ESG for Asset Managers

We provide sophisticated and practical advice to asset managers across the U.S., Europe, Asia and other jurisdictions on ESG matters. Our long history representing leading asset managers on cutting edge and business-critical matters in the major global markets means that we are well positioned to help our clients navigate the complexities of the rapidly evolving ESG market and multiple regulatory frameworks.

ESG investing is a growing and rapidly developing priority for investors, asset managers, portfolio companies and, increasingly, regulators. Investors’ consideration of the social and environmental impact of their investment activities is transforming the proposition offered by many asset managers and the ways in which they operate that both includes and transcends regulatory considerations. Emerging ESG trends and issues also affect the way that asset managers think about investment objectives, methodologies, processes, performance and disclosure. Understanding legal, regulatory, market and business considerations and requirements that apply to ESG is crucial for not just legal and compliance professionals but also investment professionals and other business personnel.

Dechert’s Financial Services team in the U.S., Europe and Asia monitors for and provides actionable advice related to legal, regulatory, enforcement, market, business and other ESG trends and developments in jurisdictions around the world. We maintain close connections with regulators, industry trade groups and standard setters in these major markets and focus not just on current rules, standards and practices but also the direction in which these are heading. As a result, Dechert is well positioned to help asset managers and other financial services industry participants to anticipate and respond to emerging ESG trends and developments in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner.

How Can Dechert Help Fund and Asset Managers Considering ESG?

We provide clients with solutions-oriented legal, regulatory, and business advice on a wide variety of ESG-related matters, including:

Understanding and navigating the evolving ESG and sustainability-related regulatory landscape and requirements (in the U.S., Europe and Asia)
Forming ESG funds and other investment products.
Integrating ESG considerations and ratings, criteria and standards into existing products and strategies.
Responding to ESG-related regulatory inquiries and assisting with ESG-related regulatory examinations.
Negotiating side letters to address investors’ ESG considerations.
Drafting ESG disclosures, compliance programs, screening questionnaires and responses to due diligence inquiries.
Helping design ESG-related policies and procedures, including those related to proxy voting.
Helping design ESG-related investment oversight and governance policies and controls.
Understanding and implementing ESG screening.
Addressing specific sustainability and ESG topics that arise in the private equity context.
Addressing fiduciary and other considerations, including with regard to retirement and pension plan assets.

How Can Dechert Help Fund and Asset Managers Considering ESG?

Latest Presentations

September 7, 2022

February 23, 2022

Key Contacts

Julien Bourgeois

Partner Washington, D.C.
+1 202 261 3451
Mikhaelle Schiappacasse

Partner London
+44 20 7184 7845
Arne Bolch

National Partner Luxembourg
+ 352 45 62 62 27
Katie Carter

Partner London
+44 20 7184 7433
Angelo Lercara LL.M. EuR

Partner Munich
+49 89 21 21 63 15
Ciara O’Leary

Partner Dublin
+353 1 436 8554
Mark D. Perlow

Partner San Francisco
+1 415 262 4530

Latest Guidance

OnPoint: CSSF SFDR/ Sustainable Finance Related Developments March/April 2023 (April 12, 2023)

OnPoint: SFDR Update Alert: AMF Proposes Revisions to SFDR (February 22, 2023)

OnPoint: Luxembourg’s CSSF SFDR Guidance: What You Need to Know (December 21, 2022)

OnPoint: ESAs Publish Q&A on the SFDR RTS (December 14, 2022)

OnPoint: CP22/20: Further Leaves Unfurl on the Tree of the UK ESG Regime (November 18, 2022)

The German Financial Regulator BaFin Clarifies the EU Commission’s Q&As Regarding SFDR (October 5, 2022)

OnPoint: CSSF Announces Fast Track Approval Process for SFDR Level 2 Disclosures (September 22, 2022)

OnPoint: RTS Under the SFDR Published in the Official Journal (July 28, 2022)

OnPoint: SEC Issues Proposed Rule Amendments Regarding Fund Naming Conventions (July 8, 2022)

OnPoint: SEC Issues Rule Proposal Related to Certain Investment Advisers’ and Funds’ Disclosures About ESG Investment Practices (June 30, 2022)

OnPoint: SEC Proposes Amendments to Rule Governing Fund Naming Conventions, Including Use of ESG Investing Practices (June 1, 2022)

OnPoint: SEC Proposes Additional Disclosures by Certain Investment Advisers and Funds about ESG Investment Practices (June 1, 2022)

OnPoint: SFDR – April/May 2022 Developments (May 25, 2022)

OnPoint: EU Commission Adopts RTS Under the SFDR (April 8, 2022)

OnPoint: FCA Policy Statement on Enhancing Climate-Related Disclosures by UK Asset Managers (April 5, 2022)

