Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) and the In-house solicitor 

   

Aim and Objectives
The In-house and Public Sector Committee and Law Society Skillnet are pleased to host the annual panel discussion in an online format.  The theme this year is Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) and its impact for in-house solicitors and the organisations/businesses they serve across the public and private sectors. 

Topics include: What is ESG and what does it mean for in-house solicitors, corporate governance: setting up a legal support unit for ESG issues, the climate burden on a public authority, the Clean Energy Package and Ireland’s Climate Action Plan and ESG and Industry.

The discussion will be interactive using Zoom Breakout Rooms, which will provide an ideal opportunity to learn and explore further the issues raised by the panel with your in-house colleagues.  

The discussion will be facilitated by a select panel of both public and private sector in-house solicitors, private practitioners and industry experts who will share personal observations and insights based on their career experiences.  

The In-house and Public Sector Committee chair, Caroline Dee Brown will give a short introduction to the presentations.

Learning Outcomes
Gain an understanding of what ESG is and how in-house solicitors from various sectors are managing ESG issues and obligations.

Chairperson
Caroline Dee Brown, In-house and Public Sector Committee Chair. General Counsel, Commission for Communications Regulation.
Caroline has been working in-house in the public sector for over 10 years after previously working in private practice in Ireland, America and the UK. In her current role as General Counsel for ComReg Caroline is responsible for: Providing strategic advice directly to the Commissioners and the Senior Management team, focusing on prospective solutions to effectively and efficiently contribute to robust decisions, process and procedures used to deliver statutory functions and objectives; Developing and implementing strategies to lead and mentor all of the legal advisors across the organisation ensuring: continuing evolvement of matured high standards of legal advice; professional excellence; effective and efficient communication of independent advice across the matrix management system; Managing external legal advisors to the Commission to ensure efficient added value to decision making, and for enforcement and defence of decisions; Delivering advocacy role with strategic advice, key to ensuring the Commission’s objectives and functions can be optimally delivered; Providing continuing professional development for Commission staff; embedding and disseminating corporate knowledge, legal developments and requirements to improve processes and procedures and optimal use of the Commission’s powers.


Speakers/Panellists

Orlaith Delargy, Associate Director, KPMG
Orlaith has 6 years’ experience in the field of sustainability, with a special area of interest and expertise in natural capital risks and opportunities to the private sector. She is currently Associate Director at KPMG’s Sustainable Futures team, the largest sustainability advisory practice in Ireland. As part of Sustainable futures, Orlaith is providing expert support to Ireland’s National Biodiversity Action Plan as well as ESG Strategy services to corporate clients in a range of sectors including waste, med-tech and agri-food. Prior to KPMG, Orlaith spent two years working as the Executive Coordinator of the non-profit Natural Capital Ireland, and as Sustainability Advisor for boutique Irish consultancy Sustainability Works. She also spent three years in London as Programme Manager on CDP’s Water Security team.

Conor Keeling, AIB
Conor Keeling qualified as solicitor in A&L Goodbody in 1999 and joined the AIB Corporate Legal team in 2004. He has worked in various in-house roles in AIB and recently established a new Sustainability Legal team in the bank which will support AIB’s sustainability agenda

Brendan Slattery, Partner, McCann Fitzgerald
Brendan is the head of environment and planning at McCann FitzGerald. With almost twenty years’ experience in planning and environment law, he has been recognised as an expert at national and EU level, having advised regulatory authorities, statutory bodies, local authorities and developers on the delivery of a wide range of local and national projects.  In recent years, Brendan has advised on almost every significant infrastructure project across Ireland spanning the areas of energy, transport, water, wastewater and the agri-business sector. He has lectured for the Law Society on each of the Professional Practice Course in Conveyancing, the Diploma in Commercial Conveyancing and the Diploma in Planning and Environmental Law, for Trinity College on a range of postgraduate diploma and masters courses.

Michael Barrett, Legal Manager, Commission for Regulation of Utilities  
Michael is a solicitor working in energy regulation, managing the legal team of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities since 2019. Michael previously worked in private practice, specialising in administrative and regulatory law, and is a member of the Council of European Energy Regulators’ Legal Affairs Committee and the Law Society’s In-house & Public Sector Committee

Susan Murray, Legal Counsel, C&C 
Susan joined C&C Group in October 2021 as their Senior Legal Counsel. C&C Group is a leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of premium drinks. Susan helps the business with a wide variety of general legal matters (including: contracts, data protection, intellectual property, and compliance). She is also involved in assisting the business with many of its ESG initiatives, including being a member of the company’s Ethical and Sustainable Procurement Working Group.  Susan is also passionate about wellbeing and mental health, and is a trained mental health first aider. Prior to joining C&C Group, Susan worked in private practice (which included completing secondments at a variety of clients in different sectors), and also worked as in-house counsel for an international engineering company.

 

Lucy Maxwell, Senior Assistant Company Secretary, C&C 
Having completed a law degree at Glasgow University, Lucy qualified as a Chartered Secretary working in listed company environments such as ASOS plc and Kin and Carta plc, which became the first B-Corp accredited company on the London Stock Exchange. In addition to ensuring companies maintain high standards of corporate governance, Lucy has played an integral role in progressing their overall sustainability agenda. She joined C&C Group plc, a leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of premium drinks, in August 2019 and is Secretary to its ESG Committee. 

 

NOTE: Following your participation in this course Law Society Professional Training will issue you with a digital CPD certificate using blockchain-based technology. With blockchain, you can verify with others - such as the Law Society CPD Scheme section - the authenticity of your certificate in a matter of seconds. This initiative is the result of collaboration between Law Society Professional Training and VerifyEd. In summary, you will be provided with a complimentary, secure, virtual library where you can save your future digital CPD certificates. This allows Law Society Professional Training to better serve you, our member, by providing an encrypted platform to issue CPD certificates with cryptographic proof that they were issued by Law Society Professional Training. [Allow 14 days for your certificate to be issued].

 

IMPORTANT:

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