The ESG Litigation Summit 2025 - The 3rd Annual

The Only Litigation Forum Dedicated to ESG Issues in the UK and EU

Wednesday, 12th March 2025 | One Whitehall Place

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Agenda

ESG Litigation

Networking & Registration
9.00

Chairperson's Opening Remarks
9.15

Heather Gagen, Head of Dispute Resolution and Head of ESG & Impact
Travers Smith

Keynote Address: Mr. Justice Robin Knowles on the Future of ESG Litigation in the United Kingdom
09:20

The Hon. Mr Justice Knowles, Judge
High Court of England and Wales

Understanding Current Supply Chain Reporting Standards
09.50

  • Supply chain security & the impact of supply chain practices on the environment
  • CSR & Supply Chain Management
  • Challenges of navigating diverse international regulations

Michael Barlow , Partner
Burges Salmon

Anthony Quinn, Head of Litigation
Ken Kennedy

Nathalie Allen, Partner
Addleshaw Goddard

Sarah Taylor, Partner
Holman Fenwick Willan

Networking & Refreshment Break
10:30

Evaluating the First Successful Greenwashing Cases
10.50

  • Outcomes of the KLM Greenwashing Case
  • Potential outcomes of the FCA greenwashing regulation
  • How do you price environmental damage; can it be attributed to specific entities and if so, how?

Marie-Hélène Berghuijs, Partner
Eversheds Sutherland

Wynne Lawrence, Partner
Clyde & Co

Marit Bosselaar, Senior Associate
Loyens & Loeff

Frank Peters, Head of Impact and Litigation
Rubicon Litigation

Richard Druce, Senior Managing Director
NERA

Assesing the Impact of Recent EU Regulation on ESG Ratings
11:40

  • Current Standards of ESG Ratings 
  • Exploring the Effects of CS3D on Corporate Responsibility 
  • Ensuring compliance for corporate clients

Dr. Matthias Lang, Partner
Bird & Bird

Raminta Dereskeviciute, Partner
McDermott Will & Emery

Networking & Lunch Break
12:10

Discussing Collective Action as an ESG Tool
13.10

  • Evaulating future prospects for cases in front of the CAT after ClientEarth v Shell
  • Using GLOs or CPR19.8 mechanisms in the UK to pursue justice
  • Implications of the current water pollution cases

Heather Gagen, Head of Dispute Resolution and Head of ESG & Impact
Travers Smith

Julianne Hughes-Jennett, Partner
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

Zoë Mernick-Levene, Partner
RPC

Sylvie Gallage-Alwis, Partner
Signature Litigation (France)

Daniel Saoul KC, Barrister
4 New Square

Examining Human Rights Protections in a Multinational Corporate World
14.00

  • Due dilligence regulation across different jurisdictions
  • Working with counsel in foreign regions to combat modern slavery
  • Using existing compliance frameworks to get ahead 

Nicolas J.S. Lockhart, Partner
Sidley Austin LLP

Moira Thompson Oliver, Head of Business and Human Rights
Slaughter and May

Robert Kovacs, Partner
Withers

Reviewing Reputation Management and PR Issues in ESG
14.30

  • Exploring how ESG Practices affect a Company’s reputation
  • ESG reporting & Disclosure.
  • Identifying key stakeholders & their influence on reputation

Michael Fenn, Partner
Pinsent Masons (United Kingdom)

Lawrence Dore, Partner
DRD Partnership

Gaëtan de Robillard , Senior Associate
Signature Litigation (France)

Hossein Sharafi, Barrister
4 Stone Buildings

Networking & Refreshment Break
15:10

Exploring ESG Concerns for Financial Institutions
15.30

  • The rise of OECD complaints against financial institutions
  • Maintaining sustainable operations in banking
  • Integrating ESG into risk management frameworks

Eliza Petritsi, Director, Antitrust Compliance
Deutsche Bank

Elena Elia, Assistant General Counsel, Financial Crime
Wells Fargo

Jacob Turner, Barrister
Fountain Court Chambers

Anthea Bowater, Counsel
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Tanveer Qureshi, Barrister
4-5 Gray's Inn Square

Managing ESG Responsibilities in Client Relations
16.20

  • Proactively assesing ESG liabilities
  • Use of experts in auditing supply chains and accounting for resources
  • Effective communication with clients

Rekha Rogers, Solicitor Advocate
Pallas Partners

Katie Bewick, Senior Associate
Charles Russell Speechlys

Sarah Ellington, Partner
Watson Farley & Williams

Dr. Sonja Hoffmann, Partner
White & Case

Analyzing Global Trends in ESG Regulation
17:00

  • Pushback against ESG litigation in the United States
  • How EU regulation is influencing other regulators
  • Updates from Australia and LATAM

Chris Owen, Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright

Dr. Julia Grothaus, German Head of Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations
Linklaters

