News

August 19, 2021 | The Boiling Point - Los Angeles Times

 

[Law Firm Climate Scorecard]...students gave each firm a letter grade from “A” to “F.” The more work on behalf of fossil fuel companies, the worse the grade. Taking on renewable energy producers as clients could improve a law firm’s score.

The results: Thirty-six of the top 100 law firms received failing grades. Thirty-four squeaked through with a “D,” meaning more than two-thirds of the firms couldn’t even manage a “C.” Just three firms received “A” grades, and none earned an “A+.”

“These are well-resourced firms. They’re attracting top talent,” said Michaela Anang, a law student at UC Davis and lead researcher on the report. “We are thinking about how we can be part of the conversation about accountability.”

Prestigious law firms undoubtedly add to their considerable wealth when they take on fossil fuel giants as clients. The question is whether they share responsibility for the enormous climate damage and air pollution these companies cause.

“Who else but attorneys are so aptly placed to advise fossil fuel clients as to what’s coming, and how to transition?” asked Gayatri Joshi, executive director of the Law Firm Sustainability Network.

Joshi works with dozens of law firms to reduce their environmental footprints, including some in the Vault 100. Her group has its own assessment tool focused on what firms are doing in areas such as energy efficiency, water conservation, limiting travel and supporting sustainability through volunteer work. It doesn’t judge firms based on their clients, but Joshi says that’s a topic veteran attorneys are talking about — especially as law students and young lawyers seek out socially responsible workplaces.

“What makes sense? Do you drop a client? Do you transition a client into different ways of doing things, preparing them for what’s to come within the marketplace?” Joshi asked. “These conversations are happening.”...

 

August 18, 2021 | The American Lawyer

 

United Nations’ scientists warned earlier this month that a certain amount of global warming is now inevitable, saying that swift and deep emissions cuts are necessary to prevent a climate cataclysm.

While government policies will have the biggest role in responding to the crisis, large businesses—including law firms—are in a position to make a difference. That might be even easier at this particular moment, as firms are applying lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to reevaluate how they perform legal work...

“The practice of law is a very human thing, and I think lawyers want to connect with their clients,” said Beveridge & Diamond principal Brook Detterman, who is president of the board of the Law Firm Sustainability Network. “We do want to sit down face to face when it makes sense to do so.”

But this travel is responsible for a significant amount of firms’ carbon footprint...

...like most law firms, the vast majority of [DLA Piper's] emissions fall into Scope 3: indirect emissions generated from business activity. This broad category encompassed 95% of DLA Piper’s emissions...27% were attributed to business travel.

At Freshfields Bruckhaus & Deringer, travel reduction has been an aim since before the arrival of COVID-19. In 2016, the firm set (and exceeded) a goal of cutting travel by 10% by 2020. Part of that has been motivated by environmental considerations, but it’s also motivated by client service priorities.

Clients’ own preferences, including their sustainability concerns, are increasingly likely to inform how their law firms approach travel. Pamela Cone, founder and CEO of Amity Advisory, is hearing general counsel lose interest in seeing their outside counsel as frequently as they once did.

“They’re not eager to get back to the type of travel that used to be expected, even if lawyers say, ‘We have to,’” she said.

Law firms qualify as part of clients’ supply chains, and this gives corporations aiming to comply with the GHG Protocol another reason to push back against their lawyers’ travel. Global insurance giant Swiss Re has recently acted to raise its internal carbon tax from $8 per ton to $100 per ton, with a roadmap to increasing to $200 per ton by 2030. That figure represents the amount the company charges itself in order to account for activities that generate carbon emissions.

“If a law firm goes to visit Swiss Re, that department they’re visiting is going to have to eat the carbon tax or charge it back to the lawyers,” Cone said.

Some environmentally minded lawyers and law firm staff, particularly those living in regions of the U.S. with limited public transit, might feel gratified that they’ve eliminated the impact of commuting to the office during the pandemic. But as firms explore and embrace hybrid work policies, sustainability concerns are largely absent from the conversation. And that’s likely for valid reasons.

