The Legal 500 Green Guide: Asia Pacific

New Zealand

Beyond its advisory capacity, the firm’s commitment also extends to the promotion of sustainability reporting.

Maddocks assists developers with renewable and low carbon energy projects, and has expertise in greenhouse gas emission policies, management, reporting and disclosure.

Phi Finney McDonald is currently acting in a landmark climate change class action against the Commonwealth of Australia on behalf of all Torres Strait Islanders.

Pinsent Masons LLP works with a wide range of organisations to promote a green transition, including the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance and Legal Sustainability Alliance.

Hong Kong

Dentons’ China and Hong Kong practices stand out for their sustainability-related work for clients and their ESG advocacy, regularly organising client webinars, briefings and publications on ESG, sustainability and environmental issues.

JunHe, one of the first private Chinese law firms, deals with matters including ESG due diligence and new energy powe

Sunshine Law Firm stands out for having a green and low-carbon business department, and an environmental, resources and energy research centre (the ERE centre).

Ben McQuhae & Co stands out for its work across six areas: green finance and fintech; carbon markets and decarbonisation; impact funds; supply chains; ESG regulatory advice; and renewable energy

Clifford Chance seeks to not take on matters which have an adverse environmental impact.

Singapore

Thailand

In order to upskill its lawyers, Linklaters partners with the University of Oxford to deliver its ESG Accelerator programme.

Mayer Brown sponsors the Kowloon Motor Bus’ decarbonisation initiative and has partnered with A Plastic Ocean Foundation, which promotes coastal water purification though supporting the local pearl oyster population.

Japan

Simpson Thacher is a Law Firm Sustainability Network member and has partnered with EcoVadis to assess its own environmental performance, while also undertaking recent initiatives to measure the firm’s GHG emissions on a global basis.

JSA often handles matters in the renewable energy and cleantech space, as well as the hydrocarbons sector

L&L Partners Law Offices has set a net-zero target across all its offices and established an ESG practice and a ‘Green Project’ committee responsible for the integration of sustainability goals within the firm’s operation.

Assegaf Hamzah & Partners has been particularly active in sustainable finance transactions and also works across environmental advisory matters and renewable energy project.

Internally, SSEK Legal Consultants provides ‘green training’ for its lawyers in order to promote awareness around renewable energy and carbon-trading issues.

UMBRA – Strategic Legal Solutions in Indonesia often assists clients with renewable power matters nationally and internationally with expertise in hydro, mini-hydro, geothermal, wind, and solar project.

Atsumi & Sakai in Japan is highly active in green financing and projects, and climate and sustainability-related matters.

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu advises government agencies and entrepreneurs in establishing systems for emissions trading.

Nishimura Asahi works across a range of matters, including green power projects (solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and hydrogen), climate regulation, ESG due diligence, as well as climate financing and green bonds

KhanLex deals with matters such as the establishment of green housing financing schemes, the financing structuring of residential retrofitting, and the financing of renewable energy.

The firm is one of New Zealand’s first law firms to become Toitū carbonzero certified in line with international best practice.

Bell Gully publishes articles on climate-related issues, and runs the multi-year series of reports ‘The Big Picture – Climate Change’.

The firm is the only New Zealand law firm to have joined the international Net Zero Lawyers Alliance.

LeeSalmonLong’s high-profile climate change work includes two major Supreme Court decisions on climate change and the Resource Management Act 1991 in Zealand, among various other internationally recognised cases.

Seeking to keep clients up to date with the latest developments in the renewable energy sector, Russel McVeagh recently launched its Renewables Blog.

Cruz Marcelo & Trenefrancia has been advising Red Core Geothermal in connection with the development of its three geothermal power plants

Internal efforts to integrate sustainability into Norton Rose Fulbright operations include a sustainability management plan, the establishment of a sustainability committee, and the development of science-based targets to achieve net zero.

Watson Farley & Williams LLP is particularly active in sustainability matters across the transport and shipping industries, in renewable energy and in sustainable finance.