Modern Slavery

This statement applies to all companies within and associated to AWO (referred to in this statement as 'The Group').

AWO is the trading name for the following companies: HNK Legal Ltd, HNK Litigation Ltd, HNK Data Consulting Ltd, AWO Belgium BV and AWO Australia Pty Ltd. HNK Legal Ltd is the group holding company, which owns:

• HNK Litigation Ltd which provides regulated legal advice in England and Wales
• HNK Data Consulting Ltd which provides non-legally regulated consulting and compliance advice
• AWO Belgium BV which undertakes work for clients that require an EU registered entity
• AWO Australia Pty Ltd which is newly established to service the Australian market

The Group operates from offices in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Australia, with our headcount fluctuating between 15-25 staff all employed directly by us.

The main activities carried out by the Group include the provision of legal services, litigation support, research consulting, and compliance advice to professional clients. Our services are provided consistently throughout the year and are not seasonal in nature.

The labour supplied to the Group in pursuance of its operations is carried out in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Australia.

AWO understands and acknowledges the obligations set out in the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, particularly the requirement under Section 54. Although AWO does not meet the threshold of a “relevant commercial organisation” under the Act, we are committed to upholding its principles and taking appropriate action to identify and address any risk of modern slavery in our operations and supply chains.

As a certified B Corporation, we are deeply committed to ethical practices and the eradication of modern slavery in all its forms. Our structure, operations, and supply chains are designed to prioritize transparency, accountability, and social responsibility. You can view our B Corp certificate online.

AWO does not enter into business with any other organisation, in the United Kingdom or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to involve itself in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

No labour provided to the AWO in the pursuance of the provision of its own services is obtained by means of slavery or human trafficking. AWO strictly adheres to the minimum standards required in relation to its responsibilities under relevant employment legislation in England and Wales, Belgium, and Australia, and in many cases exceeds those minimums in relation to its employees.

AWO considers that modern slavery encompasses:

• Human trafficking;
• Forced work, through mental or physical threat;
• Being owned or controlled by an employer through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse;
• Being dehumanised, treated as a commodity or being bought or sold as property;
• Being physically constrained or to have restriction placed on freedom of movement.

AWO considers the overall risk of modern slavery within our organisation and supply chain to be low. This assessment is based on the nature of our operations, the sectors in which we operate, and the types of goods and services we provide and procure.

Our organisational and operational model focuses exclusively on the delivery of professional services through a directly employed workforce, supported by a trusted network of consultant experts. In order to fulfil its activities, AWOs main supply chains include those related to software providers, professional services, and office space providers primarily based in the United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia. Given our nature as a professional services firm, our supply chains are limited and relatively straightforward, consisting mainly of:

• Software and technology service providers
• Professional service providers (accounting, legal, consulting)
• Office space and facilities management
• Office equipment and supplies

We understand that some first-tier suppliers, particularly in technology, may have further contractual relationships with lower-tier suppliers, and we maintain vigilance regarding these extended supply chains.

We have good expertise in technological risk and have undertaken work for philanthropy and charities exploring how large technology companies are outsourcing AI training data labelling to third parties who are exploiting workers, often based in Kenya or the Philippines, with poor treatment of staff and poor pay. This expertise informs our approach to supply chain risk assessment.

We do not manufacture or supply physical goods, nor do we operate in high-risk sectors including those identified by the UK Government or the International Labour Organization (ILO), such as agriculture, construction, mining, or domestic work.

Specifically:

• We do not supply any goods that have been identified by the US Department of Labor as being at high risk of being produced by child labour or forced labour.
• We do not purchase any such goods.
• No part of our supply chain falls into the highest-risk categories outlined by the UK Government or the ILO

AWO carries out due diligence processes in relation to ensuring slavery and/or human trafficking does not take place in its organisation or supply chains, including conducting a review of the controls of its suppliers.

Every supplier must complete a vendor due diligence process which includes reviewing any applicable statements on modern slavery as well as "living wage" levels for all staff and contractors.

Wherever possible we preference B Corp suppliers, which allows us to have high confidence in our suppliers governance and ethics, including modern slavery.

We maintain close relationships with our key suppliers to ensure alignment with our ethical standards and have rejected suppliers on the basis of failure to be sufficiently transparent about their supply chains.

We review all our policies annually, and as part of our B Corp recertification, have policies reviewed and assessed according to the high governance and ethical standards that B Corp requires.

All employees have access to a grievance mechanism and whistleblowing to provide channels to report likely violations.

We avoid purchasing practices which put undue pressure on suppliers which can lead to poor recruitment practices, worker conditions or low pay; including aggressive pricing, late or extended payments; withdrawing from contracts without notice; excessive penalties for not meeting orders.