Commitment

For more than twenty years, our integrated Group of lawyers and notaries has accompanied businesses in their environmental, social, and digital transitions. Closely involved with our clients in developing their responsible investments and sustainable projects, and in implementing their vigilance plans, we ourselves are committed to upholding our environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments.

 

We have formalised our commitment through a CSR charter. And we conduct a series of initiatives which demonstrate this commitment on a daily basis. Here are some examples:

 

Environment

 

We support Plateforme Verte (whose creation was initiated by our partner Sylvie Perrin), a Do Tank which gathers stakeholders of the energy transition together (energy producers, funders, businesses…) who work together to find concrete solutions in order to speed up this transition. Hence, they have recently published a “guide for sustainable agrivoltaic farming”, proposing to push solar energy forward whilst respecting agricultural production and our food sovereignty.

 

De Gaulle Fleurance also initiated the creation of the association Sol Solidaire, in partnership with ADEME, Groupe BPCE, Enerplan, Tescol and the Social Union for Housing. Sponsored by actor & director Jean-Pascal Zadj and comedian Amelle Chahbi, the association helps to fund the installation of solar panels on the roofs of social housing. In this way, the energy produced is distributed to the residents for free – an initiative which combines both social and environmental progress!

 

Finally, because every effort counts, we have adopted a certain number of measures at the office: starting from 2007, when we rolled out a “zero paper” policy, including making our case files exclusively digital, with some exceptions (pleadings for the courts, for example). The electronic signature was also adopted very early on, so that contracts don’t need to be printed. Additionally, we have implemented paper and ink cartridge recycling, subscribed to a green electricity contract, distributed insulated flasks and cups, and we have sponsored the activity hubs alongside the association Un toit pour les abeilles (A Shelter for Bees). Please see the text box at the end to learn more.

 

Social

 

Our company works in favour of inclusive recruitment and diversity, with 57% of the workforce being women, some 20 languages are practised, and as many cultures represented.

 

Since 2020, we have sponsored the association Droit comme un H !, to facilitate disabled students’ access to careers in law.

 

We participate financially and humanely towards charity and solidarity actions, such as the “Virades de l’espoir” (Hikes for hope), by the association Vaincre la Mucoviscidose (‘Beat Cystic Fibrosis’).

 

In a more global context, we contribute to the development of legal practice, not only to the advantage of our clients but also to society. For example, we recently secured a decision that the denomination “France” constitutes “an element of identity” for the French State, thereby affirming its rights as well as those of economic interest group GIE Atout France over the domain name <France.com>.

 

And we usefully contribute towards public debate by publishing Observatories (reports) on energy transitions, social transitions, and advancements of legal services.

 

Governance

 

Our belief: that the real value is in our human capital. The shares held by lawyers and notaries aren’t the main value of the company. This deeply rooted principle is the “life insurance” of our group. It guarantees the successful handover to the new generation, who won’t have to buy back from the older generation.

 

Every little effort counts!

 

Because every effort counts, we have adopted a number of measures in the office:

 

  • Business trips policy: for meetings in Paris and its inner suburbs, we opt for public transport and beyond that, we take the train rather than travel by plane whenever possible.
  • Heating management: the temperatures in the offices have been revised downwards, and recommendations and good practices are regularly circulated on the Intranet.
  • Electricity consumption: we have subscribed to a green electricity contract; lighting is controlled, and the teams are asked to check that all the lights are switched off when leaving the office.
  • Going paper-free: from 2007, we rolled out a “zero-paper” policy, including making our case files exclusively digital, subject to exceptions (pleadings for the courts, for example). The electronic signature was also adopted early on, so that contracts don’t need to be printed. Changing to a paperless system has had a good effect on our paper consumption, which was reduced by more than 30% between 2021 and 2022.
  • Waste reduction: We have put paper and ink cartridge recycling in place. Insulated flasks and cups and reusable cutlery have been made available to our teams. Waste separation bins have also been provided.
  • IT and telecommunications: We have subscribed to leasing contracts, in which there are clauses for recycling, for the majority of our computing and mobile phone equipment.

 

Certification: Ecovadis – Ranked silver in 2021