Eversheds Sutherland was chosen by the independent panel of judges to win the IJGlobal ESG Award 2024 trophy for legal advisory across North America with one judge saying it had provided “extensive evidence on its activity”.

One of the judges said of the law firm: “It is quite clear from the Eversheds Sutherland submission that it has tilted its lance firmly at ESG.”

Eversheds Sutherland in 2020 launched its firm-wide multidisciplinary ESG initiative, a highly-coordinated ESG-focused global solutions team of 200+ attorneys and a senior strategy team, working together to support clients in connection with the legal and compliance considerations of a range of complex multi-jurisdictional matters spanning all areas that fall within E, S and G.

The submission states: “In addition to how we help our clients achieve their ESG goals, Eversheds Sutherland has a comprehensive, global responsible business strategy led by our co-CEOs that incorporates the multifaceted principles of ESG.

“Our firm leaders understand that these 2 areas need to work together to make the greatest positive impact and we are committed to embedding responsible business practices throughout our global operations, working across four key areas of focus: including people; community; environment and governance and ethics.

“Our firm’s Responsible Business Program represents a diverse mix of highly impactful firm-designed and firm-run programmes and partnerships with multiple esteemed local, national and global organisations, including our commitment to the UN Global Compact, the Ten Principles and our work toward advancing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.”

The Eversheds Sutherland ESG initiative has created a framework and organisational structure through which its attorneys are empowered to address their clients’ most pressing ESG challenges and opportunities.

This impact is seen through cutting-edge client representations and by providing clients with access to some of the most talented US practitioners in this field. It is regularly selected by clients to provide in-house presentations on climate change-related topics, and frequently invited to speak at leading US and international industry events.

The submission states: “We provide regular briefings, articles and podcasts on ESG-related topics. In 2023, we launched the monthly Global ESG Insights, a client-facing newsletter summary of key global developments.

“We produce ‘Energy Transition Series’ webinars year-round, which feature energy industry experts, including our attorneys, exploring global key energy trends and the latest analysis and insights to help envision a lower carbon future.

“We have also released ESG insight videos, focusing on important trends such as greenwashing litigation and the ESG issues businesses face in the supply chain.”

In recent years, the Eversheds Sutherland ESG team handled a range of matters on behalf of national and global industry leaders in the energy transition space, placing it at the forefront of renewable energy and climate solutions projects, in addition to social and governance-related matters.

Some of its recent and ongoing projects include:

• the first time in the US that a nuclear plant is being recommissioned
• the first new-build US nuclear power plant in more than 30 years
• green bond offering – and only the second nuclear green bond issuance in the US
• transformational, sustainable home-to-airport transportation service
• first US publicly traded fund that will invest in physical European carbon allowances
• one of the largest solar projects under construction in the US
• one of the largest onshore wind developments in the US

Additionally, because disclosures by SEC-regulated companies and other financial services entities are critical to their respective business objectives, Eversheds Sutherland developed a matrix to assist clients with tracking the evolving ESG and energy transition regulatory landscape and to help them establish a baseline for compliance.