Stacey Mitchell Quoted by Bloomberg on Growth of ESG Law Firm Practices
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Akin Gump partner Stacey Mitchell has been quoted in the Bloomberg article “Ethical Investing’s Shifting Winds Force Law Firms to Be Nimble.” The article reports that ESG-related assets topped $12 trillion in 2018—an 18-fold increase from 20 years ago, and discusses some of the efforts being made in the legal industry to help companies with their environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities.
Mitchell said bringing companies up to speed on ESG often involves highlighting “potentially overlapping, or at times, conflicting legal obligations” they had not considered. Taking a holistic approach is critical, she said, because ESG considerations stretch far beyond corporate boardrooms.
Mitchell described middle management as “front-line workers when it comes to ESG issues,” mapping out scenarios where environmental compliance managers at mining companies and HR leaders at technology firms make judgment calls that have ripple effects throughout the supply chain.
