HSF appoints Iria Calviño as new co-head of ESG in the EMEA region

Herbert Smith Freehills’ Spanish office partner, Iria Calviño, has been appointed co-head of the ESG (environmental social and governance) practice for the firm’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, alongside Heike Schmitz, a partner in the Frankfurt office. This is a new position that Calviño assumes in the framework of the boost given by the firm to the management team at a global level, with a total of four appointments, in view of the extensive growth of the practice worldwide.

Iria Calviño

With almost 20 years’ experience in administrative and environmental law, Calviño joined Herbert Smith Freehills in 2009. Throughout her career, she has advised clients on domestic and cross-border transactions in regulated sectors, including energy, mining and water. She will be joined by Heike Schmitz to lead the EMEA practice, specialising in sustainable investment advice and ESG and financial regulation.

ESG practice

The international firm’s global ESG practice combines a deep understanding of current policy trends, as well as ongoing regulatory changes in sustainability and business trends. Led by partner Silke Goldberg (global head of ESG and Climate Change at Herbert Smith Freehills), the practice advises leading companies on all sustainability-related issues, including energy transition, green and sustainable finance, responsible and impact investing, sustainability reporting and other additional disclosure requirements, sustainable governance practices (including privacy and AI governance), as well as ESG-related due diligence and litigation.

Eduardo Soler Tappa, managing partner of Herbert Smith Freehills’ Spain office, highlights “Iria’s broad qualifications for the new position she assumes in the firm globally at a time when ESG needs are a key business challenge and value for companies around the world”. “I am convinced that his appointment will enable us to continue the success of the practice both in Spain and internationally,” he concludes.

Four Appointments

In addition, the firm has appointed Jannis Bille and Ben Rubinstein as new heads of ESG in the UK and US, respectively. The four new members will form the firm’s global ESG leadership team alongside Antony Crockett, head of ESG in Asia and global head of Business and Human Rights, and Timothy Stutt, head of ESG in Australia.