“That shift is driven more by consideration of demographics and attraction and retention of talent than sustainability,” said Detterman at Beveridge & Diamond. “I would think that office space and flying are much greater, as a chunk of footprint.”

Before the start of the pandemic, Chapman & Cutler made the decision in 2019 to move its Chicago headquarters for the first time, after a century in the same building. An analysis of card swipes showed leadership that the spaced was used at 60% to 70% of capacity, on average. The new office—adjacent to several transit hubs—will be 40% smaller than the present one.

“Certainly the reduction of our carbon footprint was a factor in the selection of the building, as well as the design of the space,” said chief operating partner Bill Libit, who also leads the firm’s social Impact and sustainability task force.

Getting smaller and more energy efficient was a prescient move. But the clearest benefits of “agile work,” as the firm is calling it, are bound to be less in reducing emissions and more in securing and holding onto talent. That lines up with a call from Detterman to alight on a wider understanding of sustainability.

“Sustainability is a broad word, and there are lots of lenses through which to view it,” he said. “Travel is one, commuting is one, and what learned in the last year is that there are others. Human capital has got to be considered part of the issue.”

 

Law Firm Sustainability Network Announces Partnership with 1% for the Planet

LFSN – September 10, 2019

The Law Firm Sustainability Network is a new nonprofit partner of 1% for the Planet, an alliance of over 1,200 member companies in 48 countries that give one percent of revenues to selected environmental organizations.
The LFSN is now eligible to receive donations from 1% for the Planet member companies, placing them among a diverse, global network of environmental organizations. 1% member businesses fuel this non-profit network through their annual contributions, which since 1% for the Planet’s inception has totaled more than $225 million in support to approved environmental nonprofits. Partnership with 1% greatly expands the potential pool of funding to which the LFSN can look to for support.
The LFSN is dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility in the legal industry. The LFSN contributes to sustainability by fostering knowledge-sharing and collaboration through webinars, roundtables and resources, including on-demand learning and case studies that explore a wide range of sustainability topics. The LFSN is committed to supporting improvement and developed the American Legal Industry Sustainability Standard (ALISS) an online self-assessment used by firms to measure key aspects of sustainability and to identify specific areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.
“The intent of 1% for the Planet is to help fund these diverse environmental organizations so that collectively they can be a more powerful force in solving the world’s problems,” says Terry Kellogg, CEO of 1% for the Planet.
About the Law Firm Sustainability Network
The Law Firm Sustainability Network is a nonprofit organization made up of law firms and legal departments committed to promoting the benefits of environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility within their firms and throughout the legal industry.
About 1% for the Planet
1% for the Planet is a global organization that connects dollars and doers to accelerate smart environmental giving. Through its business and individual memberships, 1% for the Planet inspires people to support environmental organizations through annual membership and everyday actions. 1% for the Planet advises on giving strategies, certify donations and amplify the impact of the network.  Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, our members have given more than $225 million to environmental nonprofits to date. Today, 1% for the Planet is a network of more than 2,000 member businesses, an expanding community of individual members, and thousands of nonprofit partners in more than 60 countries. Look for our logo and visit www.onepercentfortheplanet.org to learn more.
LFSN Survey Finds Majority of Law Firms Have Positive Outlook on Law Firm Sustainability

NEW YORK CITY – January 7, 2019

Today, the Law Firm Sustainability Network (LFSN) together with Amity Advisory, released their “CSR & Sustainability -- Current State of the Legal Industry” report for 2018.  The report, based on a survey of more than 50 law firms, finds the majority of firms (64%) believe that the 2-3 year outlook for law firm sustainability programs is positive.  An overwhelming majority have seen positive effects of their program in areas such as employee morale (74%) and some are starting to see it with revenue (22%).

“The report validates for us what we have been seeing in our law firm.  Our firm started addressing sustainability many years ago based on our firm’s values.  Our clients and employees believe sustainability is important, and we have seen positive results from our efforts,” said Mary McGuire, Chief Administrative Officer of Nixon Peabody.

The report also identifies success factors and challenges to developing sustainability programs.  Most believe senior executive support is an important success factor (80%) and the most-cited challenge is engaging employees and firm leadership (84%).  Firms also cited paper initiatives, including going paperless and increased recycled content (21%) and energy efficiency and conservation (21%) as their first-rank wish list projects. 

