Kristina Wyatt, Director of Sustainability in the General Counsel’s Office of Latham & Watkins, leads a program that advises companies, investors, and governments on issues related to environment, sustainability, and governance.
Ms. Wyatt leads Latham’s Sustainability Program, which consists of three pillars:
- ESG Counsel
- Conscious Operations
- Community Involvement
The ESG Counsel pillar provides clients across a full spectrum of industries with advice on matters related to ESG in the context of investment strategy, securities offerings, and corporate transactions.
Latham has helped develop RiskHorizon, an innovative and proprietary AI tool for use in the ESG due diligence process.
Ms. Wyatt regularly participates on industry, academic, and legal panels at the forefront of ESG developments. She has written extensively on ESG issues, particularly about public company reporting, green finance, and board governance.
In her multi-faceted role, she draws on complementary experience serving as Legal Counsel to Commissioner Roel C. Campos of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), serving as a Special Counsel in the Office of Chief Counsel in the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, and experience in-house as Assistant General Counsel with Food Lion, Inc.
ESG Counsel
Latham’s representative client work includes advising:
- Platinum Equity, as lead ESG counsel, on US and European acquisitions
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Terrawatt Initiative (TWI), and other leading experts on a landmark open solar contracts initiative to accelerate the deployment of solar power worldwide
- Developers of one of the largest master-planned communities ever proposed in California, on their innovative commitment to reduce or mitigate to zero all greenhouse gas emissions associated with the development
- A range of corporate clients with their ESG governance and public company reporting
Conscious Operations
Ms. Wyatt directs Latham’s internal efforts to reduce the firm’s own impact and environmental footprint around the globe. Specific initiatives include:
- Installing solar panels in the San Diego office to provide onsite renewable energy
- Eliminating single-serve water bottles in all of the firm’s practice and service offices
- Securing LEED, BREEAM, or other green certifications in 17 offices
- Measuring and managing Latham’s energy consumption through the implementation of an energy management platform
- Providing compostable or reusable flatware in all offices
- Exclusively using paper recycled from sugar cane in all US offices
Community Involvement
Ms. Wyatt plays a key role directing the firm’s pro bono legal services to sustainability-focused organizations. As one of the world’s largest providers of pro bono legal services, the firm has advised:
- The Nature Conservancy
- The Ocean Cleanup
- Restore the Earth Foundation
In 2018, Latham co-founded Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy. Founding firms in this first-of-its-kind initiative pledged an unprecedented commitment to support sustainability through their pro bono efforts. Latham has far exceeded its original US$2 million commitment, and provided more than US$6 million in pro bono legal services to organizations focused on sustainability.