Dave Curran Featured in Boston University School of Law Article
June 3, 2021
Chief Sustainability and ESG Officer Dave Curran was featured in an article, “Corporate Law: ESG in Practice,” published in The Record, the Boston University School of Law news publication.
The article traces Dave’s career path from law school to working in-house managing ethics, compliance, risk management and reputational issues, and how it informed and ultimately led to his current role as Chief Sustainability & ESG Officer at Paul, Weiss. Dave recognized the need for ESG advisory services long before it became an industry specialty, and saw how not enough lawyers were prepared to give the kind of wide-ranging advice that the area demands.
Firm chairman Brad Karp also recognized the increasing public and stakeholder pressure for companies to address broader social issues—and noticed that Dave’s background and experience would align perfectly with the firm’s needs. In January 2020, the two connected and decided to create a new ESG practice area for the firm.
Dave discusses how demand for ESG advice has recently intensified, fueled by societal inequities exposed by the pandemic, the police killing of George Floyd and the regulatory enforcement priorities of the Biden administration. The shift, Dave predicts, should create opportunities for younger lawyers. “You can put your passion together with your skills,” Dave said. “You can have an impact on policy and social movements by leveraging the power of your training as a lawyer.”