US law firm Reed Smith has appointed three partners to help drive progress toward its sustainability goals.
- Todd Maiden, Jennifer Smokelin and Elle Todd will serve as the firm’s first sustainability partners.
- It follows the launch of Reed Smith’s Global Environmental Sustainability Plan 2024 devising new measures focused on sustainability.
- The firm also launched its Environmental, Social and Governance practice in July 2022, which advises clients actively transforming their businesses.
Todd Maiden will focus on West US, Jennifer Smokelin on East US and Elle Todd on Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Maiden is based in San Francisco and is a member of Reed Smith’s Environmental & Natural Resources Group. He helps clients maximise business opportunities and manage risks associated with environmental, energy, climate change and ESG and sustainability issues. His geographic role will cover the firm’s five offices in California, and three offices in Texas and Chicago.
Smokelin is also part of the Environmental & Natural Resources Group, Smokelin and is a leader of the ESG practice. She is based in Pittsburgh and represents clients on environmental and emerging energy issues, greenhouse gas legislation, and related environmental issues. Her geographic role will cover the firm’s nine offices in the Eastern time zone.
Todd is based in the London office, in the UK, and is a member of the firm’s Entertainment & Media Industry Group. She has extensive experience contributing to award-winning green initiatives in both the UK and Asia. Her new geographic role will cover the firm’s 13 offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
These appointments follow the launch of Reed Smith’s Global Environmental Sustainability Plan 2024, which underpins the firm’s commitment to driving lasting environmental sustainability within the firm, its communities and the legal industry.
The plan saw the establishment of a sustainability billable-hours policy, which Reed Smith said was the first in the legal industry. The policy, which took effect in June 2022, allows timekeepers to count 25 hours of sustainability-related leadership, advocacy, training and development toward the firm’s 140 hours of billable credit available each year for non-billable work.
In July 2022, Reed Smith formally launched its ESG practice, which advises clients to transform their businesses to address climate change, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and other issues of societal consequence.
“Having three experienced and committed partners leading our global sustainability efforts is a key part of our plan,” said Nick Bagiatis, Reed Smith’s chief operating officer. “Together with our sustainability champions and local green team members, Todd, Jennifer and Elle will be champions for our initial focus on reducing carbon emissions, increasing recycling and fostering internal engagement.”
