Agenda

10.00am Registration

11.00am Opening remarks

• • John Buttanshaw, partner, operational risk and environment | co-head of ESG & impact, Travers Smith

11.10am ESG in 2025: Still Relevant, More Critical
An exploration of why ESG remains a business-critical priority in 2025. From investor expectations to regulatory pressures and reputational risk, discussions will unpack the evolving drivers of ESG and how legal teams remain pivotal in integrating sustainable practices into corporate strategies.

• • Oliver Wright, sustainability manager, Clyde & Co (moderator)
  • Mark Maurice-Jones, general counsel & compliance officer, UK & Ireland, Nestlé
  • Varnika Chawla, director, legal, Climate Asset Management
  • Stephen Townley, chair of the advisory board, Global Sustainable Sport

12.00pm Lunch

1.15pm The Rise of ESG Litigation: What Every GC Should Know
As the regulatory landscape shifts and arguably pulls back, and as the world is increasingly polarised and uncertain, the focus on a company’s sustainability record is not abating. Litigation and regulatory mechanisms to hold businesses to account may come even more to the fore in this environment, as ESG activism and a focus on value and sustainability remain top of the agenda. This panel explores how novel ESG litigation risk is evolving and what GCs need to do to be prepared for it.

• • Heather Gagen, head of dispute resolution | co-head of ESG & impact, Travers Smith (panel host)
  • Adam Heppinstall KC, barrister, Henderson Chambers
  • Simon Pugh, partner, Portland Communications

2.05pm Panel 3
TBC

2.55pm Coffee Break

3.25pm Panel 4 – Legal 500

• • John Buttanshaw, partner, operational risk & envionment | co-head of ESG & impact, Travers Smith
  • Joshua Domb, founder, Gen-R Law

4.15pm Closing remarks

4.25pm Drinks and Canapes

5.30pm Event Concludes