Spanning 15 countries and five continents, the Forward 40 highlights outstanding lawyers working at partner and counsel level who are shaping the future of legal practice in this fast-changing field.
Meet the 40 rising stars aged 40 and under who are shaping the future of ESG and sustainability law worldwide.
These top practitioners – based in 24 cities around the globe – are leaders in areas as diverse as financial regulation, climate litigation, First Nations rights and business and human rights. Of the 40 lawyers selected, 27 are women and 13 are men.
Forward Law Review invited more than 200 law firms worldwide to nominate their best young partners and counsel focussing on ESG and sustainability law. All 40 were selected through a competitive process that included an application, client and peer references and a strict one-nominee-per-firm in the final list rule. The result: a curated list of the most impressive ESG and sustainability lawyers aged 40 and under, each making a powerful impact both within their organisations and on the world stage.
Forward 40 lawyers are advising clients on a huge range of matters at the legal cutting edge. Their work spans a wide range of initiatives, from setting new EU standards for communicating on sustainable aviation fuels to supporting major global companies with European sustainability compliance. They’ve also brought solar power to rural communities, advanced agrovoltaics projects and advised on acquisitions involving legacy PFAS liabilities.
In their Q&As, the Forward 40 told us a bit more about themselves, including insights into people who have inspired them along the way and the most interesting places their jobs have taken them.
Many were happy to conjecture about the future of ESG. There was a general belief that, despite some political headwinds, the transition to a sustainable global economy is undeniable and companies will increasingly need to navigate a complex web of overlapping global and domestic requirements.
Some of the most entertaining responses resulted from the prompt: If I wasn’t a lawyer, I’d probably be… Answers included: detective (twice), food critic, ballerina, artist, diplomat, writer, scientist, primary school teacher and musician.
Similarly, the prompt Everyone’s talking about… yielded some fascinating answers, from how to balance sustainability and the green transition with the EU’s drive for competitiveness to – if you’re a parent – the inescapability of KPop Demon Hunters.
The 40 nominees also told us about the advice they’d give their younger selves. What’s fascinating here is how similar the answers were: most of our lawyers reflected on their young and ambitious selves and said “relax!” Things will unfold in their own time and many interesting opportunities cannot be planned – they come about through humility, good relationships with others and occasionally moving out of your comfort zone.