OnPoint: SEC Proposes Comprehensive Climate-Related Disclosure Rules (March 29, 2022)

Publication: ESG for Asset Managers - Read our chapter in International Comparative Legal Guide – Environmental, Social & Governance Law 2023 (February 2, 2023)

Publication: Dechert’s Financial Services team publishes in International Comparative Legal Guide – Environmental, Social & Governance Law 2022 (January 4, 2022)

OnPoint: Dechert on ESG: A Practical Guide for Asset Managers — Utilizing Principles and Frameworks for ESG Reporting and Disclosure (December 17, 2020)

The Rise of ESG Investing: Alternative Investment Funds Laws and Regulations 2020 (August 7, 2020)

OnPoint: Overview of the Principles for Responsible Investment (April 6, 2020)

Publication: Dechert on ESG: Diversity and Inclusion in Asset Management (December 18, 2019)

Publication: Dechert on ESG: An Overview for Asset Managers (December 11, 2019)

OnPoint: More ESGcitement From the DOL – New Proposed Investment/Proxy ERISA Regulations (November 12, 2021)

OnPoint: CSSF SFDR/ Sustainable Finance Related Developments March/April 2023 (April 12, 2023)

OnPoint: SFDR Update Alert: AMF Proposes Revisions to SFDR (February 22, 2023)

OnPoint: Luxembourg’s CSSF SFDR Guidance: What You Need to Know (December 21, 2022)

OnPoint: ESAs publish Q&A on the SFDR RTS (December 14, 2022)

OnPoint: CP22/20: Further leaves unfurl on the tree of the UK ESG regime (November 18, 2022)

The German Financial Regulator BaFin Clarifies the EU Commission’s Q&As Regarding SFDR (October 5, 2022)

OnPoint: CSSF announces Fast Track Approval Process for SFDR Level 2 disclosures (September 22, 2022)

OnPoint: RTS under the SFDR published in the Official Journal (July 28, 2022)

OnPoint: SFDR – April/May 2022 developments (May 25, 2022)

OnPoint: EU Commission adopts RTS under the SFDR (April 8, 2022)

OnPoint: FCA Policy Statement on Enhancing Climate-Related Disclosures by UK Asset Managers (April 5, 2022)

OnPoint: Application of RTS under the SFDR – further delayed to 1 January 2023 (December 1, 2021)

OnPoint: EU Commission Publishes Final Draft RTS Under SFDR (November 3, 2021)

OnPoint: FCA Consultation on Enhancing Climate-Related Disclosures by UK Asset Managers (September 6, 2021)

OnPoint: EU Commission Publishes Q&A on the application of SFDR (August 3, 2021)

OnPoint: RTS under the SFDR – Six-Month Reprieve (July 9, 2021)

OnPoint: The SFDR Jigsaw – putting the pieces together (June 28, 2021)

Hot Topic: SFDR in France, Germany and Luxembourg: a comparison – Thomson Reuters, Practical Law (February 16, 2021)

OnPoint: ESAs publish final report on draft Regulatory Technical Standards for SFDR (February 16, 2021)

OnPoint: AMF ESG Doctrine: Goldplating SFDR by another name? (January 26, 2021)

OnPoint: Dechert on ESG: Preparing for SFDR (January 18, 2021)

OnPoint: Is Brexit Green? A UK Roadmap Towards Mandatory Post-Brexit Climate-Related Disclosures (December 3, 2020)

OnPoint: SFDR: Regulatory Technical Standards: Disharmonious Delay? (October 8, 2020)

OnPoint: Survey - EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) - Art 4. Adverse Sustainability Impacts Statement - Who is Complying and Who is Explaining? (October 2, 2020)

OnPoint: AMF Doctrine Alert: Changes to the doctrine (August 6, 2020)

OnPoint: UPDATE: New requirements for marketing UCITS and retail-AIFs in France (July 24, 2020)

OnPoint: ESA’s Consultation on the Draft Regulatory Technical Standards of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (May 29, 2020)

OnPoint: New Requirements for Marketing UCITS and Retail-AIFs in France (May 20, 2020)

OnPoint: FCA CP on Climate Related Disclosures (March 18, 2020)

OnPoint: Disclosure Regulation – What Is It and Who Is Impacted? (December 19, 2019)

OnPoint: Overview of the EU Taxonomy Regulation (November 18, 2020)

OnPoint: Overview of the EU Shareholder Rights Directive II (November 16, 2020)

OnPoint: Overview of the EU Directive on the Activities and Supervision of IORP (October 19, 2020)

OnPoint: Overview of the ESG Driven Amendment to AIFMD and the UCITS Directive (September 2, 2020)

OnPoint: Overview of the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive (June 16, 2020)

OnPoint: Overview of the ESG Driven Amendments to MiFID (May 6, 2020)

