Local Steps to Global Impact—WLG | impact '22

Published on Jul 21, 2022

World Law Group members participated in the second-annual network-wide Corporate Social Responsibility initiative—WLG | impact, throughout the month of June. See how our members made a difference locally and around the globe.
*To read more, view photos, videos, and additional materials for a completed project, click on the linked title below the description.

Highlights

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Al Tamimi & Company

Al Tamimi & Company (UAE) created pieces of art using only waste materials. This project was done at each of the firm’s 15 locations.

Alfaro-Abogados

Alfaro-Abogados (Argentina) made an impact on the environment by encouraging employees to continue hybrid work to limit commutes to and from the office.

Arendt & Medernach

Arendt & Medernach (Luxembourg) streamlined its sustainability strategy by focusing on strong fundamentals: its people, the environment, innovation, and education.

Arias

Arias (Costa Rica) completed a tree-planting activity in honor of WLG | impact where 35 volunteers planted more than 1,500 trees in the mountains of San José, Costa Rica.

Arnold & Porter

Arnold & Porter (Washington, D.C., U.S.A.) launched a Service Day Initiative across the firm. Offices competed to engage as many individuals and/or groups as they could to participate.

AZB & Partners

AZB & Partners (India) launched a Firm Wide CSR Fitness Initiative - AZB CSR Stepathlon, to support Charitable Foundations for during June.

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC (South Korea) participated in cooperative projects involving community and environmental issues such as climate change and resource circulation. The firm also provided free legal advice for projects related to select causes and organizations.

Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners

Last year in Greece, the Ancient Olympia area suffered catastrophic fires resulting in the destruction of 450,000 olive trees. Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners, with the support of donors, was able to donate 135,000 new olive trees to help the 1,770 affected farmers and their families. Led by Yanos Gramatidis, the project helped restore the economy, environment, and prestige of Ancient Olympia.

Bech-Bruun

Bech-Bruun (Denmark) compiled annual reports to monitor its environmental impact.

Bruchou & Funes de Rioja

Bruchou & Funes de Rioja recently launched Bruchou's Climate Action and Sustainable Business Platform, a new multidisciplinary legal team built on the firm's consolidated practice in energy law, environmental law, sustainable business, clean energies, green financing, compliance, and general advice on ESG. Following this launch as part of WLG | impact, the firm held its Bruchou Impact Event 2022 with a series of sustainable awareness and action activities.

Castrén & Snellman

Castrén & Snellman (Finland) is incorporating climate clauses into the firm's model contracts. A team of C&S lawyers will draw from sources such as The Chancery Lane Project toolkit to draft clauses adapted to Finland's legal system and climate policy.

CMS Belgium

CMS Belgium challenged team members to walk or bike to work and refrain from using their private motor vehicles as well as conserve energy within the office and at home.

Chandler MHM Limited

On May 28, co-managing partners and other representatives from Chandler MHM Limited (Thailand) visited Wat Tham Rong School in Phetchaburi Province, Thailand to provide a broad range of support.

CMS Germany

“CMS is planting the future" - CMS Germany’s office in Stuttgart will move into a new green office building topped with trees and covered in plants.

CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd.

CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd. (Switzerland) decreased plastic bottle consumption by introducing reusable glass bottles to its offices.

Cuatrecasas

Cuatrecasas (Spain) implemented a training and knowledge development plan for all of its lawyers aimed at: (i) providing science-based climate change training in order for legal services to be aligned with Paris Agreement mitigation and adaptation objectives and (ii) developing their legal knowledge to assist clients in the transition to a green economy.

ENSafrica

ENSafrica (South Africa) aligned its efforts with two United Nations goals: the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all and sustainably manage and protect life below water.

Faegre Drinker

Faegre Drinker (Illinois, U.S.A.) replicated and enhanced its garden program for WLG | impact. The program focused on repopulating the community with native plants to support and increase the number of pollinators.

Formosa Transnational

Formosa Transnational (Taiwan) reevaluated its promotion of corporate social responsibility by using Taiwan's rules for public companies as a guide. The three perspectives the firm focused on are environment, society, and governance.

Gowling WLG

Gowling WLG (England) held a biodiversity essay competition for university undergraduates. The top prize was a week's paid work experience at the London office with Environment and Sustainability lawyers.

Gross Brown

Gross Brown (Paraguay) participated in several initiatives for WLG | impact. The firm partnered with Todo Pulmón Paraguay ONG to plant over 400 trees in its community. The firm also hosted recycling workshops for children to promote intelligent reuse and educate the next generation on environmental issues. Finally, Gross Brown spent a day cleaning Asunción Bay with a local organization.

