With over 17 years of experience, Kate Gill-Herdman specialises in both contentious and non-contentious ESG matters. Highly regarded for her deep understanding of established and emerging ESG legal risks, she regularly presents to clients on ESG topics, including Australia’s new CRFD regime, business and human rights, the intersection of human rights and ESG and greenwashing litigation trends.
Kate regularly advises Australia’s leading financial institutions and multinational corporations on ESG risk and governance issues. Her expertise spans compliance with ESG regulation including Australia’s climate-related financial disclosure regime and ‘soft law’ standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. She advises on ESG policy development, greenwashing investigations and mitigating greenwashing risks and addressing business responsibilities under the UNGPs, including human rights-related investigations. Frequently acting as an ESG subject matter expert on client mandates, Kate collaborates with traditional practice groups, including corporate advisory, competition, banking and finance, environment and planning and commercial litigation.
A dedicated thought leader in ESG issues, Kate co-authored the Australian chapter of The Global ESG Handbook: A Guide for Practitioners. Kate leads Corrs’ internal taskforce on Australia’s new climate-related financial disclosure regime, a cross-practice group collaboration of leading Corrs’ practitioners from practice groups including Responsible Business & ESG, Environment & Planning, Corporate Advisory, Banking & Finance, and Commercial Litigation. The taskforce is responsible for delivering integrated legal advice to clients on Australia’s new CRFD regime and client engagement across various forums including General Counsel roundtables, client seminars and written publication. Kate also leads Corrs’ involvement in the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI).
Kate draws on her experience gained as a commercial litigator, acting in complex multi-party litigation and many of Australia’s significant public inquiries.