McMahan and Moratzka: What Does Climate Accord Withdrawal Mean for Law Firms and Clients?

Attorneys Tim McMahan and Drew Moratzka authored an article for Bloomberg Big Law Business titled “What Climate Accord Withdrawal Means for Law Firms and Clients (Perspective).” In the article, they share their conclusions from discussions and strategy sessions about possible implications of the withdrawal by President Trump from the Paris Climate Accord for their law practices and for our clients.

In the article they discuss the effects of the withdrawal on:

• Renewable Energy—in an industry driven largely by state standards and regulations, they expect most states to continue with existing commitments for more renewable energy generation and to implement emissions control strategies and energy conservation policies.
• Clean Technologies and Investment—similar to renewable energy, a large number of businesses and investment funds, as well as many of the Fortune 100 and 500, have restated their commitment to ensuring that the economic opportunities possible in new technologies are not lost as a result of the Administration’s action, providing continuing opportunities for  Stoel Rives’ clients.
• Conventional Fuel and Industry Clients—according to McMahan and Moratzka: “We expect that as the dust settles, state and local governments will understand the economic imperatives to create and preserve jobs, and that industry will hammer out strategies to implement change while securing survival—strategies that will likely include new relationships between our industrial clients and renewable energy and clean technology clients.”

Read “What Climate Accord Withdrawal Means for Law Firms and Clients (Perspective),” published June 9, 2017.