ESG
A&O Shearman‘s ESG team is praised for providing ’fantastic and thorough advice on a variety of topics’. These include risk management, transactional support and ESG diligence, and sustainable finance and investment. The group is additionally well placed to represent clients in contentious ESG work as evidenced by its representation of an alliance of small island states in climate change proceedings. The ‘extremely impressive’ Matthew Townsend heads up the team alongside the New York-based Ken Rivlin. Townsend’s broad expertise extends to supply chain risk management and international conventions on pollution. Lorraine Bayliss frequently brings her knowledge in international project finance to bear on mandates for the unit. Guled Yusuf has notable experience in handling arbitration connected to the energy, natural resources and infrastructure sectors.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The strength of the team is the quality of the lawyers in it and the commercial approach they take to the advice they give. This is also a team that has been operating in the environmental regulatory sphere for many years, and so its ESG offering is built on a very solid base.’
‘Matthew Townsend is extremely impressive, practical in his approach and very personable .’
Key clients
- Nigeria LNG Limited
- ISDA
Work highlights
- Helped numerous clients with their global environmental and sustainability strategy, including the scope of reporting requirements under CSRD, which expands the scope of the current Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) to cover more companies, topics, detail, and assurance requirements.
- Acting on behalf of certain Small Island States in climate change proceedings before the United Nations’ International Court of Justice (ICJ).