ESG legal practice
Our Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and Sustainability legal practice
In an increasingly regulated and changing global landscape, sustainability and ESG issues and opportunities are regularly arising across all sectors, practice groups and regions. Led by Partners Diane Gilhooley and Herbert Short, our global ESG and Sustainability Group advise clients on a range of issues relating to their sustainability and ESG objectives.
Our ESG and Sustainability Leadership Team is supported by a global ESG and Sustainability Strategy and Solutions Team, which consists of 250 lawyers from across all of our jurisdictions and practice groups. We have embedded ESG and sustainability throughout our practice groups and sectors. This approach allows us to respond to the needs of our clients in an integrated multi-disciplinary manner reflective of how ESG and sustainability legal issues impact our clients. Recognizing that for many of our clients, awareness and understanding of ESG and sustainability issues at a global and local level is necessary, we harness expertise and coordinate input from subject matter experts around the globe.
Awards
- We are honored to have been awarded ESG: Firm of the Year 2024 by The Legal 500 in recognition of “our consistently strong approach to all three pillars of ESG.”
- Our ESG and Sustainability Group is consistently ranked globally by Chambers and Partners.
- We are recognized in the Legal 500 Green Guide, showcasing the most innovative and impactful firms in the field of ESG and Sustainability legal guidance for Asia Pacific, UK, EMEA and US.
Thought leadership
We strive to deliver market-leading thought leadership and insights and are regularly published in notable publications internationally. We also provide regular briefings, articles and podcasts on ESG and sustainability-related topics. Some of our recent highlights include:
- SustainREG – In response to an increasing client focus on ESG and sustainability-related laws and regulations, our ESG and Sustainability Group developed SustainREG, a tool to help clients keep up with the volume and pace of the multitude of emerging ESG and sustainability regulations across the globe. SustainREG is a regulatory database with more than 700 individual entries spanning multiple jurisdictions including the EU, UK, Netherlands, Spain, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Lithuania and UAE, with additional jurisdictions to be added. It includes new and proposed ESG and sustainability-related laws and regulations from 2023 onwards. Clients are provided with a bespoke report based on their preference of jurisdictions, ESG and sustainability themes and UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Global ESG and Sustainability insights - We are dedicated to keeping our clients updated on the latest ESG and sustainability trends, providing a monthly summary of key global developments.
- COP28 – We provided extensive thought-leadership for clients during the annual UN Climate Change Conference known as COP, including insight videos from our lawyers in the lead-up to the conference and daily blog updates covering a broad range of topics summarising the key development from the previous day.
- Horizon scanning - We issue regular reports that provide a high-level overview of a key topic or law that is coming on the horizon, which provides focus on the practical impacts on sectors and businesses with clear actionable steps.
Events
We regularly host events with an ESG and sustainability focus. These range from seminars to bespoke thought leadership dinners. All incorporate key industry leaders and senior legal teams to create a forum for high-level discussion. Some recent examples include:
- The second annual Legal 500 UK Green Summit, brought together leading practitioners and in-house counsel in the UK to discuss the legal sector’s engagement with sustainability and a green and just transition.
- The inaugural US Green Summit in New York as part of Climate Week NYC 2023, explored the intersection of the law and climate, sustainability and ESG.
- The Pan-European “ESG: Strategy and Sustainability” event in Rotterdam and “Making ESG a Practical Strategy” event in Antwerp.
Our contacts
Thank you for reading our 2024 US Responsible Business Report. To read our 2024 International Responsible Business Report, please visit our website. If you have any questions, please contact:
Aileen Crowson Chief Responsible Business and Pro Bono Practice Officer T: 1 404 407 5094 aileencrowson@eversheds-sutherland.com
Natasha Orehowsky Responsible Business and Pro Bono Practice Manager T: +1 202 383 0356 natashaorehowsky@eversheds-sutherland.com
© Eversheds Sutherland. All rights reserved. Eversheds Sutherland is a global provider of legal and other services operating through various separate and distinct legal entities. Eversheds Sutherland is the name and brand under which the members of Eversheds Sutherland Limited (Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP and Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP) and their respective controlled, managed and affiliated firms and the members of Eversheds Sutherland (Europe) Limited (each an "Eversheds Sutherland Entity" and together the "Eversheds Sutherland Entities") provide legal or other services to clients around the world. Eversheds Sutherland Entities are constituted and regulated in accordance with relevant local regulatory and legal requirements and operate in accordance with their locally registered names. The use of the name Eversheds Sutherland, is for description purposes only and does not imply that the Eversheds Sutherland Entities are in a partnership or are part of a global LLP. The responsibility for the provision of services to the client is defined in the terms of engagement between the instructed firm and the client.
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