The increasing importance of environmental and social governance (ESG) means that it has become a key consideration for the legal sector. But keeping up to date with this evolving subject is not always easy. In order to shed some light on the current situation, Jake Reynolds, head of client sustainability and environment at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, […]
As the ructions of Covid-19 continue to trail two years after the pandemic started, the concept of hybrid working continues to populate law firms’ priority lists. This topic was debated in a roundtable hosted by Speech Processing Solutions’ Ryan Prins and Ben Capstick at The Lawyer’s Business Leadership Summit. The spectre of Covid-19 infections remains […]
Organisations and their leaders will increasingly face the financial and reputational consequences of climate change inaction, believes Alice Garton, director of global legal strategy at the Foundation for International Law for the Environment (FILE) . Growing up in Australia’s first eco village, she set her sights on using the law to change the world at a young age. She worked for a hard-hitting litigator, spent 14 years in law firms and multinationals before moving to ClientEarth – the first NGO to look at the whole suite of laws that can be applied to combat the climate crisis. In her latest role at FILE, she’s aiming to scale climate litigation across the world. Based on her experience, she explains the future of climate-related litigation for businesses and lawyers to Neil Pearson, Mills & Reeve’s head of ESG and social value.
As the pangs of Covid-19 continue to reverberate around the legal industry and lawyers’ workloads rise without commensurate budgets, many have felt the need to examine their existing processes to identify how they can work more efficiently. The legal market is still grappling with how to optimise their use of tech, and for some, simply […]
By Sarah Hallowell After nearing two years of widespread change and disruption, we have seen a new type of lawyer emerge inside the in-house legal function – the Tech-Enabled Lawyer – and they’re more determined than ever to push forward with their digital transformation roadmaps. In the last decade or so, the in-house legal function […]
by Natalie Abou-Alwan “No matter how tempting the deal, make sure you can still look yourself in the mirror.” These were the wise words shared with a respected oil trader in the industry, as she embarked on her career at an international organisation. Yes, you read correctly, “she”. This incredibly intelligent woman not only made […]
By Dimitri Papaefstratiou and Charles Morrison Our energy markets are currently experiencing a fascinating transition into uncharted territory. On the one hand, it is quite clear that the continued dependence on fossil fuels to power our global energy needs is no longer sustainable. The science is more conclusive than ever – even with the actions […]
Questioning the fusion of neuroscience and technology, as well as its impact on legal teams, may seem a daunting challenge, but it is one that LexisNexis has embraced of late. In fact, the topic was at the heart of a recent roundtable hosted by LexisNexis’ director of product solutions Christopher O’Connor in collaboration with The […]
As corporate developments around ESG and regulatory changes prompted by Brexit sweep across executive boardrooms, general counsels have never been closer to the highest ranks of their companies. The very role of the in-house lawyer is changing. “I’ve never seen such a time with so much change happening constantly,” says EY transactional partner Claire Scott-Priestly. […]
Sometimes settling a claim before it appears at court is the best strategy a legal team can take. Teams play a vital role in knowing when it’s best to cut their losses before it goes too far, but knowing when this move should be made is crucial. This discussion was at the centre of The […]
by Natalie Abou-Alwan It was July. Cerulean blue skies, puffs of white clouds and the leaves of the plane trees outside my office window were glistening in the warmth of the summer sun. But there was a weight like thick drapery hanging over me. My landline rang. I heard the timbre of her voice and […]
The pressure is on for organisations to act ethically at every step. Whatever sector you’re in, customers, clients, staff, funders, prospects, regulators…everyone is calling out for it. And it’s no longer enough to comply with the law: an ethical approach has to be integral to an organisation’s DNA. That’s even more true in a philanthropic, high-profile organisation like Wellcome which is often held to even higher levels of accountability. Fraser Simpson, Wellcome’s associate general counsel for ethics, governance & compliance, explains to Neil Pearson, Mills & Reeve’s head of ESG and social value, how he has been working towards catalysing an integrity culture at the charitable foundation.