22 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS – JUNE 2024 WWW.LEGALBUSINESSONLINE.COM As ESG issues take a front seat in business decision-making across Asia, law firms play a crucial role advising companies on how to navigate increasingly complex compliance requirements and mitigating emerging risks. As regulatory landscapes around ESG evolve rapidly, ALB recognises 15 law firms that are delivering outstanding legal counsel in this area. BY ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS ASIA TOP 15 ESG LAW FIRMS 2024 diligence obligations, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and the French Corporate Duty of Vigilance Law,” says Elsa Chen, co-head of Allen & Gledhill’s ESG & Public Policy Practice and regional co-head of its Competition and Foreign Investment Review Practice. “Such directives generally impose obligations on in-scope companies to assess and address the adverse impacts of their activities on people and the planet.” “We also consider it critical to develop more thought leadership in the region, which is tailored to, and takes into account, the local context as ESG is multi-faceted and can take many dimensions,” Chen adds. The exact nature of the challenges can vary from one jurisdiction to another. In Indonesia, for instance, the absence of comprehensive rules on carbon trading, carbon tax and other initiatives makes monetizing sustainability efforts inconsistent, but there are promising opportunities on the horizon. ALLEN & GLEDHILL ARMA LAW ASSEGAF HAMZAH & PARTNERS BAE, KIM & LEE BAKER MCKENZIE DENTONS RODYK DSK LEGAL EVERSHEDS SUTHERLAND HOGAN LOVELLS LEE & KO MAYER BROWN NAGASHIMA OHNO & TSUNEMATSU NISHIMURA & ASAHI RAJAH & TANN SINGAPORE UMBRA – STRATEGIC LEGAL SOLUTIONS ASIA TOP 15 ESG LAW FIRMS 2024 From regulations on carbon emissions and supply chain integrity to ensuring fair treatment of workers and communities impacted by operations, ESG considerations on almost all aspects of businesses as stakeholders demand greater accountability and transparency. No single practice area holds the issues and governance cut across traditional legal silos. Companies now require holistic legal guidance to integrate sustainability into core strategies while complying with changing regulations. This year, ALB once again spotlights 15 firms that excel in this space. Firms walk the talk by setting ambitious sustainability targets and community initiatives. Singaporean law firm Allen & Gledhill, for example, undertook a sevenmonth-long audit to reduce its carbon footprint and was Southeast Asia’s first law firm admitted to the United Nations Global Compact in 2022. “We are keenly monitoring the development globally around ESG due
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