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LIDW22

Key global trends: The new frontiers of business ethics and corporate accountability

11 May 2022 | 10:00 - 11:00 (BST)
London International Disputes Week

Hosts

Heather Gagen – Chair, Partner, Travers Smith; Adam Heppinstall QC, Barrister, Henderson Chambers; Brooke Hopkins, Managing director, Alix Partners; Dan Lambeth, Partner, ESG, Brunswick

    What this session will cover

    ESG initiatives bring huge societal, cultural and business opportunities across a myriad of sectors. At the same time, there is ever-increasing scrutiny of organisations’ activities in this area, in a highly interconnected world of business and trade. This begs the question: where do the frontiers of business ethics and corporate accountability now lie?

    Organisations which seek to pursue positive ESG agendas can increasingly find themselves exposed to a dynamic and developing risk landscape. This session will explore the contours of that landscape globally and will highlight key ESG risk trends, including:

    • Corporate liability frameworks – what are the global litigation trends and key risk areas, including parent company and value chain liability?
    • Business ethics and human rights – what is the right balance between soft law frameworks, regulatory intervention and litigation?
    • The role of the Courts – are they becoming legitimate guardians of business ethics or unelected quasi-regulators?
    • ESG activist litigation – could it create a chilling effect and hinder the pursuit of innovative corporate ESG agendas, or will it ensure corporate good behaviour and robust policy response?

    The panel will share their own experiences of effective strategies for navigating this developing risk landscape. It will also debate whether increasing regulatory and litigation activism on business ethics and corporate accountability is proving effective in driving better ESG outcomes.