7.2.2022

The Legal 500 and Castrén & Snellman Announce Global Green Guide Partnership

The Legal 500’s brand new Global Green Guide series puts a spotlight on law firms across the globe for their contribution to a green transition. 

It explores firms’ work for clients in connection with climate change mitigation and sustainability, while also highlighting their own internal best practices and initiatives.

The EMEA Green Guide is the inaugural edition in the series, featuring key players across the EMEA region. 

´As more and more firms are adopting the buzz acronym ESG into their practices, there are some that really walk the talk. We are absolutely delighted to be putting together this regional collaboration with the forerunner of sustainable business and leading Finnish full-service business law firm Castrén & Snellman to delve deeper into sustainability work and strategy in the EMEA legal sector, says Anna Baubock, Editor, The Legal 500 Global Green Guide.

Castrén & Snellman is known for its cutting-edge work in sustainability. The firm’s long-standing commitment to sustainability both in client work and as an employer was recognised last year when it was named Law Firm of the Year in Scandinavia and the Nordics in the Lawyer European Awards.

‘We are delighted to start the Global Green Guide partnership with The Legal 500. As lawyers, we can make the biggest impact by advising our clients in their transition to a greener business and other ESG issues. To do that effectively, we have to understand the sustainability demands that are put on our clients, both inside and out. The Legal 500 with its long-standing reputation and high-quality resources is an ideal partner to support the green transition in the legal sector,’ says Anna Kuusniemi-Laine, Partner and Head of Sustainability at C&S.

Over the next 12 months, The Legal 500 and Castrén & Snellman will put together a series of virtual and in-person discussions to provide in-house counsel with a forum to share best practice. 

Anna Baubock, Editor, The Legal 500 Global Green Guide
anna.baubock@legal500.com

Anna Kuusniemi-Laine, Partner, Head of Sustainability, Castrén & Snellman,
+358 20 7765 423

anna.kuusniemi-laine@castren.fi

The Legal 500 is the market leading publisher of legal information, analysing the capabilities of law firms across the world for over 33 years. Covering over 150 jurisdictions, The Legal 500 are the most comprehensive referral platform for law firms, barrister chambers, legal recruiters, general counsel, in-house teams and suppliers of legal services, with a comprehensive research programme revised and updated every year, to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market.

Castrén & Snellman Attorneys is a leading Finnish full-service business law firm that advises Finnish and international clients in transactions, dispute resolution and a wide range of other specialised facets of business law. Founded in 1888, C&S is the oldest and also one of the largest law firms in Finland, with over 280 employees. The firm is based in Helsinki, and in other parts of the world they work with an extensive international network of law firms.

Latest references

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