Partner
Gen-R Law
London
If I wasn’t a lawyer, I’d probably be…
A lawyer. Sorry! My mum swears she called it when I was two, and my late Grandpa knew exactly how to set me on the path when he took me to the Old Bailey to watch a criminal trial aged 14. It’s just how I’m wired and I wouldn’t change it for anything. What I would say is that you can be a lawyer in your own way and on your own terms. I have always been inspired by Yvon Chouinard, who wrote: “After we had pondered our responsibilities and financial liabilities, one day it dawned on me that I was a businessman and would probably be one for a long time… I also knew that I would never be happy playing by the normal rules of business… If I had to be a businessman, I was going to do it on my own terms.” That resonates, and it is what I am doing through Gen-R Law. If I have to be a lawyer – and I do – I’m going to do it on my terms…
What’s next in ESG/sustainability law?
Supply chain risk with a particular focus on human rights and environmental harms. Between rapidly proliferating disclosure requirements, litigation and regulatory risks, intense focus from NGOs and civil society and increasing political focus on what businesses are doing (or failing to do) beyond their own doors, supply chain risk is going to be a hot topic for years to come.
Why ESG/sustainability law?
Because the first time I held my baby niece, I wondered how I would reply in twenty years’ time when she asked what I, with all my privileges, contacts and resources, had actually done to try and stop the climate crisis. And because my imagined answer in that moment was “I’m so sorry, Clara. I did nothing. And being honest, I made it all a lot worse.”
The most interesting place my job has taken me
I spent many years in my ‘previous life’ as a white collar crime lawyer working on a huge criminal trial in Milan. There were so many parties that on one occasion we couldn’t all fit in the normal court, so we were directed to ‘Bunker 2’, which turned out to be a facility that the Italians used to use for Mafia trials, a few miles outside of the city. It looked like an old school gymnasium behind a barbed wire fence. Most of the Italian lawyers had never been there and they were very excited. The room itself was about 80 metres long, with 40 rows of benches for dozens of lawyers. There were six steel cages down the side, each designed to hold up to 20 accused persons, and a tunnel going directly from the building to the prison next door. It was a unique court experience, to put it mildly!
A pivotal decision I’ve made
In my early twenties I promised myself that – before life got too serious – I would take a year out to travel. I spoke about that plan very openly with colleagues and saved for years to make it happen. My wife and I took that time together from September 2022-23, and after almost ten years of legal training and practice, I desperately needed it. It was that trip which gave me time to reflect on my growing concern about climate change and ultimately set me on my current path. Gen-R Law would never have happened without that trip, and I am so grateful that I prioritised taking time out from the beginning.
References
“I’ve really enjoyed working with Joshua and would thoroughly recommend him. His combination of legal expertise, commercial pragmatism and commitment to sustainability add up to a hugely impressive and valuable offering. His presentational style is also excellent, succinctly and clearly explaining potentially complex legal and regulatory topics in a way that can be readily applied in practice by our commercial teams.” Christy Baker, general counsel
“Joshua has shown remarkable ESG leadership and entrepreneurial vision in establishing Gen-R Law. An accomplished mid-career lawyer, Joshua embraced risk to create a market-changing full service ESG law firm for the future. As the former United Nations official who coined ESG in May 2004, I have been wholly impressed by his passion, professionalism and execution in the joint ESG-aligned work my own firm, The Blended Capital Group, has undertaken with Gen-R Law. Further, Joshua understands clearly the need to deepen understanding and ESG capability across the legal, corporate and investment world’s to drive global impact at pace and scale.” Paul Clements-Hunt, CEO at Blended Capital Group
Joshua is the Founder of Gen-R Law.
Established in March 2024, Gen-R Law is an ambitious vision for a full-service law firm which practices every aspect of the law through the lens of climate change. The firm has also committed to donate 10% of its profits to climate-focused charities and initiatives. By background, Joshua is a White Collar Crime lawyer. Leveraging his regulatory expertise, he advises clients on the integration of ESG into business operations, ESG and climate literacy training, greenwashing, compliance matters, supply chain risk and sustainability reporting.
Joshua also runs a women’s-focused mentoring scheme for junior lawyers who want to concentrate their careers on climate and ESG. Now in its second year, more than 30 women have already benefited from the combination of guest speakers and tailored career coaching offered.
Joshua has quickly become a regular speaker at conferences and on podcasts about ESG and the role of climate considerations in the legal profession. He frequently writes articles focusing on developments in these spaces.
Gen-R Law has been well-received by the legal community. The firm is already helping clients drive positive impact, whilst pushing climate and ESG up the agenda of the legal profession in a meaningful way.