Thanks
to
the
dedicated
work
of Law
Students
for
Climate
Accountability,
we
know
that
Biglaw
firms
continue
to
be
a
“hotbed
of
fossil
fuel
activity.”
According
to
the
group’s
fifth
annual Climate
Scorecard,
Biglaw
firms
received
grades
of
“A”
to
“F”
based
on
their
work
—
and
an
environmental
group
recently
staged
a
major
protest
outside
of
the
London
headquarters
of
a
recently
merged
Biglaw
behemoth,
whose
legacy
firms
both
received
“F”
grades.
Yesterday,
members
of
Extinction
Rebellion
(XR)
occupied
A&O
Shearman,
entering
the
firm’s
lobby
and
protesting
just
outside
the
building.
This
is
the
third
protest
in
the
span
of
about
30
days
to
take
place
at
the
firm.
As
noted
by
LSCA,
A&O
Shearman
worked
on
$285
billion
worth
of
fossil-fuel-related
transactions
between
2019
and
2023.
Here’s
an
excerpt
from
XR’s
press
release
on
the
most
recent
protest,
where
five
climate
activists
were
reportedly
arrested:
Rebels
have
entered
the
building
and
are
occupying
the
lobby,
while
others
spray
the
outside
of
the
building
with
fake
oil.
An
oil
derrick
is
outside
the
entrance,
on
which
a
Grim
Reaper
figure
sits
holding
a
scythe
and
a
set
of
scales,
with
a
burning
planet
in
one
pan
and
a
pile
of
oily
cash
in
the
other.
The
air
is
filled
with
smoke
and
the
sound
of
drums,
and
activists
are
using
a
megaphone
to
spell
out
A&O
Shearman’s
crimes
against
the
planet.
Extinction
Rebellion
has
made
the
following
demands
of
A&O
Shearman:
1.
We
demand
A&O
Shearman
cut
their
ties
with
the
fossil
fuel
industry
immediately.2.
We
call
on
all
existing
A&O
Shearman
employees
to
refuse
to
work
for
their
fossil
fuel
clients
or
leave.3.
We
call
on
all
new
legal
talent
to
go
and
find
work
elsewhere.
Environmental
protests
like
these
aren’t
going
to
stop
anytime
soon.
Biglaw
needs
to
do
better,
to
make
the
future
better
for
all
of
us.
Climate
activists
occupy
London
HQ
of
law
firm
that
supports
Big
Oil
[Extinction
Rebellion]
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.