Governance and ethics
Our Responsible Business Working Group
Our responsible business working group, led by our Managing Partner, Mark Wasserman, engages professionals throughout the firm in working together on our overall strategy to advance our People, Community, Environment, and Governance and ethics goals. Our aim is to be a market leader in all things “good business” and ensure that responsible business is not just the task of the few but also is at the heart of everything we do across all roles within Eversheds Sutherland.
Our 2024-2025 working group members
Our 2024-2025 working group members
US Chair
Mark Wasserman
Managing Partner
US Lead
Aileen Crowson
Chief Responsible Business and Pro Bono Practice Officer
People
Darwin Conner
Chief DEI Officer
Dianna Hunter
Director of Human Resources
Kristy Weathers
Professional Development Partner
Community
Harmony Jones
Pro Bono Counsel
Natasha Orehowsky
Responsible Business and Pro Bono Practice Manager
Brian Rubin
Partner
Environment
Tom Warren
Sustainability Partner
Patrick Hally
Regional Director of Operations
Danielle Massey
Director of Finance
Governance & Ethics
Nick Christakos
Partner and General Counsel
Dwight Floyd
Dwight Floyd
Robin Dupree
Director of Conflicts and Client Information
Mark Wasserman (Chair)
Cynthia Krus
Nick Christakos
Bob Copps
Griff Griffin
Stacey Kern
Sarah Paul
John Pruitt
Michael Sweeney, Jr.
Maria Todorova
Administrative Management Team
The firm is managed through ten administrative departments, with one or more departments reporting to a chief-level staff member or firm partner. The Administrative Management Team meets at least once a month to collaborate on firm business and ensures a whole firm approach on a variety of topics, including responsible business. The team consists of the following department heads:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Director of Finance
- Chief Strategic Recruiting Officer
- Director of Attorney Recruiting
- Global Business Development and Marketing Officer
- Director of Business Development
- Director of Conflicts and Client Information
- Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
- Director of Human Resources
- Chief Information Officer
- Director of Data and Analytics
- Chief Operating Officer
- Regional Director of Operations
- Director of Pricing and Value
- Professional Development Partner
- Director of Research and Knowledge Services
- Chief Responsible Business and Pro Bono Practice Officer
Global Code of Ethical Conduct
Last year, we launched a Global Ethical Code of Conduct. This code will sit alongside our regulatory requirements and will help bring to life how we conduct ourselves with our clients, our communities and each other in support of that commitment. The code is grounded in our belief that our people will instinctively act with integrity and honesty, always seeking to do the right thing and acting in accord with any applicable legal and regulatory requirements. All of our people are expected to adhere to the code, know who to talk to if they have questions and speak up if they become aware of behavior that is inconsistent with it. We also encourage our clients and other third parties to let us know if they witness behavior by our people that they believe is inconsistent with the code.
Global Risk Committee
The Global Risk Committee was formed after the combination with Eversheds Sutherland (International) and meets regularly to identify global risk priorities, outline initiatives to address those priorities and integrate the risk management function more generally, to the extent practical given the global structure. Among the priorities identified and addressed, or in progress, are GDPR compliance, integration and streamlining of conflicts processing, moving toward a global professional liability program, and standardization of policies as appropriate. The firm’s General Counsel, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Conflicts and Client Information are the US members of the Global Risk Committee.
Ethics Advisors
The firm has appointed Ethics Advisors in various jurisdictions to serve as additional resources on ethics issues as they arise.
Nick Christakos
Tom Curvin
Lino Mendiola
Dan Schlueter
Ron Zdrojeski
Cyber governance
The General Counsel oversees the various areas of potential cyber risk, and the firm employs a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who has day-to-day responsibility for this area under the General Counsel’s supervision. The firm is fully certified under ISO 027001 and ISO 27701, and the CISO maintains a database of client cybersecurity requirements to ensure compliance.
Information Security Risk Committee
With the increase in cybersecurity incidents globally, the firm has an established Information Security Risk Committee to provide additional awareness, governance and focus around the firm’s information security systems and processes.
Investments in client securities
The firm’s rules governing investments in a client are included in our Policy and Procedures Governing Trading in Securities; an Acknowledgement and Agreement is signed by every firm member and employee upon hire, and a copy of the policy is available on the firm’s intranet.
Anti-Harassment, Anti-Discrimination and Respectful Conduct Policy
Eversheds Sutherland’s policy is to treat all employees in the firm with respect and dignity and to provide a workplace that is free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, abusive conduct and retaliation. The firm prohibits and will not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. This prohibition includes harassment or discrimination for any unlawful reason, including harassment or discrimination based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity, gender expression or being transgender), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital or familial status, domestic violence victim status, amnesty, citizenship status, ethnicity, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment. The firm’s prohibition also includes harassment against an individual because the individual opposed prohibited discrimination or participated in a complaint of discrimination.
Report hotline
In addition to the reporting channels described in our Anti-Harassment, Anti-Discrimination and Respectful Conduct Policy, the firm maintains an anonymous reporting mechanism via a hotline number available 24 hours/day, 365 days/year and an online reporting option.
Responsible use of Generative AI
AI is already opening up new service areas and changing the way law firms operate. We intend to be at the forefront of this technological shift that is changing how legal services are delivered and how businesses operate, taking care to protect client confidence and deliver quality services to our clients where we use this evolving medium.
Our approach to AI is threefold:
1
AI client advisory services
2
AI technology and governance
3
AI learning and development
This past year, we launched our mandatory Global Generative AI Policy focused on the responsible use of generative AI, which establishes a protocol for proper evaluation and use of GenAI products. Following implementation of the policy we authorized the use of Microsoft Copilot for all firm personnel and Thomson Reuters’ Cocounsel for limited pilot participants. The firm also launched the AI Risk Navigator tool that helps legal teams assess their AI solutions against key legal requirements. Based on a client assessment questionnaire, our attorneys pinpoint the key relevant legal issues for a given client’s AI use case and recommend steps to address them. In 2023, the firm also launched an AI Academy, a half-day program for in-house counsel and clients that provides attendees with an overview of AI technology, including best practices for AI governance and contracting of AI technology.
Reflecting on our progress and future outlook
Our working group members regularly evaluate the firm’s responsible business efforts and seek to improve year over year. Just a few goals for 2025 are:
People
- Launch Disability and Accessibility and Veterans affinity groups for attorneys and business professionals
- Encourage consistent engagement in DEI across leadership roles
- Provide ongoing learning opportunities through ES Next programming and materials
- Enhance our onboarding process to project more of a global feel for all new personnel
- Adopt the 360 Performance Management tool
Community
- Review practice group level pro bono plans in 2024
- Increase pro bono participation by five percent by 2025
- Enhance succession planning for internally held nonprofit charity board service roles
Environment
- Further advance a supplier engagement program to address our Scope 3 emissions
- Reduce the square footage of our office space
- Reduce physical document storage needs and space
- Hold workshops with department leads to strengthen sustainability practices in everyday decision-making
- Create additional internal education initiatives using our new quarterly internal responsible business digest
Governance and ethics
- Become a leader and role model in the responsible use of AI for our clients, our people and our communities
- Launch our supplier code of conduct
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.