Law firms are facing mounting pressure to embed sustainable thinking across all practice areas. This shift isn’t just about environmental responsibility; it’s about commercial pragmatism and future-proofing your firm in a society that holds businesses up to unprecedented standards.
Law firms that integrate sustainability across their practice areas aren’t just doing the right thing; they’re responding to clear market signals and positioning themselves for long-term success. In this blog post, we explore how law firms can embed sustainability into their operations, the challenges they face, and the opportunities this shift presents.
The business case for sustainability in law
The commercial imperatives for embedding sustainability across legal practice areas are multifaceted, with three key driving forces:
Client Demand: According to a 2023 survey by the Legal Sustainability Alliance, 78% of corporate clients now include sustainability criteria in their legal services procurement processes. These clients are increasingly looking for demonstrated expertise in compliance issues and a genuine commitment to sustainable business practices.
Talent Attraction and Retention: With 85% of young talent wanting to work for companies committed to sustainability and purpose beyond profit, law firms that authentically embed sustainable thinking across their operations gain a significant advantage in the battle for top talent.
Purpose-driven firms create workplaces where professionals can bring their values to work. Employees today are scrutinising how firms align with their personal values, looking beyond surface-level commitments to decide whether firms are genuinely delivering on their promises around impact, purpose, and social and environmental performance.
Risk Management and Compliance: Integrating sustainability into legal practice not only strengthens a firm’s reputation but also helps mitigate risks associated with non-compliance and regulatory changes. As environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations become more stringent worldwide, firms that proactively address sustainability are better positioned to advise clients on emerging compliance issues and protect their own operational resilience. This forward-thinking approach builds trust and ensures that the firm remains a reliable partner in an evolving legal landscape.
Challenges in implementing sustainability across practice areas
While the business case is clear, implementing sustainability across a law firm comes with its own unique challenges:
- Change Management: Integrating sustainability into established legal practices requires careful change management. Big changes are always approached with trepidation, and finding internal champions and pockets of enthusiasm is essential for getting your whole firm on board. The key is to show how sustainability enhances rather than disrupts existing practice areas.
- Establishing Credibility: Before advising clients on sustainability, law firms must address their own practices first or risk losing credibility. Both their clients and their employees expect firms to practice what they preach, making internal sustainability efforts just as important as external advisory services.
- Time Efficiency: In a billable-hours environment, time is money. A pragmatic approach to sustainability respects this, while demonstrating the long-term value of sustainable practices. The focus should be on efficiency and integration rather than adding layers of complexity.
- Knowledge Gaps: Many lawyers lack specialised knowledge in sustainability topics, so targeted upskilling becomes a priority. Seismic works with law firms, either through external training or our embedded sustainability team, to make sure sustainability expertise becomes a core competency across practice areas.
Embedding sustainability: Practice area examples
Sustainability isn’t just for environmental law specialists. Here’s how different practice areas can integrate sustainable thinking:
M&A and Corporate
- Incorporate comprehensive ESG due diligence into transaction processes
- Structure deals to account for climate-related risks and opportunities
- Advise on sustainability-linked financing and green bonds
- Develop governance frameworks that integrate sustainability into corporate decision-making
Property Law
- Draft and negotiate green leases with sustainability provisions
- Advise on sustainable development and regeneration projects
- Navigate green building certifications and energy efficiency regulations
- Structure property investments with climate risk considerations
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- Develop expertise in climate change litigation and ESG related disputes
- Advise on climate risk disclosure and potential liability
- Incorporate sustainability considerations into dispute resolution strategies
- Stay ahead of emerging case law around climate accountability
Finance
- Structure green finance products and sustainability-linked loans
- Advise on sustainable investment strategies and ESG fund formation
- Navigate evolving ESG disclosure requirements
- Develop expertise in carbon markets and climate finance
Employment and Labour
- Develop policies that support diverse and inclusive workplaces
- Advise on just transition strategies for climate-impacted industries
- Structure employee benefits that align with sustainability goals
- Navigate changing regulations around sustainability reporting on workforce issues
These examples show that every practice area has a role to play. Embedding sustainability isn’t about creating something new, but about evolving existing expertise to meet the demands of modern business.
Implementation strategy: From ambition to action
Embedding sustainability across practice areas requires a structured approach, with implementation tailored based on a firm’s size and current state.
Understanding Materiality: Before diving into specific sustainability initiatives, it’s crucial for law firms to assess which sustainability topics are most material to their operations and stakeholders. Materiality assessments help firms identify the most impactful areas where they can make a difference while aligning their efforts with client expectations and regulatory demands. By prioritising the issues that matter most, firms can channel their resources efficiently and demonstrate genuine commitment to areas of greatest relevance.
Baseline Assessment: When the business understands what is most material to their operations and stakeholders, they can conduct a baseline assessment to understand their current sustainability performance, and identify strengths and gaps across practice areas. This baseline provides a clear starting point for your sustainability journey.
Define Ambition Levels: Develop tailored ambitions based on your firm’s unique positioning and client needs. These should be ambitious yet pragmatic; aspirations should be balanced with commercial realism.
Create Action-Oriented Plans: Move quickly from strategy to implementation with clear, action-orientated plans for each practice area. These should include specific initiatives, responsible parties, and measurable outcomes.
Focus on Integration: Rather than treating sustainability as an add-on, look for ways to integrate it into existing processes and services. This might involve updating standard documents, client questionnaires, or matter management systems.
Upskill Teams: Invest in building sustainability expertise across all practice areas through targeted training, knowledge sharing, and possibly dedicated sustainability champions. The market is telling us we need to be better, and it’s everyone’s responsibility to live up to the challenge.
Measure and Communicate Progress: Establish clear metrics to track progress and clearly communicate with clients and stakeholders both your achievements and challenges.
Case study: Integrating sustainability within commercial practice
As the first UK law firm to be accredited under the Good Business Charter, which recognises ethical, responsible and sustainable business practices, seeking B Corp certification was a natural next step for Bellevue Law. With Seismic’s expert guidance, they refined their B Impact Assessment, formalised key governance practices, and implemented measurable carbon reduction targets; resulting in a successful B Corp certification and reinforcing their position as a purpose-driven firm. Read the full case study here.
“Seismic has gone above and beyond to help us better understand and build upon our impact. It’s been an incredibly insightful and enjoyable process.” – Florence Brocklesby, Founder at Bellevue Law
Sustainability in practice
Law firms that successfully embed sustainability across practice areas position themselves at the forefront of a significant market shift. By taking a commercial and pragmatic approach to sustainability, firms can:
- Strengthen client relationships by addressing emerging needs
- Attract and retain top talent looking for purpose-driven organisations
- Develop new services and revenue streams
- Mitigate risks and identify opportunities in a changing regulatory landscape
- Build personal and firm-wide reputation for authentic leadership within sustainability
The legal sector has a unique opportunity to lead the shift toward a more sustainable economy. By embedding sustainable thinking across all practice areas, from M&A to litigation, property to employment, law firms can prosper while helping their clients become forces for good.
For legal firms, the question is no longer whether to embrace sustainability, but how quickly and effectively they can integrate it into the heart of their practice, not as a separate initiative, but as a common language that permeates every service they provide.
If you’d like to understand more about how Seismic can support your firm to turn sustainability ambition into pragmatic action, get in touch with our professional services team.
