As trusted advisers to our clients on sustainability matters, we seek to lead by example by examining and improving our internal environmental sustainability practices. Our market-leading ESG & Impact practice group strives to remain ahead of the curve by incorporating sustainability more broadly into all aspects of our legal practice, and we deploy our legal skills to support pro bono clients focused on environmental protection and sustainability.
We’re committed to working as one Firm to reduce our global environmental footprint. For example, as of 2023:
Kirkland is committed to pursuing sustainability initiatives that reduce our environmental impact while providing a healthy, vibrant work environment for our attorneys and staff. Sustainability is factored into how we design, build and occupy our offices — from construction to energy use to interior furnishings —and we’re proud to have implemented the following initiatives at our offices around the globe:
For four years, more than a dozen dedicated Kirkland staff members have volunteered with Soap Cycling, an organization that partners with hotels and businesses to recycle and redistribute soap. The Soap Cycling program not only helps reduce landfill waste, but also improves access to sanitation for people across Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines and China.
Hong Kong, China
Soap Cycling
Kirkland’s Munich office takes many actions that have the potential to reduce waste and energy use. Nearly 95% of attorneys and staff bike or take public transportation to work, and the office uses bicycle couriers for deliveries within the city. The Munich office also works with local food-and-beverage providers, uses reusable dishes in the kitchen, purchases renewable energy for some of its electricity needs and more.
Munich, Germany
Reduce and Reuse
Kirkland donates unused food that meets safety requirements to different charities across our markets. The Houston office partnered with Second Serving, donating more than 300 pounds of food across eight charities in January 2024.
Houston, TX
Paying it Forward
The café in the D.C. office provides delicious meals using ingredients sourced from local farmers and producers where possible. And some of these ingredients are even sourced seasonally from the office’s very own rooftop herb garden, including basil, dill, cilantro and more.
Washington, D.C.
Farm-to-Table
Kirkland’s London office actively promotes a positive sustainability focus through actionable steps, including a zero-landfill policy. This policy aims to recycle 70% of building waste (including used coffee beans, cooking oils and expired medical supplies that can be reused for training purposes); compost or convert 30% of remaining waste to energy; and reduce the need for plastic bottles by filtering water onsite and providing glass bottles.
London, England
Minimizing Waste
In early 2024, Kirkland’s Chicago attorneys and staff moved to a new location at Wolf Point. The modernized office space included a push toward digital documents and away from paper products. Ahead of this transition to digital, Chicago employees shredded and recycled 196 tons of paper.
Chicago, IL
A Green Move
Our offices in L.A. have embraced cleaner commuting alternatives. The Century City office has nearly 200 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, along with more than 40 bike racks. Meanwhile, the downtown office features more than 20 EV charging stations, with more planned for installation.
Los Angeles, California
Cleaner Commuting
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tons of food waste composted*
of our offices recycled glass*
of our offices had a process to reuse or donate used office supplies*
of our offices recycled electronics, ink/toner and batteries*
Kirkland’s ESG Task Force, established in 2022, is committed to advancing sustainability initiatives and community service across our offices and around the world. The Task Force, which comprises Firmwide personnel who have a passion for sustainability-related topics, aims to collect data and evaluate Kirkland’s environmental actions.
With the goal of taking a more coordinated and methodical approach to reducing our environmental impact and serving our communities, the ESG Task Force tracks Kirkland’s local community service activities and surveys attorneys and staff to better understand our sustainability and community service goals.
Kirkland has a history of providing pro bono legal counsel on a range of environmental, sustainability, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. These efforts include analyzing organizations’ environmental impact statements, advising charitable organizations on corporate governance obligations, providing incorporation advice to clients and more.
Recently, a Kirkland pro bono team began advising government entities and nonprofits through the application process to receive tax credits for installing solar panels — a measure that had previously been available only to businesses. And in 2023, partner Paul Barker attended nonprofit organization A4ID’s event at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai to speak about private finance and investment in the energy transition.
In 2023, Kirkland shredded and recycled 505 tons of paper in our U.S. offices. This recycled paper has the potential to create the following impactful results*:
*Numbers calculated by Shred-it and Iron Mountain
Kirkland and our attorneys donate to organizations focused on nature and environmental sustainability. Through our charitable giving, we’ve helped ignite youth appreciation for the natural world, bring a 1.5-mile park system to the city of Austin, protect endangered species, support nonprofit environmental advocacy groups and more. Over the years, we’ve also donated millions of dollars and many pro bono and volunteer hours toward natural disaster recovery efforts, restoring our communities and supporting the people within them.