The collaboration builds on Burness Paull’s corporate governance offering and comes at a time when businesses are facing increasing scrutiny of their ESG credentials from key stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors and lenders.

Burness Paull’s lawyers support clients across a number of ESG-related services, including environmental and climate change, governance, social impact and people matters, the built environment, litigation and crisis management and business ethics. The partnership with Thrive complements and extends that experience into wider ESG strategy and its practical delivery.

Thrive was founded and is led by Jane Dennyson, who has spent 20 years working in sustainable business development and has advised global organisations on their ESG strategy and delivery.

Together with Claire Kennedy, who brings 18 years’ experience in senior strategy, marketing and HR roles, they help to develop and integrate effective ESG strategies for SMEs to large multinationals that support commercial growth and meet legislative requirements while also maximising the positive impact on society and the environment.

Steven Stewart, head of ESG at Burness Paull, said: “Many of our clients are grappling with exactly how best to tackle ESG, and at the same time they are ambitious about what they want to achieve.

“This isn’t only because of the benefits it brings for the environment and society, but because it’s crucial for them as a business too. Our clients are already valuing the perspective from the team at Thrive in helping them develop a competitive response to ESG.”

Jane Dennyson, founder of Thrive, added: “At Thrive, we seek to help companies to build a clear ESG roadmap that strengthens their business and builds confidence with their team, customers and investors.

“By educating, encouraging and equipping business leaders to naturally consider the principles of ESG in every decision, we help to ensure that ESG strategy and performance are on track and delivering value – both in terms of impact and profitability.”

Walter Clark, corporate partner and fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute, said: “Working with Thrive is letting us approach ESG with a combination of great legal advice across multiple areas, alongside best practice insight, road mapping and reporting.

“It builds on our very positive experience of working hand-in-glove with a carefully selected cohort of consultants to bring together the right combination of advice for our clients.

“Sheelagh Duffield, for example, has worked with us for many years, adding her in-house perspective on corporate governance to the expertise of our own governance and company secretarial team, led by Gary Gray.”