Climate and ESG: Emerging Legal Risks and Compliance

This CLE course, presented by Jonathan Brightbill of Winston & Strawn LLP and Brooke Hopkins of AlixPartners, will provide corporate and in-house counsel an overview of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria and current frameworks and legal requirements for ESG reporting and disclosure. The program will examine emerging legal and compliance risks from voluntary disclosures. Various federal agencies are implementing enforcement initiatives targeting climate-related and ESG issues such as those related to environmental and social justice. The course will also discuss pending agency proposals for mandatory financial and non-financial disclosure and reporting regimes, including compliance controls and procedures and risk management considerations.  

1. Identify climate and ESG criteria and frameworks that companies are voluntarily implementing

2. Discuss how voluntary disclosures implicate existing legal and regulatory requirements

3. Examine sources of current legal and compliance risk

4. Prepare for coming proposals for mandatory climate and ESG financial and non-financial disclosures

5. Review compliance controls and procedures and risk management