August 21, 2025
AUTHOR Inside Practice
Legal ESG: London 2025 — Key Highlights from the Premier ESG Legal Conference
On 8–9 July 2025, leading legal minds gathered in London for the 3rd Annual Legal ESG: London conference, hosted by Addleshaw Goddard. This two-day flagship event brought together law firm leaders, general counsels, policymakers, and ESG strategists to tackle the most pressing challenges at the intersection of law, sustainability, and geopolitics.
With the theme Risk, Responsibility, Resilience, and Recognition, the event underscored how lawyers are not only interpreters of regulation but also architects of sustainable, ethical, and future-proof business practices.
Some Key Highlights From the Day
Bennett Freeman on Trump 2.0 and the Rule of Law
In a powerful keynote at Legal ESG: London 2025, Bennett Freeman (Chatham House; former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor) delivered a sobering warning on the state of democracy, governance, and ESG.
Framing his address around “Trump 2.0 and Its Global Implications,” Freeman outlined three urgent messages:
- The rule of law in the U.S. is under existential threat, with politicized courts, weakened institutions, and attacks on civil liberties.
- The international legal order is steadily eroding, raising profound risks for global accountability and governance.
- The ESG agenda—though imperfect—remains too critical to abandon, as it underpins business responsibility and sustainability.
Calling the legal profession a “firewall against authoritarianism,” Freeman challenged lawyers to defend democratic values, resist political intimidation, and lead with integrity in an era of geopolitical upheaval.
Keynote Spotlight: Beyond Compliance – Why Trust is ESG’s Real Currency
At Legal ESG: London 2025,
Gihan Hyde (CommUnique CEO) delivered a provocative reminder: ESG success isn’t about ticking compliance boxes—it’s about building trust.
Using the €90 billion Wirecard scandal as a case study, Hyde underscored how robust frameworks can still collapse without authentic communication, inclusivity, and engagement.
Her message rested on three pillars of trust:
- Clear Communication – ESG must be transparent, jargon-free, and universally understood.
- Legal Legitimacy – True ESG embeds responsibility beyond compliance.
- Stakeholder Engagement – Inclusivity is foundational, not optional.
Hyde also exposed three blind spots undermining ESG progress. In today’s ESG landscape, compliance alone won’t protect firms. Only trust, built through transparency and genuine engagement, ensures resilience.
View Our Highlights Video Below
Our Upcoming ESG Events
Legal ESG: Europe:
An opportunity for law firm leaders, in-house counsel, compliance professionals, and ESG experts to come together, learn from each other, confront the challenges on the horizon, and commit to a future where ESG is a fundamental element of corporate strategy and legal practice.
Legal ESG: Benelux: We will discuss key themes including regulatory change, political context, litigation, and the evolving role of legal professionals in the ESG space.