The LFSN works with its member firms to promote sustainability throughout the legal industry.  One of the LFSN’s signature initiatives is the American Legal Industry Sustainability Standard (ALISS), an on-line self-assessment tool that serves both as a roadmap of best practices and an objective measure of a firm’s sustainability efforts. 

“We believe the report and survey results underscore the importance of ALISS as a tool to help firms get more positive results from, and overcome challenges with, their sustainability programs,” said Dan Krainin, President of LFSN and Principal at Beveridge & Diamond P.C.

 “So many firms focus only on their Pro Bono programs and Diversity & Inclusion efforts when telling their Corporate Social Responsibility story.  Sustainability is an increasingly important component of a law firm’s holistic CSR program – and clients are starting to ask questions about firms’ efforts in this area,” added Pamela Cone, Founder & CEO of Amity Advisory.

On January 16 at 12 EST, Gayatri Joshi of the LFSN and Pamela Cone of Amity Advisory will be presenting the results of the survey and sharing case studies and trends around social responsibility and sustainability in the legal industry. Register for the webinar here.

CSR & Sustainability Legal Industry Report

With 53 respondents representing law firms from the AmLaw 100 to small, regional and boutique firms, the report explores the extent to which law firms consider corporate social responsibility and sustainability to be important and identifies success factors and challenges in furthering law firm CSR and sustainability program efforts.

Law Firm Sustainability Network

The Law Firm Sustainability Network is a nonprofit organization made up of law firms and legal departments committed to promoting the benefits of environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility within their firms and throughout the legal industry.

Amity Advisory

Amity Advisory provides social responsibility and sustainability consulting for legal and professional service firms, helping firms achieve holistic, compelling and profitable social impact.  Amity Advisory helps firms embrace this emerging trend and differentiate their firm via their CSR program and approach.

 

LFSN Releases First Round ALISS Sustainability Assessments: Key Insights from ALISS Report

September 12, 2017 – The Law Firm Sustainability Network (LFSN), the leading U.S.-based organization dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability among law firms, has released the findings on its first round of American Legal Industry Sustainability Standard (ALISS) online self-assessments. ALISS allows firms to objectively track and measure their sustainability efforts; provides a roadmap of additional steps firms may wish to take to reduce their environmental impact; and provides a ranking of how firms are doing on sustainability.

 The 15 law firms, representing over 70 offices, that have completed ALISS, include the LFSN Leadership Council firms Beveridge & Diamond; Blank Rome; Nixon Peabody; Seyfarth Shaw; and Wendel Rosen, as well as LFSN member firms Alston & Bird; Brand Geek; Chambliss; Fried Frank; Hunton & Williams; Kirkland & Ellis; Ladiere McNair; Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox; Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg; and Ward and Smith.

  ALISS is a self-assessment tool that awards weighted points for various activities covering five broad categories: Internal Sustainability, External Sustainability, Stakeholder Engagement, Measuring & Reporting, and Innovation. Based on the total number of points received through the ALISS self-assessment, participating firms achieve award level recognitions.

 “ALISS was designed to help law firms improve their environmental performance in every aspect of their operations. It provides recognition to firms that are already making significant sustainability efforts, and concrete ideas for additional steps that firms may wish to take,” said Daniel Krainin, President of the LFSN and a Principal at Beveridge & Diamond.

 The LFSN’s ALISS Key Insights Summary Report demonstrates how firms are taking action:

  • 92% of the 74 offices have policies that support sustainability regarding Recycling and Waste.
  • More than 50% of firms and offices participate in the ABA-EPA Law Office Climate Challenge.
  • Over 80% are purchasing paper that has been certified for its sustainable production.

 “Firms that have completed ALISS have created a baseline of law firm sustainability programs, which will allow them to measure their progress over time, and have also received concrete ideas from other member firms as to how they may strengthen their programs. We encourage all law firms to take the ALISS assessment and learn how they can further reduce their environmental impacts,” said Kevin Bruno, LSFN Treasurer and Blank Rome partner.

