Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s sustainability and ESG work in the Asia Pacific region is highly concentrated in capital markets and green finance.

In Hong Kong, capital markets expert Jin Hyuk Park recently acted for a consortium of financial institutions as underwriters in connection with the 12.75trn IPO of LG Energy Solution, the world’s largest producer of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries which serves sectors including EVs and stationary energy storage systems. Park also advised SK Group on its $1.6bn investment in Plug Power, one of the largest US clean energy PIPE deals (private investment in public entity) in the last decades, and acted for the joint lead managers in Korea Electric Power Corporation’s issuance of a combined $1.1bn of green bonds as well as Shinhan Bank’s offering of $500m of climate bonds.

The firm’s Tokyo-based team is similarly experienced in the field of green finance. It recently advised The Norincukin Bank on its offering of $1bn of green bonds; acted for SMBC Nikko Securities America as the underwriters of an offering of $500m of green bonds by Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group; and assisted Renesas Electronics Corporation with its offering of $500m of green notes.

The firm 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. Most of the firm’s offices globally are either LEED-certified or have equivalent sustainability certifications.