The ESG practice at RPC, led by DEI and corporate governance specialist Kelly Thomson, also draws upon the CSRD, climate-related disclosures, greenwashing risk and green claims, and environmental regime expertise of Oliver Bray and Ciara Cullen.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The team stands out for being highly skilled and easy to work with. We value their ability to cut through complex issues and offer clear, practical advice that’s grounded in real-world understanding. Their quick turnaround times and responsiveness are especially appreciated when priorities shift and decisions need to be made fast. They’re agile, approachable, and in tune with what we need. What sets them apart is their strong, visible commitment to diversity. It’s clear that inclusivity is a core part of their culture, and this shows in the breadth of perspectives they provide and the thoughtful, well-rounded approach they take to every matter. ’
- ‘The individuals on the team really stand out for their deep knowledge, practical advice, close attention to detail, clear communication, and ability to understand their audience. They’re also proactive, respond quickly to requests, and work well together.
- ‘Their advice is always helpful and they're very commercial in their approach. ’
- ‘Proactively identifying issues for clients, central players in industry evolution eg DRS’
- ‘I deal primarily with Ciara Cullen and Sophie Tuson. They are both very easy to work with and they're highly regarded by our internal business teams, who have worked with them on various matters and trust them (this makes advocating for external advice, where necessary, much easier).’
- ‘Great knowledge and expertise, with fantastic outreach to share what they know. Innovative forums for engagement which has helped to increase their knowledge of our business from an ESG perspective, which then in turn helps to make their advice more targeted and relevant. ’
- ‘Highly personable which has helped to build relationships and trust. ’
- ‘The team is front footed on these topics - great with horizon scanning as well as practical advice particularly on green claims’
- ‘Kelly Thomson, Ciara Cullen and Sophie Tuson have good expertise’
- ‘RPC's ESG practice stands out for its exceptional ability to provide tailored, sector-specific guidance. Working with them on regulatory compliance for green claims, we found their understanding of both the regulatory landscape and the technology sector particularly valuable. As a B2B-to-C software company with a specialized tech offering for green claims validation, we needed advisors who could grasp both complex regulations and our unique business model.
Work highlights
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Environmental: supporting household name clients on a range of strategic and high-profile environmental matters and litigation, including: (1) acting as the sole legal adviser to the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) the scheme administrator for the UK Deposit Return Scheme; (2) acting for Greenpeace in its defence of a multimillion-dollarclaim brought by Shell; and (3) advising Proposed Class Representative Professor Carolyn Roberts in the groundbreaking Water Cases collective proceedings in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).
Environmental: supporting household name clients on a range of strategic and high-profile environmental matters and litigation, including: (1) acting as the sole legal adviser to the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) the scheme administrator for the UK Deposit Return Scheme; (2) acting for Greenpeace in its defence of a multimillion-dollarclaim brought by Shell; and (3) advising Proposed Class Representative Professor Carolyn Roberts in the groundbreaking Water Cases collective proceedings in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).
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Social: advising Boards and Executive leadership teams on and supporting them in creating, sustaining and improving diverse and inclusive organisational cultures to drive their businesses forward. Work includes: (1) designing and delivering comprehensive, bespoke cultural and behavioural change training and education for Boards, managers and whole organisations; and (2) advising on a variety of highly sensitive, confidential investigations into allegations of harassment and discrimination with potentially significant implications for wider workforce culture.
Social: advising Boards and Executive leadership teams on and supporting them in creating, sustaining and improving diverse and inclusive organisational cultures to drive their businesses forward. Work includes: (1) designing and delivering comprehensive, bespoke cultural and behavioural change training and education for Boards, managers and whole organisations; and (2) advising on a variety of highly sensitive, confidential investigations into allegations of harassment and discrimination with potentially significant implications for wider workforce culture.
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Governance: advised a global charity on a highly sensitive governance investigation into the conduct of the charity's international board. We provided critical legal and strategic support to ensure that the investigation process was robust, transparent and full compliance with the organisation's standards.
Governance: advised a global charity on a highly sensitive governance investigation into the conduct of the charity's international board. We provided critical legal and strategic support to ensure that the investigation process was robust, transparent and full compliance with the organisation's standards.