 About ALISS: ALISS is an online self-assessment tool designed to measure aspects of sustainability that are meaningful to law firms while also being detailed enough to identify specific areas of strength and opportunities for improvement for each participating firm. ALISS was created by the LFSN and ecoAnalyze, LLC. A detailed Key Insights Report is available to ALISS Participants.

 About LFSN: The Law Firm Sustainability Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose membership includes many of the top U.S. law firms committed to promoting environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility throughout the legal industry. The LFSN’s mission is to develop key performance indicators, foster knowledge-sharing, develop best practice guidelines, and recognize and promote sustainability innovations in the U.S. legal sector.

 For further information, please visit www.lfsnetwork.org

Gayatri Joshi, Executive Director, Law Firm Sustainability Network T: 732.309.2946 E: gjoshi@ecoanalyze.com

 

Law Firm Sustainability Network Launches ALISS Sustainability Self-Assessment Tool
Apr 20, 2015

by LFSN | Law Firm Sustainability Network (LFSN)

April 20, 2015 – The Law Firm Sustainability Network (LFSN) has launched the American Legal Industry Sustainability Standard (ALISS), an online self-assessment tool that measures law firms’ environmental sustainability.  ALISS allows law offices to take stock of their efforts to promote energy efficiency, conservation of energy and resources, recycling, and related measures, and to identify opportunities to enhance their sustainability programs and practices.

ALISS is currently in the pilot phase of its launch, with 12 law firms now in the process of completing their sustainability self-assessments.  Those participating in the ALISS pilot include the LFSN Leadership Council firms Alston & Bird; Beveridge & Diamond; Blank Rome; Nixon Peabody; Seyfarth Shaw; and Wendel Rosen, as well as LFSN law firm members Kirkland & Ellis; Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox; Morrison Foerster; Paul Hastings; Pillsbury; and Robins Kaplan.  Following completion of the pilot in April, the LFSN will make ALISS available to all of its members in May.

“We’re very excited about the launch of ALISS, and we encourage all firms to participate.  We believe it’s important for firms to gain recognition for the good work they’re already doing and at the same time provide guidance on additional steps they could be taking.  We believe that ALISS accomplishes both of these goals.” says Peter Masaitis, co-President of the LFSN and partner at Alston & Bird.

The ALISS system is designed to measure aspects of sustainability that are meaningful to law firms while also being transparent, simple to complete, flexible and dynamic.  ALISS is an honor-based self-assessment tool that is intended to be detailed enough to identify specific areas of strength and opportunities for improvement for each participating firm.  ALISS was developed by a group of LFSN member firms based on their review and assessment of sustainability best practices in the law office setting.

The ALISS system awards weighted points for various activities covering five broad categories:  Internal Sustainability, External Sustainability, Stakeholder Engagement, Measuring & Reporting, and Innovation.  Each of these categories is further broken down into sustainability topics, such as Policy, Energy & Utilities, Volunteerism, etc.  Based on the number of points they receive through the ALISS self-assessment, participating firms will be awarded an ALISS Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze or Reporter designation.  The point system allows for flexibility in measuring a law firm’s sustainability activities while ensuring that firms will only achieve Awards through the implementation of significant sustainability programs.    

Dan Krainin, co-President of the LFSN and principal at Beveridge & Diamond, said, “The launch of ALISS is an important step in law firm sustainability and reducing environmental impacts within the legal profession.  We believe that the significant work LFSN members have put in to the development of ALISS has resulted not only in a valuable tool but also a potentially transformative one.”

The LFSN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose membership includes many of the top U.S. law firms and legal departments committed to promoting the benefits of environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility throughout the legal industry.  The LFSN’s mission is to develop key performance indicators, foster knowledge-sharing, develop best practice guidelines, and recognize and promote sustainability innovations in the U.S. legal sector.    

