Protecting and responsibly managing the earth’s resources is one of the most pressing issues in today’s world. Through their pro bono work, lawyers at Shearman & Sterling are doing their part to help save the planet. Rainforest Alliance, a new pro bono client of the firm, is a public-interest group that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use and business practices, and consumer behavior. Lawyers from the Project Finance, Property, and Asset Management groups have begun discussions with Rainforest Alliance about a long-term study the firm is undertaking on their behalf.
The study, which will be conducted under the auspices of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice of the New York City Bar, will be an in-depth look at government incentives and policies for sustainable food systems in the Americas. The final report (the expected completion date is October 2009) will be used by Rainforest Alliance, as well as other organizations in the field, to promote successful incentives for governments and businesses. Along with researching government and business practices by country, the firm’s lawyers will interview local counsel, in-house counsel in North America whose companies are involved in food production in the region, NGOs, and think-tanks doing work on these issues, among others.
The first step in the Rainforest Alliance study came in October, when Curtis Doty, counsel in the Asset Management Group, attended the Sustainable Food Laboratory Conference in Antigua, Guatemala. The Food Lab is a community of business and social leaders actively seeking ways to bring about change in the way food is grown, harvested, bought, and distributed. Nearly 70 people participated in conference discussions ranging from business-NGO partnerships to policies on sustainable production and consumption. Doty, who participated on a panel about creating incentives, found the conference “very informative,” noting that “it was a chance to hear the perspectives of a diverse group of participants, ranging from multi-national food producers to NGOs, journalists and ‘green’ entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. There are some very innovative programs that exist throughout the world.”
Lawyers currently involved on the project are Doty; Gregory Tan, partner, Project Finance & Development; Robert Fagiola, counsel, Property; Andrew Feng, associate, Asset Management; Anna Lee Iijima, associate, Property; Gregory Milne, associate, Property; Christian Rudloff, associate, Property; and, Manuel Arreaza, legal assistant, Property.