Alerion

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Agence de communication - Eliott & Markus

ESG: a reflex rooted in our culture, an inherent pillar of our strategy

Alerion Avocats wished to formalise the commitment made by all its members, whether employees, associates or partners, to social and environmental responsibility. Our commitment takes the form of concrete actions aimed at working towards and participating in social and environmental transition.

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Environment Social Compliance Commitments Climate Litigation
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Responsible choices and concrete actions on a daily basis

Because impact lies in the details and is built up on a daily basis, we are convinced that changing our consumption habits is the first step towards reducing our environmental footprint.

1. Waste reduction and responsible purchasing

The firm is committed to reducing its waste production by recycling, composting and limiting the use of disposable products. We favour the purchase of environmentally-friendly, organic and fair-trade products.

We have replaced all plastic bottles with Castalie glass bottles and installed water fountains on all floors of the office; all plastic bottles and cups have been replaced with glass bottles and water glasses.

The firm favours responsible purchasing and the use of committed service providers – for example, our Alerion canvas bags are made in France using French materials;

2. Eco-responsible coffee breaks

For coffee machines, the firm uses recyclable coffee capsules, and the purchase of bean-to-cup coffee machines with a grinder system is under consideration to stop using aluminium capsules.

3. Getting around, when necessary, intelligently

We encourage sustainable modes of transport such as car-sharing, cycling and public transport. Electric terminals have been installed in the firm’s car park. Wherever possible, our lawyers travel by train rather than by plane. The same applies to firm events and individual travel in connection with cases.

Where possible, we use teleworking to reduce travel-related emissions.

The firm prefers to order ‘ green ’ G7 taxis by default via a specific subscription.

4. Zero paper

The dematerialisation of files has been implemented in almost all of our practices, as well as the use of electronic signatures via a subscription to the YouSign platform. The firm’s ‘zero paper’ objective is stated;

5. Endowment funds and partnerships

Alerion sponsors ‘Un Toit pour les Abeilles “ and supports the fight against ”Colony Collapse Disorder’ (CCD), which is caused by an increase in parasites and predators, changes to the landscape and the scarcity of resources, climate change and pesticide cocktails;

Alerion took part in the creation of the Observatoire des Contentieux Climatiques (Climate Litigation Observatory) , which provides a legal watch on climate-related litigation in France and around the world, under the impetus of Jacques Bouyssou, partner and co-head of the Litigation, Arbitration and Business Criminal Law department;

Alerion is active with Green Sanctuaries, an endowment fund for the preservation of forests and their biodiversity, set up by Christophe Gerschel, a partner in the Tax Law and Mergers & Acquisitions departments;

The firm assists the Red Panda Network endowment funds (creation by the firm of the French branch of this US foundation for the protection of red pandas) and the Fair Play for Nature endowment fund and its conservation projects.

Responsibility at the heart of our digital and regulatory practices

1. Ethical and responsible data governance

GDPR compliance goes hand in hand with Alerion’s social and environmental objectives. The GDPR protects the rights of individuals with regard to their personal data and their privacy, and commits companies to their social responsibility towards these individuals, in particular through the principles of :

  • Data collection and digital ethics
  • Retention periods, data minimisation & digital sobriety
  • Informing individuals & digital accessibility
  • Securing data
  • Implementing technical and organisational measures & digital responsibility

To this end, the firm has appointed a DPO (Data Privacy Officer) to ensure that its data processing complies with the GDPR, and has introduced a duty of vigilance and questioning at all levels of digital technology to reconcile advanced technologies with a strong social and environmental ethic, in addition to our ethical obligations as a regulated profession, particularly in relation to generative artificial intelligence.

2. Compliance

Our compliance procedures reinforce the security and transparency of our activities, as well as protecting the interests of our customers and employees.

  • Protection of personal data
  • Procedure for preventing conflicts of interest
  • Fight against money laundering (KYC)
  • Secured data room – proprietary

3. Alerion, sustainability auditor

We have been awarded sustainability auditor status following a 90-hour training course, which is recognised by the Haute Autorité de l’Audit (H2A). Under certain conditions, this status gives us the ability to certify sustainability reports, in the same way as the Commissaires aux Comptes (CAC). This includes the extra-financial analysis of audit reports in accordance with CSRD requirements.

Acting at the heart of our communities

Being a responsible player also means being actively involved in the communities around us. At Alerion, we give time, resources and expertise where they matter most.

1. Transmission

Christophe Gerschel, partner in the Tax Law and Mergers & Acquisitions departments, runs the Master II Mergers & Acquisitions course at the Université Paris-Saclay.

Various courses are given by some of the firm’s lawyers, sometimes on the firm’s premises, to postgraduate law students.

Participation in various career forums, such as those organised by the EFB (Ecole de formation professionnelle des Barreaux du ressort de la Cour d’appel de Paris) or the Forum des carrières juridiques (legal careers forum)

2. Associations

Participation in the Course des Héros, a charity race offering two routes – an 8 km run or a 5 km walk – and enabling participants to support an association that is particularly close to their hearts.

Donations in support of Ukraine through the Red Cross, Visions du Monde and Médecins Sans Frontières.

Alerion hosted a Ukrainian lawyer in 2022.

3. Pro Bono

Active participation alongside the media in the work of GESTE and its legal committee

Contribution to the work on freedom of expression and the Internet as part of the reflections of Villa Numeris (Think Tank).

Anticipating the future to better shape it

Legal Watch – Climate Litigation
The Alerion Climate Litigation Observatory monitors dozens of climate-related litigation cases in France and around the world, analysing the reasons behind them and drawing lessons from them.
These lessons are presented periodically in a newsletter.

Discover our Observatory