Von Wobeser y Sierra, S.C. announces the creation of its ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) practice group to provide our clients with legal advice on risks and opportunities in an evolving business environment. Von Wobeser is one of the first Mexican law firms to establish a practice group offering legal services with an ESG perspective.
This new practice group consolidates the firm's comprehensive service offering and capitalizes on our collaborative mindset and problem-solving approach, while drawing on the experience gained from advising our clients on these matters over the years. The team is composed of more than 20 attorneys and integrates multidisciplinary competencies to advise our clients on four main areas: environment and climate change; business and human rights; corporate governance and risk management; and sustainable finance. The firm addresses each of these areas through four types of legal services: advisory, transactional, investigations and dealings with authorities, as well as litigation and arbitration. The United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda emphasizes that ESG criteria play a central role in the success of sustainable development, as well as in the expansion of inclusive economic growth. As a result, a significant number of leading companies and business organizations have incorporated the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their strategy and use these goals to assess their overall performance, alongside traditional financial and operational metrics. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting health, social and economic crises have accentuated the fundamental role of the private sector in contributing to solving the world's most complex problems, including climate change, racial and social inequality, corruption, and the protection of human rights, among others. In this context, ESG criteria are increasingly important to investors, fund managers, regulators, employees, consumers and other stakeholders when deciding whether or not to engage with a company and its products or services. Although the speed and depth vary from country to country and from industry to industry, we are facing a global trend that is expected to continue accelerating and becoming even more relevant. For example, assuming growth of 15%, which represents half the pace seen over the last five years, ESG assets under management could reach USD 53 trillion by 2025, more than a third of the projected global total of USD 140.5 trillion (Bloomberg Intelligence, 2021). In addition, 72% of investors in the United States have expressed interest in sustainable investments (Morningstar, 2021). “Companies that have adopted an ESG perspective are more resilient and achieve better financial results in environments such as the one we are experiencing. That is why we want to contribute to integrating this perspective into our clients' operations, which will allow them to address this new complexity and build a prosperous business future, through the proper management of their impact on the environment, communities and other stakeholders.” Claus von Wobeser, founding partner and member of the firm's executive committee. “We are excited to be trusted advisors and strategic partners to our clients, using our ‘ESG lens’ not only as a risk management tool, but also as a gateway for companies to develop opportunities and thrive in a more resilient, sustainable and equitable society.” Pablo Jiménez, partner and member of the ESG practice group. To learn more about our ESG practice group, please visit our website.
