Forward Law Review has launched the 2026 edition of Forward Firms, a survey profiling 30 leading sustainability and ESG law practices and examining what their work reveals about the direction of the market.
The inaugural edition brings together firms from across Europe, North America, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, ranging from global firms with extensive international networks to leading national practices and highly specialised teams.
Participating firms completed a detailed questionnaire covering the development of their practices, representative work, key lawyers and the issues shaping demand in their markets. Submissions were reviewed alongside Forward Law Review’s own reporting and analysis of the sustainability legal sector.
The profiles examine how firms have built their sustainability practices, the work they are carrying out for clients and the areas in which they have developed particular strengths. A companion analysis draws on the submissions to identify broader themes emerging across the market.
Among its findings, the survey suggests there is no single model for a successful sustainability practice. Some firms have built their reputations around contentious work. Others are closely associated with private capital, major projects or regulatory advice. What distinguishes the strongest practices is not a common structure, but a clear understanding of where they add value.
The research also suggests that sustainability increasingly functions as a layer running through mainstream legal work rather than a standalone discipline. Across the submissions, firms repeatedly described sustainability issues arising within matters that clients would not necessarily regard as sustainability mandates at all.
Another recurring theme is the shift from policy to implementation. Many firms reported growing demand for advice on how sustainability-related obligations are embedded within organisations and evidenced in practice. Increasingly, the challenge is not understanding what a rule requires, but demonstrating compliance when decisions are later scrutinised by regulators, investors or claimants.
The survey also highlights the continued importance of local market conditions. Despite the increasingly global nature of sustainability regulation, many of the most distinctive practices remain closely tied to the industries, institutions and economic priorities that shape their home jurisdictions.
Perhaps most strikingly, the submissions suggest a market becoming more specialised rather than more uniform. The strongest practices are often those that have built sustainability expertise upon existing strengths, whether in disputes, finance, infrastructure or another established area of practice.
Forward Firms 2026 is the first iteration of an annual review of the sustainability legal market. Read individually, the profiles offer insight into specific firms. Collectively, they provide a snapshot of a profession that is still defining what a leading sustainability practice looks like.