Nine law firms with offices in Bristol have been showcased in the 2024 edition of a ground-breaking legal sector report highlighting the sector’s key contributors to the UK’s green transition.
National and international firms TLT, Foot Anstey and Womble Bond Dickinson all featured in the inaugural Legal 500 UK Green Guide, published last year.
In the latest edition they have been joined by Bristol-headquartered national firm Burges Salmon, national firms Simmons & Simmons, Bevan Brittan and Freeths, which all have offices in Bristol, specialist IP firm Mewburn Ellis and regional firm Michelmores.
In total 40 firms are included in the Legal 500 UK Green Guide 2024 – a marked increase on the 27 featured last year.
Firms were selected due to their recent work on sustainability-related mandates, internal sustainability-related initiatives and information about the team and individual lawyers’ engagement with sustainability.
Michelmores said its recognition in the guide was based on its specific expertise in areas of practice such as natural capital, biodiversity net gain, sustainable agriculture, impact investing, sustainable energy, regulatory advice, project finance, sustainable infrastructure and the built environment.
Over the past 12 months the firm has seen a significant increase in the focus and profile of its practices that align their clients to a sustainable future, including The Forestry Commission, Riverford Organic, Octopus Renewables, SOROS Economic Development Fund, Global Medical Investments and a number of local authorities and NHS trusts.
The firm, which employs more than 450 people across its network of four offices, has also consolidated its prestigious UK-leading natural capital team – bolstered by its strong agriculture and energy expertise – to assist landowners, farmers and developers looking to achieve their sustainability ambitions incorporating carbon net zero ambitions, biodiversity, nutrient neutrality, rewilding and more.
Michelmores has a strong legacy of trying to reduce its own impact on the environment and its work is now led through a partnership with Planet Mark, supported by wider community outreach programmes and initiatives.
The firm’s’ ground-breaking partnership with B Corp impact investor Oxygen House commits a proportion of this client’s legal spend towards measurable environmental initiatives.
Michelmores is also a founding member of the Chancery Lane Project, a pro-bono initiative whereby every contract/law should help provide climate crisis solutions, and advises Avon Needs Trees, a registered charity creating new, permanent woodland throughout the River Avon’s catchment, among others.
TLT, which has more than 150 partners and employs around 1,400 people across its six offices, said over the past year its globally recognised future energy team had advised on innovative future energy projects.
These included working with Enso Energy on the sale of the UK’s largest ready-to-build co-located solar and battery project portfolio, advising renewable energy business Innova Renewables on a strategic partnership with funds managed by Schroders Greencoat, and helping JBM Solar sell a 102 MWP solar portfolio with 65MW AC of co-located battery storage to Vantage RE.
Other sustainability achievements included winning the prestigious Lloyds Bank Sustainable Business of the Year Award at the edie Awards 2023, adopting ambitious targets to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 – which were verified by the Science Based Targets initiative – and partnering with the Chancery Lane Project to launch a built environment contract solutions tool, helping those in the property industry navigate climate-aligned drafting.
International law firm Osborne Clarke, which has a major office in Bristol, was included in Legal 500 UK Green Guide 2023 but does not appear in the latest edition.
