ECIJA sets the pace in sustainability
ECIJA, a global law firm with a presence in 18 countries, has made sustainability one of the core pillars of its corporate strategy, its advisory model and its internal culture. Guided by a vision that combines innovation, technical excellence, professional ethics and positive impact, the firm works to integrate environmental, social and governance criteria both into its own management and into the support it provides to its clients.
In this interview with Corresponsables, Víctor Moralo, partner in charge of Sustainability at ECIJA in Madrid and coordinator of the firm’s International Sustainability Committee, explains how the company is moving towards a more coherent, measurable and global approach to sustainability. The conversation also features contributions from partners and teams from various countries within the ECIJA network, including Laura Manuela Garzón from Colombia; Príamo Simo Domínguez, from the Dominican Republic; Marco Quesada, from Costa Rica; Fernando López Peña, from Argentina; Fredy Guerra, from Peru; Cecilia Amieva, from Uruguay; and Víctor Moralo himself, from Madrid.
The firm coordinates this international vision from Madrid/ (Spain) and with the participation of its offices in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Uruguay, amongst other jurisdictions, adapting its policies and actions to the different regulatory, economic and social realities of each territory.
How does ECIJA integrate corporate sustainability into its strategy and day-to-day operations?
At ECIJA, all offices have integrated sustainability, to a greater or lesser extent, into their own policies, governance and DNA. It is an integral part of our understanding of business and legal practice.
Sustainability has been incorporated as a cross-cutting pillar of the firm’s strategy. We have a global vision, but our implementation is tailored to the local realities of each jurisdiction. Not all countries have the same regulatory, economic or social context, particularly in Latin America, and this requires a flexible approach that remains consistent with shared values.
Madrid plays a leading role in many of these policies. It was the first office to be certified to ISO 14001, has measured and recorded its carbon footprint, has developed a sustainable mobility plan negotiated with Spain’s most representative trade unions, CCOO and UGT, and has a pro bono policy linked to environmental initiatives and support for civil society organisations.
Furthermore, we have established an International Sustainability Committee, which I coordinate from Madrid as ECIJA’s Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), and which brings together partners and lawyers specialising in this area across various jurisdictions. This committee examines regulatory developments, plans actions, events, programmes and initiatives, and seeks to establish common sustainability criteria in line with ECIJA’s own values.
However, Madrid is not the only model. There are offices, such as the one in Uruguay, which were established as a Society for Collective Benefit and Interest, incorporating into their articles of association a formal commitment to generating verifiable social and environmental impact. Colombia is making progress on impact measurement metrics, with its sights set on international B Corporation standards. Costa Rica, for its part, has embarked on a strategic roadmap for 2026 focused on measuring the environmental impacts of its activities, with the aim of conducting an assessment and obtaining objective information for decision-making.
As full-service corporate advisers, we have a tremendous opportunity: to help our clients understand a new way of doing business and of being a company. Through our Sustainability and ESG division, we support organisations in incorporating environmental, social and governance criteria into their decision-making processes, compliance frameworks and business models. The indirect impact we generate is highly significant.
What social innovation initiatives is the firm promoting to generate a positive impact on society and the environment?
For us, social innovation begins within the organisation. The first step is to look after our people, actively listen to our teams and understand the value each professional brings to ECIJA’s shared mission.
We promote a working environment that looks after people’s physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. We are convinced that balanced, motivated and committed teams form the basis for developing more humane, sustainable and transformative legal solutions.
This commitment then extends outwards. One of the most significant areas of our work is pro bono work, often channelled through TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global platform. This collaboration enables us to put our legal expertise at the service of third-sector organisations in a transparent, concrete and traceable manner.
In Latin America, we have worked on regional projects across several offices to support foundations and civil associations. One example is ILDA, the Latin American Open Data Initiative, which promotes the ethical use, governance and research of data and artificial intelligence for inclusive development in Latin America. We have also collaborated with Purpose Economy, a foundation dedicated to promoting the model of responsible ownership, or ‘steward-ownership’, to transform the traditional corporate model and ensure that companies remain independent, financially self-sufficient and focused on their long-term purpose.
In addition, there are specific initiatives in various jurisdictions. In Colombia, for example, we are supporting transformation processes in sectors such as healthcare and pharmaceutical distribution, with the aim of strengthening traceability, transparency and clients’ ability to measure and manage their impacts. In the Dominican Republic, the ECIJA DR Academy stands out as an initiative providing academic and professional training opportunities in the field of law.
There is also a very specific environmental dimension. In Madrid, we have measured and recorded our carbon footprint, we are promoting mitigation plans and we are working on sustainable mobility. None of this would be possible without the commitment of ECIJA’s lawyers and professionals.
ECIJA’s mission and vision form the basis of its culture. How are they reflected in the sustainability projects and initiatives you undertake?
Our aim is to raise standards within the legal sector by innovating in every project we lead. But today, excellence must also be understood through the lens of sustainability.
