David Curran Quoted in Corporate Counsel on Institutional Investors’ Rising Expectations of Corporate ESG Efforts and Reporting
January 4, 2021
Chief Sustainability and ESG Officer David Curran was quoted in a Corporate Counsel article, “Investors Are Watching ESG – in 2021, They Look to Measure It.” Paul, Weiss was the sole law firm referenced in the article, which discusses how institutional investors are paying greater attention to ESG efforts, metrics and reporting, especially in relation to diversity and inclusion and social impact, as indications of a company’s resilience and long-term value. Looking ahead to 2021, in light of the pandemic’s impact on all businesses and the renewed conversation around racial justice, regulators and investors expect CEOs to speak out on matters of social and environmental impact and greater corporate transparency in the form of in-depth reporting on ESG metrics.
The publication predicts that the increase in public reporting will translate to more responsibility for general counsel. As companies experience an increased need for expertise in risk management, the intersection of new regulations, litigation and compliance efforts, general counsel are expected to play a more significant role in overseeing their companies’ ESG efforts. “There are companies that are investing millions in ESG. Many are putting legal and ESG together and running it through the GCs,” Dave says on behalf the Paul, Weiss, the only law firm referenced in the article. “The boards and C-suites are recognizing that in order to get something done, you need to have legal involved.”