Weightmans featured in The Legal 500's second UK Green Guide, 2024 Edition

The Legal 500's Green Guide is the first worldwide guide to recognise the top law firms advising on issues around climate change, governance, and sustainability. The editorial highlights the leading individuals and practices in each jurisdiction, recognising a firm's contribution to 'green change' and ESG.

The guide sees The Legal 500 go around the world and put a global perspective on law firms that are key players in this field; firms that are contributing to a “green transition''.

In the guide, Weightmans’ was applauded for its work supporting its clients with their ESG strategy formulation, notably; the work with the British Insurers Broker Association (BIBA), helping it develop its ESG programme and policy, and to create an ESG guideline for its members; advising Liverpool City Region Combined Authority on the multi-billion Mersey Tidal Energy project, which has the potential to power circa 300,000 homes with clean energy; and acting for Octopus Real Estate on their partnership with Homes England, on creating the Greener Homes Alliance, which aims to enable more energy efficient homes throughout the country.

On its own sustainability initiatives, the guide congratulated Weightmans’ commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030, and a target of transitioning all its offices to 100% renewable energy-based electricity by 2025. The guide also congratulated the firm for achieving ‘zero waste to landfill’ in half of its locations, and for receiving an Ecovadis Silver Sustainability rating.

Partner, Simon Colvin said:

“This is a great result, and I am extremely proud to be one of only a few firms to be included in the second Green Guide UK. ESG, sustainability, and climate change-related work is a rapidly growing part of our business strategy, both in how we perform internally and, in our service offering to clients who are looking to boost their own sustainability credentials.

“This is an important area that we are doing very well in, with today’s news a testament to the extraordinary expertise and hard work being demonstrated by the firm - but we can always do more, and I am excited to see this grow over the coming years.

“As a team we are involved in a number of very exciting quasi legal consultancy projects and work areas. We aren't aware of our competitors undertaking similar work and are very excited at the opportunity to be market leaders in this area supporting our clients with their ESG programs and needs.”

The news comes just weeks after the firm scored a new record number of lawyers ranked in this year’s leading legal directories, with 453 experts listed. In the latest editions of the Chambers & Partners UK and Legal 500 legal directories, the firm was also recommended as a top-tier firm in 24 practice areas across the two and is listed across 146 areas altogether.

You can find out more about Weightmans’ ESG services here.