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Environment, Health and Safety

Environment, health and safety compliance is vital in any business. Non-compliance with regulatory requirements and failure to address potential liabilities increasingly results in reputational and financial consequences as well as the risk of legal liability. 

Our team of advisory practitioners and litigators throughout the world work together to design innovative client-focused solutions to solve complex problems arising from laws and regulations that govern environmental protection, health and safety, energy, natural resources and products. 

With one of the largest environment, health and safety legal teams in the world, we bring a local, national and global perspective to help you to anticipate and implement the most effective approaches.  We can provide a fully integrated approach across multiple jurisdictions and a seamless client experience. 

Local insight, global reach: with lawyers in 20 African countries, our teams understand the political, legal, cultural and regulatory issues in the region. Our local lawyers are supported by our global Africa team which comprises more than 200 lawyers in Johannesburg, Casablanca, London, New York, Paris, Dubai, Perth, Hong Kong and Beijing. 

Our lawyers have played a major role in shaping the law, participating in rulemaking, enforcement litigation and advocacy. They apply this knowledge to provide timely advice and representation for regulatory obligations while tracking issues of emerging importance. 

Key capabilities include: 

  • counseling and advocacy: air, water, toxics, waste management, employee safety, fracking, carbon trading, climate change; tailored compliance policies and procedures; implementing legislation; advising on applications and other authorizations; litigation prevention
  • enforcement defence and litigation: vigorously defending clients in high-stakes, complex litigation in jurisdictions across the world and in arbitration proceedings and mediation
  • transactions: representing investors, buyers, sellers and lenders on issues arising from the transfer and financing of businesses and real estate around the globe, including due diligence and negotiating allocation of liabilities; cross-border transactions and disposition
  • investigations and audits: dealing with all types of regulatory investigations and enforcement of laws and regulations around the world; managing internal and external compliance audits; self-notification issues; appearing before various regulatory authorities if action is taken
  • climate change: legislation and energy efficiency measures; advocacy, counseling and transactional support for national and sub-national carbon trading initiatives; carbon credits; climate legal risk; strategic climate plans; international climate negotiations.
  • crisis management: Rapid Response global crisis management hotline service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for regulatory legal advice and crises assistance; defending in the event of raids by regulators and investigating authorities; controlling major industrial hazards 

Please contact us to discuss how we can help you to achieve your objectives.