Our mission and vision are reflected in the conviction that legal advice must contribute to the positive transformation of organisations and society. We do not view sustainability merely as regulatory compliance, but as an opportunity to generate value, strengthen trust and build more resilient and competitive organisations.
A clear example of this can be found in Argentina and Uruguay. ECIJA Argentina works with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, serving on its sustainability committee and contributing the perspective of a global firm to advise both exporting companies that need to adapt their business models to European requirements and Spanish companies seeking to implement their policies and standards in Latin America.
In Uruguay, ECIJA participates as a legal partner of Sistema B Uruguay in the “Mejores para Uruguay” programme, which aims to support and train Uruguayan companies to measure and manage their social and environmental impact using international standards, with a view to future certification as a B Corporation.
We are also providing legal support and acting as a catalytic organisation for RITA, the Regional Impact Trade Alliance, a global alliance that connects cities, regions and territories seeking to transform international trade by prioritising social, environmental and cultural impact over a purely extractive economy.
RITA represents a very powerful vision: it is not just about impact-driven companies, but about ecosystems and territories committed to an impact economy. Governments, legislators, the private sector, the public sector, academia, cultural associations, social organisations and environmental groups are all working together on a shared project for holistic economic development.
How do corporate values guide ECIJA’s decisions and practices regarding sustainability and social responsibility?
Our corporate values are the driving force that leads us to translate sustainability into very specific, tangible measures.
Integrity, transparency, innovation and a commitment to our clients guide both our internal management and the services we provide. These values lead us to promote responsible business practices, strengthen corporate governance mechanisms and support our clients in managing environmental, social and governance risks.
A very clear example is our commitment to the circular economy. For us, the circular economy is not just about waste management; it is about preventing negative impacts, making better use of resources and using them wisely.
In our offices, we work to reduce waste generation, particularly electrical and electronic equipment. Rather than waiting for them to reach the end of their useful life, we refurbish IT equipment that is still in good condition and donate it to state primary schools. In this way, we give the equipment a new lease of life and help to bridge the digital divide for families who, in many cases, are receiving their first computer.
We have also phased out the use of single-use plastic bottles in the office and work with suppliers who share these values, such as B Corp-certified companies that supply us with reusable glass containers.
These are specific actions, but they all stem from the same idea: sustainability is demonstrated in day-to-day life, through decisions both big and small, and through consistency between what an organisation says and what it actually does.
How are regulatory changes transforming ECIJA’s legal practice and business model?
We are experiencing a genuine paradigm shift. Reality has changed profoundly and demands that we think differently in order to do things differently.
Today, companies face greater demands in terms of corporate governance, transparency, risk management, environmental compliance, human rights, data protection and sustainability reporting. Sustainability has ceased to be a ‘nice-to-have’ and has become a legal imperative in many jurisdictions. And, although in some countries it is not yet fully enshrined in domestic legislation, it is beginning to be required by the international standards applicable to value chains, by investors and by multilateral organisations.
In Colombia, for example, there is a trend towards more robust standards for the disclosure and reporting of ESG information. In Costa Rica, the incorporation of environmental and social criteria into public procurement processes is transforming the way business is conducted and the role of legal advisers. In Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and other jurisdictions, progress is being made towards convergence with international standards such as IFRS S1 and IFRS S2, issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board.
At ECIJA, we do not wait for regulatory changes to affect us. We want to inspire regulatory change and drive the transformation of the economy and society through our example and our expertise.
For this reason, we have voluntarily adopted standards which, in some cases, were not mandatory. We were not obliged to measure and record our carbon footprint, but we have done so. Nor have we waited for the obligation to have a sustainable mobility plan to come into full regulatory force: we are already moving in that direction.
Legal practice is also evolving towards a much more multidisciplinary model. In mergers and acquisitions, financing or investment transactions, it is no longer sufficient to assess traditional financial and legal aspects. Today, it is essential to understand environmental, social, reputational and governance risks.
In light of this new landscape, ECIJA has strengthened its multidisciplinary teams and incorporated artificial intelligence tools, such as Harvey, to optimise processes, improve the efficiency of legal analysis and offer more agile and innovative solutions within a constantly evolving regulatory environment.
Looking ahead, what are the main challenges ECIJA faces in the area of sustainability?
Our main challenge is consistency.
The major challenge will be to move towards greater consistency in our policies, our codes of conduct and the way we measure sustainability across all jurisdictions. ECIJA is a global firm, with different cultures, different markets and different regulatory realities, but we share a common culture and an increasingly global economic activity.
If the economy of the future is to be global, sustainable and impactful, we must all pull in the same direction, with the same capabilities and using common tools.
It will also be key to supporting companies in their transition from compliance-focused sustainability towards sustainability linked to competitiveness, resilience and value creation. Organisations will have to measure impacts, report reliable information and manage ESG risks with the same rigour with which they currently report financial information.
This will require greater preparedness on the part of professionals and closer coordination between the legal, financial, compliance and sustainability departments.
Ultimately, the challenge is not just to adapt to change, but to help lead it. At ECIJA, we want to continue to be a firm that inspires, guides and supports this transformation.
Read the full interview here.