For further information, please visit www.lfsnetwork.org Gayatri Joshi, Executive Director, Law Firm Sustainability Network T: 732.309.2946 E: gjoshi@ecoanalyze.com 

Law Firm Sustainability Network Joins the Global Paper Vision
Sep 02, 2014

by Gayatri Joshi

The signatories of the Vision are NGO member organizations of the Environmental Paper Network, and are known collectively for their successful efforts moving the marketplace to more sustainable products, securing improved forestry practices by the world’s largest paper companies, and accelerating the transformation of the entire industry over the past decade. The new single Vision harmonizes several regional vision statements for industry reform around the world into a more coordinated effort.

This blueprint for change addresses the priorities for social responsibility and environmental conservation in response to a projected doubling of global paper consumption in the next thirty years and the industry’s influence on biodiversity, forest health, global warming, air and water quality, and local communities.

The new Global Paper Vision identifies seven common goals among the organizations that are key objectives for change: reducing consumption; maximizing recycled content; ensuring social responsibility; sourcing fiber responsibly; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; ensuring clean production; and ensuring transparency.

 

“The Global Paper Vision is the unification of an influential global movement,” said Joshua Martin, Director of the Environmental Paper Network. “From today forward, we are all going to be asking at every level, all over the world, ‘what’s in your paper?’ and challenging the industry and consumers to commit to ambitious and bold actions that protect people and the planet.”

You can help achieve this change by showing your support:

 

 

1. Sign the pledge to be part of the solutions: www.environmentalpaper.org/pledge.

2. Share a message on facebook/twitter today using the tag #whatsinyourpaper such as: One ordinary product, one extraordinary way to protect air, water, forests, climate and communities. #WhatsInYourPaper http://thndr.it/1kzhhLL

3. Choose to buy responsibly sourced paper products and choose to do business with companies that do also.

LFSN Featured in Seyfarth Shaw Sustainability Video
Feb 06, 2014

Zmags

LFSN is featured in Seyfarth Shaw’s Pro Bono and & Philanthropy Report for 2014.  Gayatri Joshi, Executive Director of the LFSN speaks about law firm sustainability and what firms are doing and why it’s important in the short video.

For the LFSN page/video: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/7bb8f268#/7bb8f268/19  

For the Seyfarth Shaw full report: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/7bb8f268#/7bb8f268/1

Sustainability network helps law firms go green
Jan 30, 2014

by Joe Dysart | ABA Journal

Going green at a law firm —with just a bit of persistent discipline—tends to become a way of being.

Take the Law Firm Sustainability Network, a growing group of environmentally conscious law firms that have discovered thinking and acting green tends to engender ever more Earth-friendly tactics.

Originating from a dozen or so law firms in 2011, the network now counts more than 30 registered members and is looking to become the go-to source for all things sustainable in the legal industry.

"For many of the LFSN member firms that participated in the pilot run of the program, it was an eye-opener to see how many different initiatives could be taken on with little additional effort," says Peter Masaitis, network president and a partner at Alston & Bird based in Los Angeles.

 

Introducing a New Resource for Law Firms Looking to “Go Green”
Dec 23, 2013

by Lydia Bednerik | ALA East Bay Chapter

Green businesses aren’t a new concept. A number of law firms have undertaken initiatives to bring better environmental practices into their operations. But there are some exciting new developments that will offer law firms the opportunity to more easily engage in environmental strategies that are specifically targeted to our industry.

Read the complete article at ebala.org

Law Firm Network Is Striving To Make It Easier To Be Green
Dec 22, 2013

by Mary Pat Gallagher | New Jersey Law Journal

A group of law firms across the country has launched a nonprofit organization to devise and promote ways to "green" the practice of law.

Read the complete article at law.com.

An Introduction to the Law Firm Sustainability Network
Dec 18, 2013

by Nadia Wagner & Gayatri Joshi | ALA New York Chapter

Founded in August of 2011 the Law Firm Sustainability Network (“LFSN”) consists of law firms united and committed to promoting the benefits of environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility within their firms and throughout the legal industry. Much like the ALA, the LFSN originally started as an informal platform for law firm professionals to share ideas, network and develop best practices and industry standards for sustainability.

