The Changing Landscape of Corporate Purpose and Environmental, Social and Governance’s Continued Impact

On Thursday, October 10, 2019, Drinker Biddle’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the firm’s Philadelphia office hosted a CLE event. As one of three one-hour CLEs, Philadelphia partners Beth Diffley and Mona Ghude spoke on a panel that included Cassandre Juste of The Vanguard Group, Inc., and Lisa Whittaker of Global X ETFs, on “The Changing Landscape of Corporate Purpose and Environmental, Social and Governance’s (ESG) Continued Impact,” from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. The panel was moderated by associates Roni Mathew and Stephanie Marcozzi.

The panelists explored:

• How directors can align ESG decision making with their fiduciary duties;
• The demand by investors and other constituencies for greater disclosure on ESG matters;
• ESG’s impact on board composition;
• How to measure the success of ESG initiatives; and
• Investor appetite for ESG investment products.

The other one-hour panel discussions were:

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Making the Right Call: Navigating TCPA Regulation and Litigations
• 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: How to Have the Difficult Conversations to Advance a Diverse and Inclusive Work Environment