As a global law firm, Latham & Watkins approaches our commitment to sustainability in multiple ways, including environmental stewardship and minimizing the impact of our operations around the world. Sustainability is an ever-evolving discipline, through which we continue to seek solutions for our firm, our clients, and our communities.
Latham Sustainability aims to conserve natural resources and energy, decrease our global carbon footprint, and operate in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. Through our robust pro bono program we donate free legal services to nonprofits focused on sustainability and environmental protection globally. And, in parallel, lawyers in our Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Practice advise commercial clients in nearly every industry and across our practices on a range of ESG matters.
Enhancing Our Global Operations
As a member of the Law Firm Sustainability Network, we are committed to measuring our environmental impact and implementing best practices firmwide. We have developed programs in our offices to reduce, recycle, and compost all waste to the extent feasible, and we are implementing an energy management system with a view to reducing our energy consumption and measuring the greenhouse gas impact of our operations. In December 2020, we exceeded our initial goal of reducing our Scopes 1 and 2 (direct and indirect) greenhouse gas emissions by 25% when measured against a 2017 baseline, and the firm went carbon neutral for Scopes 1 and 2. We recently signed onto the Science Based Targets initiative, and are setting new targets for our Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
Making an Impact Locally
Our offices around the globe have developed a variety of grassroots environmental initiatives — ranging from trash cleanup events to using reusable dining products to recycling and composting programs. Seventeen offices hold a LEED or similar green certification, 16 offices have electric vehicle charging stations, 18 offices offer bicycle racks to encourage more earth-friendly commuting practices, and 15 offices subsidize public transportation for employee commuting.
Vendor Code of Conduct
Our sustainability philosophy includes environmental stewardship and ethical business practices, including non-discrimination and the protection of human rights. We expect the companies and individuals supplying goods or services to the firm to commit to the same standards, so we have developed a Vendor Code of Conduct to help ensure we collectively adhere to our sustainable and ethical standards.
Pro Bono Efforts
Pro bono work is a major component of Latham’s culture. We are proud to donate free legal services to an array of individuals and organizations around the world acting to protect the environment, including:
- Blue Marine Foundation
- Coalition for Green Capital
- The European Nature Trust
- ISEAL Alliance
- N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary
- The Nature Conservancy
- Natural Areas Conservancy
- The Ocean Cleanup
- Polar Pod Expedition
- Project Chimps
- Restore the Earth
- The Samburu Project
- Tara Expeditions
- Team Afghan Power
- Trees for Life
- US Water Alliance
We are proud to be a founding member of Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy (LSE), a first-of-its-kind initiative built on an unprecedented commitment from law firms to support sustainability through pro bono efforts. In September 2018, Latham pledged to donate legal services worth at least US$2 million through the end of 2020 to organizations advancing sustainability worldwide. Since then, we have donated more than 18,500 pro bono hours toward organizations promoting sustainability. In January 2022, we renewed our commitment to LSE. Our work ranges from advising on carbon credit programs and reforestation efforts to ocean conservation and clean energy initiatives.