Dave Curran, ESG and Law Institute executive director and co-chair of the Paul, Weiss ESG Advisory Practice, and Paul, Weiss Chairman Brad Karp discuss how lawyers can help companies reexamine their ESG priorities and navigate the new world order in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in their expert opinion column “Russia-Ukraine War Triggers New ESG Considerations,” published on May 9 in Corporate Counsel.
The authors discuss the techniques lawyers can leverage, such as scenario planning, pressure-testing data and revisiting company ESG priorities, which can help companies respond nimbly and strategically. Lawyers should be “on the lookout for geopolitical or other clues that the ground will shift once again and update scenario plans frequently,” the authors write. “As the Russian invasion has shown, the lens of scrutiny has gotten sharper. There will be no grace period. And the consequences of a mistake in this environment are incalculable.”