Read the full article

Welcome to the Law Firm Sustainability Network
Sep 25, 2013

greenworksgov.org

Are there days when you learn about something that happened an age ago and you ask yourself, “Where have I been?!” That happened to me the other day when I was doing research for this week’s blog. It occurred to me that I hadn’t checked up on what law firms have accomplished toward greening their business practices and other objectives on the sustainability front. And there it was. An article in the New Jersey Law Journal of September 3, 2013, profiling the “new” Law Firm Sustainability Network.

Read this blog

Nixon’s at it Again – Helps Create Law Firm Sustainability Network
Sep 12, 2013

by Boston Bar | The Sustainable Lawyer

Our friends at Nixon Peabody are well known leaders when it comes to sustainability. TSL has talked about their innovative Legally Green initiative in past posts (here and here), so you already know plenty about that.

Read the complete article

Law firms Seeking Own Standard for Sustainability
Sep 09, 2013

by Patricia Daddona | Providence Business News

Nixon Peabody LLP’s office at One Citizens Plaza in downtown Providence has joined the global effort to conserve energy and protect the environment, through a relatively new venture called the Law Firm Sustainability Network.

Read the article

Law Firms Promote Sustainability
Sep 06, 2013

New Hampshire Business Review

Two dozen U.S. law firms, including Nixon Peabody, have joined in an effort to promote environmental sustainability in the legal industry.

Read the article

Law Firm Sustainability Network Strives to Help Firms Work Greener
Sep 03, 2013

by Sue Altmeyer

About 50 law firms have created a nationwide Law Firm Sustainability Network to help lawyers and firms work greener.

Read the complete blog

Law Firms Unveil National Effort to Reduce Their Carbon Footprint
Aug 29, 2013

by Meredith Hobbs

A group of law firms have banded together to collaborate on ways to reduce, re-use and recycle. What started out as an informal group of people from a few firms around the country has become, two years later, the Law Firm Sustainability Network.

Read the full article

Miller & Martin Joins Law Firm Sustainability Network
Aug 16, 2013

by Brittany Sims | TheChattanoogan.com

Chattanooga-based Miller & Martin has joined a group of top U.S. law firms that have come together to promote environmental sustainability under the newly incorporated Law Firm Sustainability Network (LFSN).

Read the full article

Miller & Martin Joins Network Supporting Law Firm Sustainability
Aug 16, 2013

Hamilton County Herald

Miller & Martin has joined a group of top U.S. law firms that have come together to promote environmental sustainability across the legal industry under the newly incorporated Law Firm Sustainability Network. The LFSN’s mission is to develop key performance indicators, foster knowledge-sharing, develop best practice guidelines, and recognize and promote sustainability innovations in the U.S. legal sector.

Read the full article

Law Firm Alliance Aims to Make Sustainability the Legal World’s New Normal
Aug 13, 2013

by Kylie Reynolds

The legal industry has been slower than most to jump on the “green” bandwagon, but a new alliance among law firms, the Law Firm Sustainability Network, hopes to change that by helping firms get environmental programs off the ground.

Read the full article

Law Firm Sustainability Network Issuing Sustainability Standards
Aug 13, 2013

by Mark D. Shifton | Green Building/Construction Law

An article in this week’s New Jersey Law Journal (free registration required) discusses the Law Firm Sustainability Network, a group of approximately 50 law firms that have committed to developing sustainability plans.

Read the complete blog

Law Firms Curb Paper Use, Travel, to Reduce Carbon Footprint
Aug 12, 2013

by Mica Rosenberg | Reuters Legal

The average lawyer uses thousands of pages of paper and logs thousands of miles in air travel, adding up to significant carbon emissions and a potential stain on a big firm’s green reputation.

Read the full article

Law Firm Join Sustainability Network
Aug 08, 2013

by Richard Craver | Winston-Salem Journal

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP said Thursday it is part of a group of U.S. law firms that have joined the Law Firm Sustainability Network. The network, founded in August 2011, was formed to develop key performance indicators, foster knowledge sharing, develop best-practice guidelines, and recognize and promote sustainability innovations in the U.S. legal sector.

