Sofia Martos Joins Kirkland’s ESG & Impact Practice
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is pleased to announce that Sofia Martos has joined the Firm as a partner in the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) & Impact Practice Group. Ms. Martos will be based in the Firm’s New York office.
Ms. Martos advises public and private companies on recent and emerging ESG regulatory developments. Her extensive experience will support clients in assessing and commenting on anticipated U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rules related to climate risk, human capital, including workforce diversity and corporate board diversity, and cybersecurity risk. She also counsels clients on ESG disclosures in sustainability reports, proxy statements, and annual reports, as well as strategies for integrating ESG into clients’ business and governance practices through board trainings, company policies and tabletop exercises.
“Sofia’s securities background, focus on social issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, and demonstrated leadership in helping to build an ESG practice will contribute to our practice’s ability to provide sophisticated advice on complex cross-border and social topics as well as broader ESG strategy and governance questions,” said partner Alexandra Farmer, head of Kirkland’s ESG & Impact practice. “Sofia has over a decade of international experience advising clients on SEC disclosure and compliance, governance matters, and complex capital markets transactions. We are excited for the deep and varied expertise she will add to our practice.”
Ms. Martos earned a law degree from New York University School of Law, a doctorate in history from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University. She joins Kirkland from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where she was a member of the Sustainability & ESG Advisory Practice.
“Kirkland’s investment in expanding the scope and geographic reach of its ESG services has been truly impressive,” said Ms. Martos. “The practice has built an excellent platform to advise clients on the rapidly evolving ESG issues that boards, general counsels, sustainability leads, and management must increasingly confront in order to mitigate legal and reputational risks. I’m thrilled to join this talented and dynamic team.”
Ms. Martos’ appointment follows several ESG & Impact lawyers this year, including partners Mary Beth Houlihan, Sara Orr and Ruth Knox.
Kirkland’s ESG & Impact Practice Group provides clients with sophisticated, multidisciplinary advice and state-of-the-art market intelligence as they navigate the opportunities and challenges related to ESG and impact investing across the investment and operational life cycles. Over the last year, as market and regulatory trends have made ESG a central component of its clients’ business strategies, Kirkland has integrated ESG into all aspects of its transactional practice, including investment funds, energy/infrastructure, private equity/M&A, capital markets, and debt finance. Kirkland partners with its clients to develop ESG and impact strategies tailored to their unique circumstances and goals, including integrating ESG into corporate and fund sponsor governance structures, forming impact funds and ESG-related SPACs, leading ESG due diligence, and structuring sustainability bonds and loans. Kirkland is recognized as a leading law firm in ESG globally in the inaugural 2021 edition of Chambers & Partners’ Crisis & Risk Management guide.
Kirkland is also committed to being a leader in corporate social responsibility, including by improving communities and the legal profession through philanthropy; embracing and promoting diversity and inclusion and wellbeing within the Firm and the legal profession; reducing the Firm’s environmental impact; and providing legal services without charge to those who cannot afford counsel.
