Global law firm Goodwin today announced the appointment of lawyers Cammy Contizano, Patrick Deasy, and Danielle Reyes as co-chairs of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) & Impact practice.
“Corporate impact on social, economic, and environmental aspects of society is one of the most critical issues for companies, consumers, and regulators around the world, and has become a mandatory component of business strategy,” said Josh Klatzkin, co-chair of Goodwin’s Business Law Department. “Cammy, Patrick, Sean, and Danielle have a deep understanding of the trends that are key to developing and maintaining effective ESG and impact investing policies and programs. Under their leadership, we will continue to provide best-in-class counsel to clients looking to implement ESG initiatives and strategies while managing legal and operational risks.
”Goodwin’s ESG & Impact practice advises more than 1,000 clients on effective and efficient long-term strategies to comply with evolving requirements and foster positive change — including ESG reporting and disclosures, impact and responsible investing, and corporate philanthropy — in order to deliver results at the intersection of corporate citizenship, purpose-driven investments, social impact, and the bottom line. Impact and responsible investing is intended to generate societal, environmental, and economic progress, in addition to competitive financial returns by taking into consideration ESG factors that help investors both manage risks and generate sustainable, and arguably higher, long-term returns.
Contizano is a partner in Goodwin’s Private Equity group and co-chair of Goodwin’s Washington, D.C. office, advising clients on a broad range of commercial transactions including impact investing. She was a founding member of the firm’s Impact and Responsible Investing practice. Deasy is a partner in the firm’s Private Investment Funds practice in London, focusing on private capital solutions across impact investment funds and various alternative asset classes. Reyes is a counsel in the firm’s Financial Industry group, providing broad regulatory compliance advice with a focus on financial inclusion, Community Reinvestment Act matters, corporate social responsibility programs, non-financial reporting, and ESG diligence. She co-founded Goodwin’s CSR & ESG practice, which merged with the firm’s Impact and Responsible Investing practice in 2020.
The new leaders succeed Mandee Gruen, who was a founding member of the Impact and Responsible Investing practice alongside Contizano in 2016 and was on the steering committee for the CSR & ESG practice. She now co-chairs Goodwin’s Private Investment Funds practice.
Areas of focus for Goodwin’s ESG & Impact practice include ESG disclosure requirements, standards, and frameworks; ESG ratings issues; full-service transactional support; impact investment fund formation; data privacy best practices and regulatory compliance; sustainability and diversity initiatives; charitable activity guidance; and tax-exempt organization formation. Learn more about the practice and the team.