Environmental, social and governance
2021 Annual Litigation Trends Survey
United States | Publication | March 7, 2022
Norton Rose Fulbright's 2021 Annual Litigation Trends Survey indicates that environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and related disputes are top of mind.
Companies in the energy and finance sectors specifically expressed a strong interest in ESG topics, with carbon neutrality being frequently mentioned.
In 2021, concern over ESG issues grew significantly. Of those surveyed, 37% said they were more concerned compared to 21% who said so in 2020.
Companies in the energy and finance sectors expressed the strongest interest in ESG topics, with climate change and carbon neutrality being frequently mentioned. Legal departments are highly engaged with ESG issues: most respondents said their group is highly or at least moderately involved, with only a small minority feeling this was outside their purview.
Download the 2021 Annual Litigation Trends Survey for more details.
This issue
Recent publications
Publication
Motor Finance Redress: The Way Ahead
On August 1, 2025, the UK Supreme Court delivered its long-awaited judgment in Hopcraft v Close Brothers Limited and on 3 August the FCA announced it would consult on a redress scheme.
Publication
Germany delivers landmark copyright ruling against OpenAI: What it means for AI and IP
The Regional Court of Munich (LG München I) has issued a landmark judgment in GEMA v OpenAI (Case No. 42 O 14139/24), holding that the use of copyrighted song lyrics for training generative AI models without a licence violates German copyright law.
Publication
Clarifying charterers’ redelivery obligations under BARECON 2001: Songa Product and Chemical Tankers III AS v Kairos Shipping II LLC
Songa Product and Chemical Tankers III AS v Kairos Shipping II LLC [2025] EWCA Civ 1227 (07 October 2025) has clarified the extent of the obligation on the Charterer to redeliver a vessel following the termination of a Barecon 2001 charter and of the Owner’s right to require it to be redelivered to a port “convenient to them”.
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