Holland & Knight LLP issued the following announcement on Sept. 14.
Holland & Knight and eight other leading U.S. law firms have launched a groundbreaking initiative to deliver free legal services worth $15 million by 2020 to advance climate action around the world. The first-of-its-kind program, Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy will offer pro bono legal assistance to entrepreneurs, community-based nonprofits and governmental organizations taking on key sustainability challenges across multiple sectors in energy, transportation and land use.
As one of the founding members of Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy, Holland & Knight has pledged to donate legal services worth at least $2 million by the end of 2020. It and the other participating firms will provide a range of services to clients, including on matters as diverse as incorporation, corporate governance (e.g., bylaws, policies), contracts, real estate, intellectual property protection, website-related issues (e.g., privacy policies, terms of use), regulatory issues, structuring advice for transactions such as financing and investment, tax advice and litigation.
Over the past few years, Holland & Knight has done a significant amount of sustainability and climate-related pro bono work. Currently, the firm is representing Rocky Mountain Institute in assisting the British Virgin Islands Electric Company, a government-owned electric utility, in drafting and negotiating a power purchase agreement with a solar PV project developer that would bring renewable energy to the island. Holland & Knight also works closely with Arctic 21, an informal network of Arctic advocates, climate scientists and research organizations, to raise the profile of Arctic climate trends in Congress, the United Nations and the Arctic Council. The firm helps Arctic 21 facilitate discussions between its participants and domestic and international policymakers about the climate changes taking place in the Arctic and how they affect the rest of the planet.
“Holland & Knight is proud to be one of the founding members of the Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy and is committed to providing pro bono services to advance sustainability projects by 2020,” said Buddy Schulz, chair of the firm’s Public and Charitable Service Department. “Our Energy and Natural Resources Industry Sector Group has long been a supporter in advancing renewable energy projects, and we look forward to continuing our work with the Global Climate Action Summit to advance this important global initiative.”
Stanford Law School and Stanford’s Precourt Institute for Energy, which helped incubate Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy, will facilitate connections between Holland & Knight and the other participating firms and potential pro bono clients, as well as track the effort’s impact. In addition, leading public interest organizations will assist potential clients in connecting with the founding firms.
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