Corporate responsibility and sustainability
Leading businesses the world over have developed highly sophisticated strategies for maintaining corporate legitimacy and a “social license to operate”. Such strategies include the establishment of policies and governance practices that go “beyond compliance” with local laws, with the adoption of voluntary best practices standards, membership in international organizations and corporate reporting practices that include non-financial information relevant to organizational stakeholders.
Such forward looking companies need forward looking lawyers. Our Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability team recognizes these business imperatives and can help ensure they are met in a way that minimizes legal, regulatory and social risks to the organization.
Our cross-functional team is composed of lawyers knowledgeable in environmental, human rights, health & safety, employment & labour, recall & class action, crisis management, aboriginal and corporate governance issues. Leveraging these areas of expertise, we can help companies to integrate their corporate responsibility and sustainability strategies with legal compliance management, provide advice on how to deal with “hard cases”, and advocate for the organization when its practices in these areas are challenged.
Our services include board and management level advice and risk mitigation to facilitate:
- Identification and mapping of corporate social obligations (including “hard” and “soft” law, voluntary codes, best practices);
- Development of self-regulation policies and processes;
- Creation and implementation of monitoring and compliance systems;
- Non-financial sustainability reporting.
- Contractual relationships and supply chain risk management.
When external threats arise, our team of experts can work with corporate managers and legal officers to provide advocacy, crisis management support, and litigation services.
Our aim is to facilitate corporate responsibility and sustainability in a way that makes legal and business sense for our clients.