Read the full article

Law Firms Team Up to Promote Environment Sustainability across Legal Industry
Aug 07, 2013

JD2B

The Law Firm Sustainability Network (LSNF) founded in August 2011 serves as an informal platform for law firms to network and develops best practices in sustainability. The nonprofit organization of law firms and legal departments has recently announced that many prominent U.S. law firms have come together to promote environment sustainability across the legal industry.

Read the full article

Law Firms Push For Environmental Sustainability
Aug 06, 2013

by Andrew Stickler | Law360

Two dozen U.S. law firms, including Morrison & Foerster LLP, K&L Gates LLP and Nixon Peabody LLP, have banded together to promote environmental sustainability in the legal industry, the group announced Tuesday.

Read the complete article

Law Firm Sustainability Network Official Launch: Law Firms Promoting Sustainability
Aug 06, 2013

by The Law Firm Sustainability Network

A group of top U.S. law firms have come together to promote environmental sustainability across the legal industry under the newly incorporated Law Firm Sustainability Network. The LFSN’s mission is to develop key performance indicators, foster knowledge-sharing, develop best practice guidelines, and recognize and promote sustainability innovations in the U.S. legal sector. The LFSN is a nonprofit organization of law firms and legal departments committed to promoting the benefits of environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility throughout the legal industry. The Leadership Council and Board of Directors of the LFSN include the law firms Alston & Bird, Beveridge & Diamond, Drinker Biddle, Morrison & Foerster, Nixon Peabody, Seyfarth Shaw, and Wendel Rosen, as well as the eco-consulting firm, ecoAnalyze. LFSN members include both national and boutique firms such as Cadwalader, Cahill Gordon, Blank Rome, BuckleySandler, Exemplar Law, Hogan Lovells, K&L Gates, Kilpatrick Townsend, Kirkland Ellis, Manko Gold, McKenna Long & Aldridge, Miller & Martin, Neal Gerber Eisenberg, Paul Hastings, Pillsbury, Shearman & Sterling, Sutherland, and White & Case.

The LFSN affords members the opportunity to learn new ways to enhance their sustainability programs, act as leaders in developing best practice guidelines, and network with their peers. Recent programs have focused on how to enhance market reputation, increase business efficiencies, and retain talent. Most recently, the LFSN held a session on employee engagement with speakers from notable companies such as State Street Corporation and EnerNOC, Inc.

The LFSN is currently working to finalize the American Legal Industry Sustainability Standards (ALISS), a self-assessment tool that comprehensively measures law firms’ implementation of practices that promote energy efficiency, conservation of energy and resources, recycling, and related measures. The LFSN intends to launch ALISS next year and plans to publish the results of its benchmark survey, a statistical analysis of top firms’ current implementation of sustainable practices, later this year.

The LFSN is also announcing its international partnership with the Legal Sector Alliance UK and the Australian Legal Sector Alliance to further raise awareness and reduce environmental impacts globally within the legal industry. Sir Nigel Knowles, Chairman of the Legal Sector Alliance UK, said, “We are delighted that law firms in the U.S. have adopted a collaborative approach to sustainability and very much look forward to working with the LFSN on this global challenge.”

The Law Firm Sustainability Network was founded in August 2011 as an informal platform for law firm professionals to share ideas, network, and develop best practices and industry standards for sustainability in the legal industry. With growing success, the LFSN incorporated in November 2012 and formed its governing body, the Leadership Council, earlier this year. The LFSN is a pending 501c3 nonprofit organization. ecoAnalyze, believed to be the first eco-consulting firm dedicated to the law firm community, provides services and administration to the LFSN.

Peter Masaitis, President of the LFSN and partner at Alston & Bird, said: “The legal profession has historically taken a leadership role in many important societal causes.. Today, the needs of the environment and our role as its custodian have become a critical part of our individual and organizational responsibilities, making sustainability an integral part of corporate responsibility policies throughout the business community. Clients ask about it, law students expect it, and employees appreciate it. The LFSN is enthusiastic about its leadership role in the promotion of sustainable practices for the legal industry.”

