‘Flexible working is something I hope to see the legal profession increasingly support. I’m a single parent of two five-year-old girls. I couldn’t do this job unless I was more often than not taking them to school.’ Lisa O’Neill, Milbank
As part of our annual ESG report, management at top law firms give their views on ESG’s importance to both lawyers and clients
Dance it out
‘When I was in the middle of negotiating one of my most stressful deals, Beyoncé released a new song, so the only thing to do was download it and have a dance party for one in my study at 2am in the morning. It’s a stress management technique I would highly recommend!’
Nallini Puri, M&A partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Hair today, gone tomorrow
‘There are a few of my male colleagues who I always know have just finished their deal when they turn up with a “signing/completion haircut”. While we do drop everything for the big push, that’s a good sign indicating they’ve probably had time to catch up again with everything else that’s fallen behind, including some proper sleep, and quality time with partner, family and friends, as well as life housekeeping.’
Gavin Davies, head of global M&A, Herbert Smith Freehills
School run
‘Flexible working is something I hope to see the legal profession increasingly support. I’m a single parent of two five-year-old girls. I couldn’t do this job unless I was more often than not taking them to school and putting them to bed at night. At this stage of my career, I’m lucky that I can manage this. For me, that’s enormously important.’
Lisa O’Neill, London corporate team co-head, Milbank
Laughter is the best medicine
‘Of course, laughter is one of the best ways of relieving stress. Sometimes you get an email setting out a ridiculously impossible deadline, but you can just roll your eyes and think, “Yeah, here we go again,” and have a laugh with the team. But if you’re there on your own with the pressure of your inbox constantly filling up with emails, it’s much harder to laugh by yourself and see the funny side of the quirks of our job.’
Penny Angell, UK managing partner, Hogan Lovells
Opportunity knocks
‘What I see among junior team members is a strong focus on wanting to combine interests in specific fields with their careers, and the ESG focus allows for that. It’s rare in the legal space to witness the development of a new area of law. These are massive opportunities for juniors to come in and experience the evolution of a legal space in real time.’
Jannis Bille, UK head of ESG, Herbert Smith Freehills
Working together
‘One thing I’m finding as a sustainability partner is that sharing our journey with clients is powerful. A collaborative approach with clients in this area has been effective. We’re working with them in the same arenas, sometimes moving ahead of them, sometimes behind, but always sharing. This has become a real area of collaboration for the business.’
Caroline May, ESG co-lead, Norton Rose Fulbright
Don’t forget the S and G of ESG
‘There’s a risk at times of overemphasising climate or environmental aspects to the detriment of understanding that these are all interrelated issues. The social risks and opportunities related to corporate governance and corporate activity are intrinsically linked to environmental issues – one can’t address one without the other.’
Michael Watson, head of climate and sustainability advisory, Pinsent Masons
Remember the essentials
‘It’s not just a “nice to have”. ESG is essential to doing business now.’
Alexandra Holsgrove-Jones, partner, knowledge – ESG, TLT
Empathetic leadership
‘We need a compassionate form of leadership. We are all increasingly global, and a good understanding of multiculturalism is crucial. It’s not just “this is how we do things in London; therefore, this is how we will do it everywhere else”. We need to understand our people, our clients, and the environments and cultures in which they operate.’
Farmida Bi, chair, Europe, Middle East and Asia, Norton Rose Fulbright