Our Clients
Harnessing the multiplier effect of ESG
Covid-19 has been a catalyst for change, accelerating a focus on responsible business and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues, both for us as a Firm and our clients. Against this backdrop, we are investing in our ESG knowledge and offering ourselves up to our clients as a collaborative business partner on ESG issues.
In May 2021, the firm promoted Kerry Stares to Partner for Responsible Business and ESG, reflecting its commercially critical nature in the current climate.
“My role has two parts,” says Kerry. “The first is working alongside our senior leadership team to understand and improve our direct social and environmental impact as a business. The second is working with our clients, making sure the Firm is supporting them wherever we can on ESG issues.”
"Our clients are incredibly diverse and are at very different stages on a journey to greater sustainability. Many clients need legal advice on an ESG issue and I can ensure they are connected with the right team for the job. But often these conversations are about offering ourselves up as a collaborative business partner — helping clients to kick start or develop a conversation about the ESG issues that are material for them, helping to scan the horizon for both legal and commercial ESG developments that will affect their operations, making referrals and connections and sharing our experience of what works (and what doesn’t!) as a business working towards greater sustainability."
"The time I spend with clients is off the clock. It’s an investment by us as a firm. By playing a small part in our clients’ positive impact, we’re trying to multiply our own."
Kerry Stares, Partner & Director of Responsible Business
“ESG issues are relevant to so many of the challenges that our clients are facing,” says Aileen Johnson, Director of Knowledge at Charles Russell Speechlys.
“One of our priorities, therefore, is to ensure that all our lawyers are ESG lawyers. Given the diversity of our clients, this is a significant undertaking. We are investing now in broadening and deepening our ESG-related expertise. ESG issues are complex and of wide application but commercially it’s critical that we are thinking far ahead on these issues.
“Part of the essence of ESG is that law and regulation are often the floor, not the ceiling, for good practice and other stakeholders — investors, consumers, employees — are setting much higher expectations,” Aileen explains. “Building ESG expertise means thinking ‘beyond compliance’ and embracing this new ambitious universe of standards and best practice.”
It’s a view shared by Eloise Ford, Director of Marketing at Dentex Healthcare Group Limited, one of our clients.
“We found having the opportunity to sit down with Kerry and her team at Charles Russell Speechlys to discuss ESG issues extremely valuable and thought-provoking,” she says. “The whole area around ESG is fast moving and we, like a lot of growing businesses, find it helpful to have experts on hand who can engage with us in developing our ESG policies and priorities. We wanted to broaden our knowledge of what steps we can take now and in the future on ESG issues and Charles Russell Speechlys has given us a lot to think about as well as some handy tips on where to start.”
A unifying standard
With the far horizon in mind we appointed Emily Sutton as our ESG Knowledge Development Lawyer in January 2022. She is working strategically and collaboratively to make sure ESG is front and centre as we implement our knowledge strategy.
“Everyone is on my team and I'm on everyone's team — the whole Firm is looking at how ESG affects their practice,” explains Emily, referring to the engagement she has received from lawyers across the Firm since her appointment. “While we don’t yet have all the answers, we are finding that being proactive and curious means we are well equipped to initiate helpful conversations with our clients about ESG that lead to positive outcomes.”
“We wanted to broaden our knowledge of what steps we can take now and in the future on ESG issues and Charles Russell Speechlys has given us a lot to think about as well as some handy tips on where to start.”
Eloise Ford, Director of Marketing at Dentex Healthcare Group Limited
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