Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a member of the Law Firm Sustainability Network and currently holds a silver score rating in respect to its sustainability efforts according to the American Legal Industry Sustainability Standards (ALISS) survey. In April 2021, the firm launched its ESG Resource Center, a dedicated hub for the firm’s ESG-related thought leadership, including webcasts, articles, and more.

One of its principle authors, David W. Rivkin, who co-leads the firm’s Business Integrity Group, is supporting the Risk Management Association in responding to requests regarding climate-related risks to the global banking system. Another key contact is Ulysses Smith, the firm’s first senior ESG advisor who brings over a decade of experience in sustainability and law.

A New York-based team including Rivkin, Smith and Natalie Reid, co-chair of the firm’s public international law group, worked in collaboration with Telos Governance Advisers in a review of the UN’s procurement practices and subsequent recommendations for improvement with regards to ESG and sustainable procurement, presented at the UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit in 2021.

The firm’s tax and investment teams are highly active in the field of sustainable finance having advised Ara Partners in the creation of the approximately $1.1 bn Ara Fund II directed at industrial decarbonisation. The firm has also been handling environmental preservation matters on indigenous territory as well as strategy concerning rising sea levels in the Pacific.

The Green Committee, led by Stuart Hammer, focuses on developing sustainable practices within the firm.