We’ve been named the winner of the ESG: Law Firm Initiative of the Year at the 2026 Legal 500 UK ESG Awards, a recognition of the firm’s leadership in achieving zero net operational emissions.
Published: 15 May 2026
This prestigious award highlights Shoosmiths’ commitment to sustainability and climate impact through a 75% reduction in operational carbon emissions since 2020, complimented by credible high quality carbon removals for remaining emissions.
Shoosmiths has set a benchmark for the legal industry, demonstrating how law firms can successfully integrate climate impact into operations, reaching net emissions of zero for our UK offices.
We did this by reducing the emissions generated from our energy consumption and refrigerant usage in our offices and investing in carbon removals to compensate for our remaining operational emissions (scope 1 & market-based scope 2).
The carbon removals we invested in are high-quality as they store carbon for at least 1000 years, as opposed to tree planting which may only store carbon for decades, and are certified to incredibly high standards. We partnered with Carbonaires to ensure that our due diligence went beyond these certifications through, utilizing Carbonaires’ digital twin technology to ensure the carbon we claim we have removed from the atmosphere has actually been locked away.
You can read more about how we achieved this in our responsible business report.
We were also nominated in the following categories:
- ESG: Private Practice Champion of the Year – Partner Chris Pritchett was nominated for his leadership on renewable energy and EV charging infrastructure
- Environmental / Sustainability: Champion of the Year – Max Finney was nominated for leading Shoosmiths market-leading sustainability programme
- Best Internal Support Network of the Year - The PROUD Network, Shoosmiths’ LGBTQIA+ employee network, was nominated for strong client collaboration and significant engagement across the frim
- Ethnicity: Best Initiative of the Year – The Shoosmiths Race Equity Action Plan was nominated for the innovative, data-led approach to addressing inequality across demographics at Shoosmiths
Head of Responsible Business Sophie Cowen commented on the nominations: “Winning the award and being shortlisted for the Legal 500 ESG Awards is a really meaningful recognition of the work our people are doing across the firm to embed responsible business and inclusion into how we operate day to day. These nominations reflect our long‑term commitment to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, as well as using our platform as a law firm to make a positive and lasting impact for our clients, our communities and wider society. Our DEI and Responsible Business strategy is focused on action, accountability and progress, and it’s encouraging to see that approach recognised externally.”
The Legal 500 ESG Awards celebrates the very best ESG initiatives across the UK legal market. From private practice and in-house teams to the Bar, this prestigious event recognises the organisations and individuals driving real impact across all aspects of ESG. Whether through pioneering sustainability strategies, advancing diversity and inclusion, championing social mobility, or delivering exceptional pro bono work, the awards honour those setting new standards of excellence and responsibility within the legal profession.