March 2024
At Hanson Bridgett, we celebrate our people, the inclusive workplace culture, and the communities where we work and live: they are the heartbeat of our firm. These are the stories of our values in action. The current happenings and the vibrant individuals behind the scenes and legal matters. Don’t miss a beat.
It’s B Corp Month
Understanding Its Significance, Why It Matters, and How Our Purpose-Driven Initiatives Are Leading the Way
If you look closely at some of your consumer goods (perhaps the packaging on a box of cereal, that pint of ice cream sitting in your freezer, or the tag on your jacket), you might find a logo other than that company's included: a “B” with a circle around it. It means the company is a certified B Corporation (or “B Corp”). As priorities of consumers, clients, and corporations have progressed, more and more for-profit companies—Hanson Bridgett included—are working to maintain the high standard of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices established by B Lab—the nonprofit organization responsible for overseeing B Corp Certification.
B Lab is a global network. Its mission and the “B Corp Movement” involves using business as a force for good and enabling companies all around the world to improve their social and environmental impact through its standards and tools. For certified companies, the third-party affiliation provides credibility, authentication, and a call to action: we’re part of something bigger than ourselves, and we’re working toward a common goal to do good. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that’s good for business.
B Corps are set up to do better by all their stakeholders while being profitable,” explains Hanson Bridgett partner Jonathan Storper, “they’re making responsible decisions and trying to do better—by their employees, owners, for their community, and for the environment.”
Today, more than 8,000 companies are certified, from ethical fashion companies and skincare brands to tech startups and trendy probiotic soda labels, or in our case, a law firm. The B Corp Movement has officially exploded, and that’s a good thing!
Video courtesy of https://bcorporation.net
Since this month is officially B Corp Month, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight how Hanson Bridgett is a proud participant of the B Corp Movement and what this all means.
Wait, How is a Law Firm B Corp Certified?
B Corp certification isn’t solely for corporations selling or manufacturing goods. It’s about living our values and bringing purpose in line with profits. Measuring our success rates certainly helps, and this is where B Lab comes in—the nonprofit that sets the standards and is continually raising the bar. Here at Hanson Bridgett, our business objectives prioritize considering what’s best for our people (attorneys and administrative staff) and what we’re doing to better our communities and our environment (our social impact initiatives and DEI action included).
We’re in the business of providing sophisticated legal solutions for our clients, and as B Corp, we’re focused on our overall social and environmental impact as well. For B Corps, these are not mutually exclusive. We’re serving the needs of our clients, and simultaneously creating more inclusive workplace standards internally, partnering with local nonprofit organizations, and determining which meaningful pro bono and volunteer projects will maximize our impact.
All of this matters, and not just to our clients. It’s a major part of why many of our young and up-and-coming attorneys have chosen to work here. So although we don’t have tangible packaging to stamp a B Corp logo on (better for the environment!), we take significant pride in noting that we’re part of this movement and not your average ordinary law firm. We’re stewards of the planet, after all, and proponents of being nice humans. This isn’t about a badge for the website, it’s about striving to do good (and then actually doing it).
The OG (Original Green) B Corp
Notably, this isn’t new for us. The firm’s founders subscribed to the “business as a force for good” ideology long before B Lab existed. But we were also trailblazers in this space: Hanson Bridgett was not only the first law firm recognized as a certified B Corp (back in 2007), we wrote the legal framework and advocated for the legislation in California that led to the Benefit Corporation, which is the first corporate form to allow a company to build its ESG mission into the DNA of the company. That’s kind of a big deal!
Over time, this work has spread contagiously. In 2012 we wrote and advocated for a new law in California to embed the B Corp ideals into a new corporate form. This type of company called a benefit corporation is now available in 36 states and several foreign countries in addition to the voluntary B Corp certification. Our impact has grown, too. Other law firms are catching on, and that’s a good thing.
Environmental Sustainability and Social Impact In Action
We’ve established it’s about living our values, so how are we doing that? We encourage and reward sustainable living and greener office practices at all of our locations through our firm-sponsored incentive program dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint. Earlier this month, our San Francisco office was recertified as part of California’s Green Business Network. Our innovative DEI programs have yielded one of the most diverse management committees in the AmLaw 200. But that’s not all.
“We’re certainly looking at things like all of our vendor relationships, eliminating bottled water in our offices, and ensuring everyone is recycling and composting,” explains Samir Abdelnour, Director of Pro Bono and Social Impact, referencing more traditional green initiatives, “and this is also about supporting businesses whose values align with our own, our DEI efforts, giving back to the organizations that are making a difference in our communities, and truly leading by example from within.”
Managing Partner Kristina Lawson agrees. “We want our firm to reflect the communities in which we work and that informs everything, even our approach to recruiting,” says Lawson, “it also includes leading our industry in having a diverse attorney population and firm leadership.”
As we continue to hold ourselves accountable and embrace responsible business practices toward a brighter future, it’s important to take a step back and celebrate our accomplishments, especially during B Corp Month. This is not business as usual. This is business as a B Corp. Hanson Bridgett is driving positive change, and that’s embedded in our core values.
Happy B Corp month to those who celebrate!
