Hogan Lovells Appoints New Global Head of Sustainability — ESG Practice Leadership Investment Continues

Hogan Lovells appointed Dr. Marion Palmer as its new Head of Global Sustainability, Policy and Strategy, announced August 13. The hire reflects a sustained investment across major law firms in dedicated ESG practice leadership: Kirkland & Ellis has built a global Sustainability Practice Group focused specifically on reducing litigation and enforcement exposure; Morgan Lewis launched a Summer 2026 ESG Investing Update practice alert series; and Legal 500's 2026 ESG Awards shortlisted A&O Shearman as Best Law Firm Advisory Team in ESG Regulatory and Compliance. The ESG litigation tracking environment — with Alston & Bird, Morgan Lewis, and Kirkland all maintaining dedicated enforcement trackers — signals that firms view ESG as a standing litigation and regulatory risk category requiring specialist infrastructure, not a transient advisory practice. Law firms without dedicated ESG practice leadership and litigation tracking capability are increasingly at a competitive disadvantage in the GC and in-house market, where climate and ESG risk management is now embedded in standard retainer work.