The Mark is Ireland’s leading accreditation of responsible business practice in corporate Ireland. It is awarded by Business in the Community and is verified following an independent audit by the National Standards Authority of Ireland.

ALG first secured the Mark in 2016, becoming the first law firm in Ireland to do so. Certification lasts for three years.

David Widger, managing partner at ALG, said: “We are delighted to be awarded the Business Working Responsibly Mark for a third consecutive time. Being a responsible business is core to our vision and purpose, it’s part of how we measure our success as a firm.

“Achieving the Mark not only validates the progress we continue to make in putting ESG at the heart of our business, but it also provides assurance to our clients, our people and all our stakeholders that we are wholeheartedly committed to being a responsible business.”

The Mark is Ireland’s leading environmental, social and governance (ESG) standard for sustainability. To achieve the Mark, organisations go through a rigorous audit-based process that embeds a strategic management system which facilitates internal organisational collaboration and supports the integration of ESG into core business practices.

Tomás Sercovich, CEO of Business in the Community Ireland, said: “Responsible business is no longer an optional add-on. It drives value and impact for the bottom line and is fundamental to acknowledge and address growing societal expectations and requirements for disclosure from investors, clients and employees.

“We commend A&L Goodbody for its third recertification to the Business Working Responsibly Mark. A&L Goodbody was Ireland’s first legal services firm to achieve certification, showing leadership and intent on change and transparency. We congratulate the firm for this significant recognition of integration of ESG across its business and operations.”

Sinéad Smith, head of responsible business at ALG, added: “Achieving the Mark is a rigorous process that spans many areas of our business.

“It involves input from our senior management team on strategy, stakeholder engagement and decision-making. It assesses our policies and procedures in relation to our risk & compliance, talent management, how we market our services, our supply chain management and our workplace services.

“The Mark also looks at our pro bono practice as well as our community and responsible business practices. It’s a huge team effort and I’m immensely proud of what we have achieved so far.”