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September 19, 2019

New ABA deskbook a resource on lawyer’s corporate social responsibility programs

CHICAGO, Sept. 19, 2019 — The American Bar Association’s newly released “The Lawyer’s Corporate Social Responsibility Deskbook,” published by the ABA Business Law Section, is a comprehensive resource and valuable practice tool for in-house and outside counsel to help their companies, firms and clients develop effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.

Corporate social responsibility initiatives, which previously were voluntary, have become a central element of compliance programs. Companies face significant legal penalties, measurable litigation risk and public relations fallout if they fail to address these requirements. This new guide helps lawyers navigate the challenges of CSR-compliance and provides an informed and sophisticated overview of various CSR-related legal issues. “The Corporate Social Responsibility Deskbook” includes background information and expert guidance on:

  • Evolution of corporate social responsibility and the need for a practitioner’s manual
  • Governance and the role of the board with CSR
  • Best practices for stakeholder engagement
  • CSR reporting and disclosure
  • Global and U.S. federal legal and regulatory requirements for environmental issues
  • Labor and supply chain practices
  • Building a CSR program through an ethics and compliance program
  • How a responsible organization should manage cybersecurity risk.

About the editors:

Alan S. Gutterman is the founding director of the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Project in the San Francisco Bay area. He has over 30 years’ experience as a partner and senior counsel with internationally recognized law firms working in the areas of general corporate and securities, venture capital and mergers and acquisitions.

Margaret M. Cassidy is the principal and founder of Cassidy Law in Washington, D.C. She counsels businesses on legal and ethics matters when dealing with foreign, federal, state and local governments in the areas of corruption, FCPA, fraud, international trade, the False Claims Act, government ethics, procurement and national security.

Travis Miller is an international trade and compliance attorney with Columbus, Ohio-based Assent Compliance, specializing in ITAR/ EAR/Sanctions, global anti-corruption, corporate social responsibility (corporate ethics, CSR/CDP reporting, SEC filings). He manages Assent’s worldwide legal activities.

Ashley C. Walter is a business lawyer with Fenwick & West LLP in Mountainview, Calif., who specializes in advising technology and life sciences companies regarding strategy and compliance with respect to corporate social responsibility-related legal requirements. As chair of the CSR Governance & Compliance Practice Group of Fenwick & West, Ashley provides value to clients by bringing a firm grounding in corporate social issues.

The resource guide is written by Corporate Social Responsibility legal practice leaders and non-attorney experts. For a complete list of authors, click here.

Title:                      The Lawyer’s Corporate Social Responsibility Deskbook
Publisher:              Business Law Section
Pages:                   360
Product Code:       5070772
ISBN:                     978-1-64105-500-0
Size:                      7x10
Binding:                Paperback
Price:                     $79.95
Orders:                  800-285-2221 or ShopABA.org

Editor’s note: Author interviews and review copies of this book are available by emailing Katrina Krause at [email protected]. If you publish a review of this book, please send tear sheets or a copy for our files to Katrina Krause, ABA Business Law Section, 321 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60654.

 

The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.