For further information, please visit www.lfsnetwork.org

Gayatri Joshi , Executive Director, Law Firm Sustainability Network T : 732.309.2946 E : gjoshi@ecoanalyze.com
Firms Help Each Other Go Green
Aug 31, 2012

by Cameron Scott | California Lawyer

At a busy law firm, there's no time for paper jams in the copier or unprofessional-looking documents, even if these problems are a consequence of good intentions. Such are the potential pitfalls faced by firms interested in switching to eco-friendly paper or using double-sided printing. That's where the Law Firm Sustainability Network comes in. Since 2009 it has helped firms develop and share their best practices for boosting environmental sustainability.

Just shy of 50 firms - including big names in California like Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Morgan Lewis & Bockius; and Morrison & Foerster - participate in monthly calls the network organizes to review sustainability case studies and troubleshoot for one another.

The firms involved are motivated by prospective clients that pressure them to vouch for their environmental practices in addition to their billable hours, says Gayatri Joshi, vice president of client management at ecoAnalyze, the New York-based consultancy that administers the network.

"People want to work for a firm that represents their beliefs and their cultures, and clients are the same way," she says.

Discussion topics include carbon emissions, sustainable design, and initiatives that have succeeded at various firms.

Time is a major consideration for legal practices that want to go green, says Linda F. Magyar, the administrator at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman's office in Sacramento, which participates in the network. "When we talk about sustainability, we also talk about human energy. We try to find things that are reasonable to ask very busy people to do," Magyar says.

Meanwhile, the Law Firm Sustainability Network is developing a voluntary sustainability rating system based loosely on the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Office facilities and practices will be assessed by the American Legal Industry Sustainability Standards in a rating system to be made public this winter.
Of Counsel Features Law Firm Sustainability Success
May 11, 2012

Of Counsel Magazine

For law firms, sustainability is no longer just good business. It’s big business. As Lori Tripoli shows, there are two sides to this story. First, major corporate clients now demand green initiatives from their service providers. Second, the eco-revolution has spawned robust practice development opportunities— trademarking, greenwashing, real estate, and more.
The Environmental Forum Features The Law Firm Sustainability Network
May 08, 2012

The Environmental Forum Magazine

Sustainable practices in law firm management are becoming more and more important for multiple reasons. Environmental impact of firm operations are reduced when a firm manages to reduce and manage energy consumption, waste, and water use. Firm morale and the surrounding community also benefit from sustainable programs that firms implement. Lon term profitability is ensured when a law firm engages sustainable practices. Discover sustainable program success in leading firms across the country, and hear from VP, Gayatri Joshi in this publication by the Environmental Law Institute.
LFSN Firms Support Earth Hour and Earth Day 2012
Apr 14, 2012

by The Law Firm Sustainability Network

20+ firms in the Law Firm Sustainability Network's have united to support Earth Hour and Earth Day 2012 and show their commitment to reducing their firm's environmental impacts by taking positive actions to affect Climate Change. For one hour in support of Earth Hour, participating firms across the nation agreed to shut off all the lights in one or more of their offices to reduce carbon emissions and raise awareness of Global Warming. These firms will repeat the same observance in support of Earth Day as well.

Earth Hour and Earth Day are celebrated by hundreds of millions of people and businesses worldwide, and the following firm's are proud to support them:

  • Alston + Bird LLP
  • Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.
  • Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
  • Chadbourne & Parke LLP
  • Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
  • Fish & Richardson P.C.
  • Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
  • Hogan Lovells US LLP
  • Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
  • Kirkland & Ellis LLP
  • Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox LLP
  • Miller & Martin PLLC
  • Morrison Foerster LLP
  • Nixon Peabody LLP
  • Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
  • Paul Hastings LLP
  • Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
  • Proskauer Rose LLP
  • Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Shearman & Sterling LLP
  • Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
  • Sutherland Asbill and Brennan LLP
  • Wendel, Rosen Black & Dean LLP
Law Firm Sustainability Network Featured in New York Law Journal
Feb 06, 2012

The New York Law Journal

The New York Law Journal recently featured the Law Firm Sustainability Network as a new platform for law firms to come together to share sustainability practices. Many Network member firms and ecoAnalyze were interviewed commenting on the immediate benefits of participating. The article also highlighted one of the key initiatives of the Network, creating the American Legal Industry Sustainability Standards (ALISS).