities and – to give another example – by providing fruit and drinks at the workplace.

Advanced education and training

We offer our employees numerous training and development opportunities at the office (including through various seminars and language courses). In wider society, we routinely. We also donate to various educational institutions (e.g. Stiftung Lesen, acauses, such as the children’s reading initiative). Stiftung Lesen.

Gender equality

We aim for a balanced male to female employee ratio from junior to management levels. Equal pay is also high on our list of priorities.

Decent working conditions and economic growth

Our employees‘ family concerns are taken very much into account with flexible working hours and part-time working models, but also teamwork and task sharing.

Climate protection measures

We drastically reduce paper consumption by working exclusively with e-files. We also support bike riding initiatives and incentivize public transportation usage with cost subsidies.

Peace, justice and strong institutions

We support humanitarian projects (such as children’s education program Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung) that actively work towards a better society.

Our commitment to nature begins with the Green Forest Fund, through which preserves protected areas for the long term. For each of our employees, we have planted a tree, actively contributing to the growth of our MaiWald. This project is part of our long-term dedication to sustainability and strengthens our contribution to climate protection.

We participated in the table football tournament for patent attorneys, which was held in support of the Children’s Health Foundation. The event was full of fun and competitive spirit, giving us the opportunity to make a significant contribution to promoting children’s health. We are proud of our involvement and look forward to the next tournament to do good once again!

For many years, we have been supporting the valuable work of the Stiftung Lesen through regular donations. Stiftung Lesen is passionately committed to promoting reading skills and joy in reading among children and adolescents. Through our longstanding support, we contribute to shaping the future of young readers and improving educational opportunities.

FabLab Munich offers children an inspiring environment in which they can learn through play and put their creative ideas into practice. Through workshops and projects, the children learn in a practical way how technology works and how they can realize their own projects. Our donation will help to further expand these valuable educational opportunities and provide today’s young explorers with the tools and resources they need to develop.

We are proud to be a sponsor of the recent Wilhelmsgymnasium Munich charity concert. This event provided a platform for the students to showcase their musical talent while supporting educational and cultural projects. The benefit concert allowed the young artists to share their passion for music with the community while raising important funds for their partner school in Bulgaria.

Our Commitment to Conservation and Sustainability:

At our 2024 Social Day, we partnered with LBV to help maintain a valuable habitat. Our teams removed cut grass from a meadow, giving rare plants space and light for the coming year, supporting endangered species. Through this effort, we promote biodiversity and raise awareness of sustainability.

The SocialRide project is full of energy and we are delighted that we have helped to make a great location possible with our donation. We are delighted to see how the volunteer mechanics offer repair workshops, maintain the JUNO bikes for the bike courses on the Theresienwiese and continue the free bike rental service for refugees and socially disadvantaged people.

This year, we supported the Deutschen Alpenverein (DAV) with a donation to promote the sustainable development of the Alpine region and climate protection. Volunteers, including the International Mountaineering Group (IMG), are committed to maintaining trails and huts. We are pleased to be part of this initiative.

Supporting Education in Tanzania with Donated Laptops!

We are delighted to support a school in Tanzania with a donation of 20 laptops. These donated devices open doors to digital learning resources, global connectivity, and potentially greater educational and career opportunities for the students.

This initiative, through “SchuPa Tansania, Verein zur Förderung der Bildung in Tansania e.V.”, demonstrates how small actions can have a significant impact.

Social responsibility

For us, sustainable development also includes careful and considerate handling of our human resources, which is why we cultivate an open-door policy at the workplace. Work takes place in a relaxed, informal atmosphere where each individual is treated with consideration, respect and due recognition of their unique qualities. Openness, mutual acceptance and helpfulness are an integral part of our firm’s philosophy. Above and beyond well-functioning teamwork, commitment to social causes is an important component of our commitment to society. For example, we routinely donate to charities that support educational and social programs for disadvantaged children. These include Stiftung Lesen, Stiftung Ambulantes Kinderhospiz München, Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung, the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s ‘Advent Calendar for Good Works’ campaign as well as the homework supervision program at Bergmann Primary School in the Westend district of Munich.

Success through diversity

Diversity introduces a range of different approaches to solving problems, which is why we believe we are so successful. Diversity is an integral part of our company culture. We are proud that at Maiwald people work together towards shared goals no matter their lifestyle, country of origin, or cultural and religious background. Each individual here is equally respected and appreciated. We also champion gender equality, with a balanced team of men and women from senior management all the way through to junior staff.

Podcast – Empowering women and nurturing young talent: Maiwald’s commitment to equality and diversity

Ecological commitment

To cut down on paper consumption we have digitized all our office’s internal processes and procedures and work exclusively with e-files. We also incentivize the use of climate-friendly modes of transportation with public transportation cost subsidies and bike riding initiatives. On top of that, we organize internal initiatives such as Social Day, where we encourage our staff to do their part in helping the environment.