Guyer & Regules

For its project, Guyer & Regules (Uruguay) partnered with No Más Colillas, an emergent organization that works to reduce cigarette waste in Uruguay.

Hergüner Bilgen Özeke

Hergüner Bilgen Özeke (Turkey) distributed seeds to all members of the firm to plant. The seeds were obtained from the Datca region along the Mediterranean coast and will produce flowers that are attractive to bees.

Herzog Fox & Neeman

In honor of World Environment Day and as part of WLG | impact ‘22, Herzog Fox & Neeman (Israel) organized and officially launched an eco-friendly initiative - Herzog #Greenstyle. The firm gifted its employees with personalized reusable glasses and mugs, eliminated disposable cups in the office, and announced an additional push in the reduction of paper consumption.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP (Texas, U.S.A.) hosted an electronics recycling event June 21–28 in all US offices as part of the World Law Group's second annual network-wide Corporate Social Responsibility event, WLG | impact.

Locke Lord LLP

Locke Lord LLP (Massachussets, U.S.A.) participated in three service programs on June 20 in honor of Juneteenth, a holiday honoring the end of slavery in the U.S.

Makarim & Taira S.

Mangrove forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. As of 2022, 71% of Indonesia’s Mangrove trees are damaged, however their forests are a vital habitat for fish and help protect coastal communities from land erosion, floods, and tsunamis. To combat this deforestation and help restore the environment, Makarim & Taira S. (Indonesia) planted 250 mangrove trees at the Mangrove Ecotourism Center PIK in Jakarta during the first week of June in collaboration with The Jakarta Mangrove Community.

Mason Hayes & Curran

Mason Hayes & Curran (Ireland) hosted its annual Green Month initiative for WLG | impact to promote pan-firm engagement in environmentally sustainable practices by engaging in beach clean-ups, a no car day, vegfest, planting workshops, and a tree-planting day.

MinterEllison

In celebration of WLG | impact '22, MinterEllison (Australia) hosted a webinar featuring leading ESG specialist and senior associate Charlotte Turner. Charlotte shared her work with The Chancery Lane Project and discussed the opportunities for lawyers in all practice areas and jurisdictions to get involved.

Payet, Rey, Cauvi, Perez Abogados

Payet, Rey, Cauvi, Perez Abogados (Peru) coordinated another project with the parish of Shilla in Ancash to help the local community by helping with the construction of the Refugio Yerbac, a building that will be used to provide lodging services to tourists visiting the Huascarán National Park. The profits obtained from Refugio Yerbac will be used to support works in favor of the area's inhabitants.

Pellerano Nadal

Member firm Pellerano Nadal (Dominican Republic) participated in a number of programs to help make a difference for WLG | impact.

PLMJ

PLMJ (Portugal) is supporting Girl MOVE Academy, a grassroots leadership academy that creates innovative models of education to amplify talent, increase gender equality, and promote sustainable transformation through programs that focus on seeing, doing, and receiving mentorship. This program creates real value and has a large impact in Mozambique and beyond through initiatives aimed at responding to the social challenges in a way that is scalable.

Santamarina y Steta

Santamarina y Steta (Mexico) worked hand in hand with Ecolana, a Mexican social organization seeking to make recycling available to everyone. The firm created permanent recycling spaces in its offices and provided training on the correct way to handle and recycle waste, as well as implementing a communication campaign on recycling throughout the year.

Setterwalls

Setterwalls (Sweden) aims to become a carbon-neutral company and continues implementing process improvements to reach that goal.

Shearn Delamore & Co.

Shearn Delamore & Co. (Malaysia) will organize a tree-planting in partnership with an established organization in the 3rd quarter of 2022.

Sołtysiński Kawecki & Szlęzak

After strong participation last year, Sołtysiński Kawecki & Szlęzak (Poland) again asked employees to record their steps for ten days as a part of WLG | impact. The step-counting program promoted physical activity and helps the environment by encouraging people to walk to work instead of driving.

Sorainen

Sorainen (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) dedicated its annual pro bono program for innovative projects—Shared Mission—to the environmental theme of WLG | impact. The firm selected 15 projects working on a wide range of environmental projects such as sustainable farming, maximizing solar energy in buildings to ensure lower energy costs, eliminating food waste, resolving ecological issues through environmental advocacy, and developing circular economy solutions.

SyCipLaw

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