OnPoint: Overview of the EU Benchmark Regulation and the Low Carbon Benchmark Regulation (April 28, 2020)

OnPoint: SEC Issues Proposed Rule Amendments Regarding Fund Naming Conventions (July 8, 2022)

OnPoint: SEC Issues Rule Proposal Related to Certain Investment Advisers’ and Funds’ Disclosures About ESG Investment Practices (June 30, 2022)

OnPoint: SEC Proposes Amendments to Rule Governing Fund Naming Conventions, Including Use of ESG Investing Practices (June 1, 2022)

OnPoint: SEC Proposes Additional Disclosures by Certain Investment Advisers and Funds about ESG Investment Practices (June 1, 2022)

OnPoint: SEC Proposes Comprehensive Climate-Related Disclosure Rules (March 29, 2022)

Publication: Trends in SEC ESG Comments: Registered Funds (February 2022)

OnPoint: SEC Division of Examinations Issues Risk Alert Regarding ESG Investing (April 22, 2021)

OnPoint: Expectations Under the Biden Administration – The ESG and Diversity/Inclusion Outlook for Reporting Companies and Asset Managers (January 5, 2021)

Publication: ESG Investing — Considerations for U.S. Registered Investment Advisers (December 1, 2019)

OnPoint: Unintended Consequences of Investing According to Environmental, Social and Governance Principles (May 30, 2019)

ERISA

OnPoint: More ESGcitement From the DOL – New Proposed Investment/Proxy ERISA Regulations (November 12, 2021)

OnPoint: A DOL Proxy Vote Against ESG? New ERISA Proposal May Limit Plans' Exercise of Shareholder Rights (September 14, 2020)

OnPoint: An ESGciting Development – Proposed Regulation on ESG Considerations Under ERISA (June 30, 2020)

OnPoint: ERISA’s Social Goals? ESG Considerations Under ERISA (May 15, 2020)

Additional Presentations

Video: 2021 Permanent & Private Capital Summit – DE&I and ESG: As the World Turns (June 3, 2021)

Video: EU ESG Regulatory Developments: SFDR Phase 2 (May 26, 2021)

Video: Global ESG and Sustainable Investing (May 18, 2021)

Podcast: Committed Capital | ESG and Asset Management: Challenges and Opportunities (April 26, 2021)

Webinar: ESG: Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (November 30, 2020)

Webinar: ESG: Where Are We and Where Do We Go From Here? (September 22, 2020)

Webinar: ESG Considerations for European Asset Managers (June 24, 2020)

Webinar: ESG Considerations for U.S. Asset Managers (May 19, 2020)

Podcast: Absolute Priority: Dechert ESG Taskforce Tackles Growing Initiatives and Obstacles — Debtwire Radio (March 4, 2020)

Speaking Engagements

ESG from A to Z – Mutual Fund Directors Forum 2022 Fund Governance and Regulatory Insights Conference, Washington, D.C. (June 8-9)

Beyond the Acronyms: What ESG Means for the CRE Markets — CRE Finance Council Webinar (April 30, 2021)

Regulatory Impacts of New York’s Changing Energy Industry — New York State Bar Association Virtual Program (January 15, 2021)

International Regulation Forum: Sustainable Investing — The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (The CISI), Webinar (November 12, 2020)

ESG Compliance Considerations for Investment Advisers (IA) — NRS Fall 2020 Compliance Conference, Webinar (October 27, 2020)

Private Credit and ESG — ACC Quick Takes (October 9, 2020)

Doing Business Abroad: Legal and Compliance Challenges — PLI’s Global Asset Management 2020, Webcast (September 30, 2020)

ESG Investment Strategies: Creating Value — Southern California Compliance Group, Quarterly Members Meeting (August 25, 2020)

ESG Regulation and Compliance — MFA Legal & Compliance 2020, Virtual Conference (July 21-22, 2020)

ESG Investing: Sustaining Compliance in an Evolving Regulatory Environment — IAA’s Investment Adviser Compliance Conference, Washington D.C. (March 6, 2020)

ESG for Asset Managers

How Can Dechert Help Fund and Asset Managers Considering ESG?

How Can Dechert Help Fund and Asset Managers Considering ESG?

Latest Presentations

ESG in the UK: What's New and What’s Next?

SFDR and Taxonomy Regulation: What the Regulators Did Next

Key Contacts

Julien Bourgeois

Mikhaelle Schiappacasse

Arne Bolch

Katie Carter

Angelo Lercara LL.M. EuR

Ciara O’Leary

Mark D. Perlow

Latest Guidance

ERISA

Additional Presentations

Speaking Engagements

Stephen H. Bier

Julien Bourgeois

Brenden P. Carroll

Angelo Lercara LL.M. EuR

Ciara O’Leary

Mark D. Perlow