Sidley has been named the winner of Financial Times' 2021 “Innovation in Sustainability and ESG” award for its work in helping aviation and airlines industry clients reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Hosted by the Financial Times and its research partner, RSG Consulting, the annual awards highlight the best law firms and in‐house legal teams driving innovation in the legal sector in the North America region.
Sidley’s Aviation and Airlines group provided counsel to its aviation and airlines industry clients on three primary aspects of moving towards a greener future: establishing and communicating a carbon-zero goal; developing and acquiring aircraft necessary to meet the goal; and developing and acquiring the fuel necessary to power those aircraft. The Sidley team included co-leaders Kevin Lewis and Bart Biggers, along with teammates Sandi Knox, Heather Palmer, Atman Shukla, Paul McBride, and other members of the firm’s Aviation and Airlines, Environmental, and Energy groups.
Sidley assisted clients with the largest sustainable fuel purchase agreement in aviation history, with carbon capture and sequestration projects, with sustainable fuel from forest and crop waste and other biomass, with electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, with the development of the first supersonic aircraft designed to use sustainable fuel, and with short and medium length passenger drones.
Sidley’s broad experience yields tangible value to airlines, aviation companies and other industry stakeholders who are pursuing sustainability and ESG goals. Working with Sidley’s Aviation and Airlines team to help achieve a greener future, Sidley lawyers bring considerable experience to their clients from multiple practice areas, including Environmental, Renewable Energy, M&A, Litigation, Emerging Companies and Venture Capital, and SEC and FTC Compliance, among others.
