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To mark its support for the iconic environmental charity, Fieldfisher hosted a panel event at its London office on 5 July to discuss the role of lawyers in protecting nature.
European law firm Fieldfisher is proud to announce that it is supporting the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as part of its pro bono programme.
WWF is the world's leading independent conservation organisation, and is part of the coalition of charities comprising WWF, the RSPB and the National Trust, behind the Save our Wild Isles campaign.
Fieldfisher marked its partnership with WWF by hosting a screening of one of the Save Our Wild Isles business films entitled "The Business of Nature" and a panel discussion on the role of lawyers and the law in protecting nature at its London office on 5 July.
The panel was chaired by Lord Carnwath, a former Supreme Court judge, and featured Kirsty Brimelow, KC; Phil Bartram, a Financial Services Partner at Travers Smith; Mark Maurice Jones, General Counsel at Nestle UK & Ireland; Jake White, Head of Legal Advocacy at WWF, and Jessica Gardner, Regulatory Partner at Fieldfisher.
The event was introduced by Fieldfisher Senior Partner, David Wilkinson.
During the panel event, Kirsty Brimelow said:
"I have always found throughout my legal career that it doesn't take many people to create change and make an impact. It's about connecting with the right people. There is a real gap between the regulations that we have and implementation, and as lawyers we are ideally positioned to encourage the dialogue that will lead to change."
Phil Bartram said:
"New laws and regulations, such as the EU's Taxonomy Regulation, will shift the focus of clients onto nature. Whether businesses are aligned or not will affect their ability to raise equity and debt capital and that will help to get boards focused, while greater transparency will help combat greenwashing. New laws could also inspire clients, such as asset managers, to do something really impactful, such as directing capital into positive developments for nature."
Mark Maurice Jones said:
"In-house lawyers have an important role in driving a company's values and scrutinising company plans to make sure they uphold these values. I don't see any conflict between profit and sustainability. Companies like ours do not have a future unless they achieve their sustainability aims."
Jake White said:
"Lawyers are supremely well-placed to respond to the climate crisis and the nature crisis. Legislation is coming, and lawyers have the agility and the skills needed to respond with the urgency and impetus which these crises demand. Failure to act brings serious risk, as demonstrated by the recent plethora of climate and nature-related cases we have seen in the UK courts. These cases are brought by lawyers, so I urge others in our profession to get involved."
Jessica Gardner said:
"Recent Law Society guidance tells us climate change risk will affect nearly all our clients, and we have a professional duty to advise clients on those risks. But there is nothing in that guidance that talks specifically about nature and biodiversity, and as a profession we are lagging behind in the work we are doing with clients on these areas. We can overcome this by shifting our approach from thinking about climate change generally to considering nature and biodiversity specifically. This will come from regulation, but also from us as professionals having the inclination to challenge the status quo."
David Wilkinson said:
"We know from our staff surveys that the environment is the number one issue they want us to focus on in terms of pro bono support. Many of our colleagues are already engaged in various activities to raise awareness of environmental and biodiversity concerns and make a difference to the natural world, so we are delighted to be partnering with WWF."
Fieldfisher will be supporting WWF providing pro bono legal advice assisting the charity in its fight to protect the environment in the UK.