Claude Brown, Partner
Reed Smith

Chairperson's Closing Remarks
17:30

Heather Gagen, Head of Dispute Resolution and Head of ESG & Impact
Travers Smith

9.00
Networking & Registration
9.15
Chairperson's Opening Remarks
Heather Gagen - Head of Dispute Resolution and Head of ESG & Impact - Travers Smith
09:20
Keynote Address: Mr. Justice Robin Knowles on the Future of ESG Litigation in the United Kingdom
The Hon. Mr Justice Knowles - Judge - High Court of England and Wales
09.50
Understanding Current Supply Chain Reporting Standards
  • Supply chain security & the impact of supply chain practices on the environment
  • CSR & Supply Chain Management
  • Challenges of navigating diverse international regulations
Michael Barlow - Partner - Burges Salmon
Anthony Quinn - Head of Litigation - Ken Kennedy
Nathalie Allen - Partner - Addleshaw Goddard
Sarah Taylor - Partner - Holman Fenwick Willan
10:30
Networking & Refreshment Break
10.50
Evaluating the First Successful Greenwashing Cases
  • Outcomes of the KLM Greenwashing Case
  • Potential outcomes of the FCA greenwashing regulation
  • How do you price environmental damage; can it be attributed to specific entities and if so, how?
Marie-Hélène Berghuijs - Partner - Eversheds Sutherland
Wynne Lawrence - Partner - Clyde & Co
Marit Bosselaar - Senior Associate - Loyens & Loeff
Frank Peters - Head of Impact and Litigation - Rubicon Litigation
Richard Druce - Senior Managing Director - NERA
11:40
Assesing the Impact of Recent EU Regulation on ESG Ratings
  • Current Standards of ESG Ratings 
  • Exploring the Effects of CS3D on Corporate Responsibility 
  • Ensuring compliance for corporate clients
Dr. Matthias Lang - Partner - Bird & Bird
Raminta Dereskeviciute - Partner - McDermott Will & Emery
12:10
Networking & Lunch Break
13.10
Discussing Collective Action as an ESG Tool
  • Evaulating future prospects for cases in front of the CAT after ClientEarth v Shell
  • Using GLOs or CPR19.8 mechanisms in the UK to pursue justice
  • Implications of the current water pollution cases
Heather Gagen - Head of Dispute Resolution and Head of ESG & Impact - Travers Smith
Julianne Hughes-Jennett - Partner - Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Zoë Mernick-Levene - Partner - RPC
Sylvie Gallage-Alwis - Partner - Signature Litigation (France)
Daniel Saoul KC - Barrister - 4 New Square
14.00
Examining Human Rights Protections in a Multinational Corporate World
  • Due dilligence regulation across different jurisdictions
  • Working with counsel in foreign regions to combat modern slavery
  • Using existing compliance frameworks to get ahead 
Nicolas J.S. Lockhart - Partner - Sidley Austin LLP
Moira Thompson Oliver - Head of Business and Human Rights - Slaughter and May
Robert Kovacs - Partner - Withers
14.30
Reviewing Reputation Management and PR Issues in ESG
  • Exploring how ESG Practices affect a Company’s reputation
  • ESG reporting & Disclosure.
  • Identifying key stakeholders & their influence on reputation
Michael Fenn - Partner - Pinsent Masons (United Kingdom)
Lawrence Dore - Partner - DRD Partnership
Gaëtan de Robillard - Senior Associate - Signature Litigation (France)
Hossein Sharafi - Barrister - 4 Stone Buildings
15:10
Networking & Refreshment Break
15.30
Exploring ESG Concerns for Financial Institutions
  • The rise of OECD complaints against financial institutions
  • Maintaining sustainable operations in banking
  • Integrating ESG into risk management frameworks
Eliza Petritsi - Director, Antitrust Compliance - Deutsche Bank
Elena Elia - Assistant General Counsel, Financial Crime - Wells Fargo
Jacob Turner - Barrister - Fountain Court Chambers
Anthea Bowater - Counsel - Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Tanveer Qureshi - Barrister - 4-5 Gray's Inn Square
16.20
Managing ESG Responsibilities in Client Relations
  • Proactively assesing ESG liabilities
  • Use of experts in auditing supply chains and accounting for resources
  • Effective communication with clients
Rekha Rogers - Solicitor Advocate - Pallas Partners
Katie Bewick - Senior Associate - Charles Russell Speechlys
Sarah Ellington - Partner - Watson Farley & Williams
Dr. Sonja Hoffmann - Partner - White & Case
17:00
Analyzing Global Trends in ESG Regulation
  • Pushback against ESG litigation in the United States
  • How EU regulation is influencing other regulators
  • Updates from Australia and LATAM
Chris Owen - Partner - Norton Rose Fulbright
Dr. Julia Grothaus - German Head of Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations - Linklaters
Claude Brown - Partner - Reed Smith
17:30
Chairperson's Closing Remarks
Heather Gagen - Head of Dispute Resolution and Head of ESG & Impact - Travers Smith

Event Partners

Lead Partner

Travers Smith
Knowledge Partner

NERA

Signature Litigation

Contact Us

Speakers

For Speakers enquiries please contact Owen on +44 (0) 20 3998 9971 or email owen@thoughtleaders4.com

Partnership

For Partnership enquiries please contact Ben Jobson on +44 (0) 20 3059 9525 or email ben.jobson@thoughtleaders4.com

Marketing

For Marketing enquiries please contact Yelda on +44 (0) 20 3398 8551 or email yelda@thoughtleaders4.com

General & Booking Enquiries

For General & Booking Enquiries enquiries please contact Amy on +44 (0) 20 3059 9796 or email amy@thoughtleaders4.com