Increasingly, shareholders and other stakeholders evaluate a company's performance on certain non-financial metrics, including sustainability, workforce composition and labor standards, board and management diversity, pay equity, and political/non-profit giving.
These environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics are a growing area of focus for companies of all sizes, investors and investment firms, lenders, governmental agencies and legislatures, stock exchanges and other self-regulatory bodies, activist shareholders, and other advocacy groups.
Our ESG Working Group applies the experience of lawyers from across the firm to address the unique ESG issues and goals of our clients. This cross-disciplinary approach allows us to help our clients navigate a fast-changing ESG landscape, including:
- Enhanced disclosure requirements by regulators, proxy advisors, and trading platforms on certain ESG metrics;
- Increased litigation and reputational risk to business operations caused by corporate statements, spending, and policy;
- Divestment and investment trends in projects and entities based on their environmental and social impact;
- The evolution of fiduciary duties of directors, investment advisors, and lenders arising from ESG initiatives; and
- Creating and assessing diversity, equity, and inclusion goals in the workplace.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
