DLA Piper wins at FT Innovative Lawyer Awards Europe 2023

DLA Piper was crowned the winner in the Innovation in Adjacent Services category at the 2023 edition of the FT Innovative Lawyer Awards Europe last night.  

In a ceremony held at the Natural History Museum in London, DLA Piper took home the prize for its ESG Due Diligence tool in combination with applied business advisory to produce comprehensive reporting and advice on ESG considerations on both sides of a transaction. The data-driven tool, powered by AI, leverages evidence-based insights, quantifying unstructured data drawing on corporate reports, hard and soft law, and the media to produce a materiality matrix which allows the framing of ESG due diligence around issues that are a priority for specific sectors and clients. The tool incorporates not only regulatory requirements and commercial norms, but also international standards and voluntary initiatives, accommodating increased appetite for positive ESG outcomes.

The award is testament to the value of an integrated legal and advisory approach which was derived and delivered under the combined steer of Corporate partner and Chair of Boardroom Counsel, Alex Tamlyn, and International Director of ESG and Organisational Change, Sean Faehrmann. They worked with a cross-jurisdictional, cross-discipline team of ESG and legal specialists to establish the evidence-based, qualitative analytical framework to identify, validate, and interrogate client ESG issues.

The FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Europe are among the most prestigious awards on the legal calendar and are highly competitive. They recognise lawyers, law firms and in-house legal teams across Europe that are at the forefront of innovation. Entries are scored by independent experts who review the submission for originality, leadership, and impact.

Jean-Pierre Douglas-Henry, partner and Managing Director - Sustainability and Resilience, commented: “We’re incredibly proud to win such a prestigious award for what has been a very exciting and fulfilling project to work on. We take our role as trusted advisors for our clients seriously, and this is a great example of how we combine technology and commercial knowledge to help our clients succeed and move towards a more sustainable future. Sustainability is at the top of the boardroom agenda, and this award is a timely reminder of how our integrated legal, technology, and advisory proposition helps clients navigate complex challenges to deliver better outcomes.”

DLA Piper was shortlisted in the following categories:  

• Innovation in Adjacent Services – Putting a focus on ESG Due Diligence
• Innovation in Knowledge and Data – [.dla] the defined opportunities tracker
• Innovative Lawyers in Cyber Security and Data Protection - Transfer
• Innovative Lawyers in Responsible Business - The Global Scholarships Programme