Authors
Johanna Tähtinen
In honor of Earth Day, Latham & Watkins announced the publication of its inaugural Environmental Sustainability Report. The report offers an overview of its commitment to environmental stewardship, myriad efforts to be a good corporate citizen and Sustainability program.
To develop its report as well as its broader Sustainability program, Latham took into account the challenges facing the world, considering the ways in which the firm can address them and the ways it can help clients achieve their goals and business objectives. The firm also considered its personnel and their communities, with an emphasis on Latham’s overarching, deep-seated goal to contribute to positive change, both globally and locally. In recognition of these multifaceted, interconnected concerns, Latham’s report explores its accomplishments in three primary areas:
(i) ESG Counsel, through which the firm advises commercial clients in many industries and across its practices on a range of ESG matters. The firm’s cross-disciplinary approach draws on experienced regulatory, transactional, and litigation practitioners to provide a comprehensive offering that helps clients align with the many facets of ESG, including responsible investment, sustainability, and corporate integrity issues.
(ii) Pro Bono, through which the firm donates free legal services to nonprofits focused on environmental sustainability and protection. Since 2000, Latham’s lawyers and professional staff have provided nearly four million hours in free legal services to individuals without the means to pay and the organizations who serve them. The firm’s pro bono engagement in the area of environmental sustainability supports individuals and organizations whose work is improving the planet.
(iii) Sustainable Operations, through which the firm aims to conserve natural resources and energy, decrease its global carbon footprint, and operate in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. Initiatives include a firmwide energy management system to identify opportunities for energy reduction, process improvement, and investment in alternative energy. In addition, Latham went carbon neutral in 2020.
Latham’s inaugural environmental sustainability report comes on the heels of one of the most challenging years in recent memory. From the Covid-19 pandemic to the movement for racial justice, the world has changed in fundamental ways. But Latham’s core values, including a longstanding dedication to giving back, have remained the same.