Professor Paul Q Watchman

Paul Watchman has an international reputation as a pioneering lawyer. He was named by Ethical Corporation with Hank Paulson, former United States Secretary of the Treasury, as one of the six most influential global figures in the development of sustainable finance and has been awarded the Thomson Reuters Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Leadership Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Development of ESG (Environment Social and Governance) in 2010. In 2020, he was the first person to be inducted into the Triple Bottom Line Initiative, Hall of Fame. (TBLI).

He was a partner in the leading Scottish law firm, Brodies, and international law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and US law firm LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae. He has been highly influential in the development of policy, business and financial practice, national and international legal norms and voluntary codes and standards. Paul is a recognised authority and thought leader in several areas, including ESG, business and human rights, sustainable finance (including Equator Principals, corporate responsibility, climate change law and policy and environmental law generally. He has a proven track record as legal counsel advising global businesses and financial institutions, sovereign states, international and multinational organisations, NGOs and other public and private bodies.

Paul has also had a long association with the United Nations (UN) and the Principles of Responsible Investment. He has acted as Legal Counsel and Special Advisor to the United Nations Environment Programme Financial Initiative (UNEPFI) on several projects. Paul is seen as the go-to lawyer for the UN PRI, UN EPFI and the UNEP FI on ESG. He is also Chair of Lawyers for Net Zero initiative.

Paul led the Freshfields pro bono team and was the principal author of the UN report on fiduciary duties. Known generally in the financial and investment sectors as The Freshfields Report, it has been said to be the most downloaded report in UN history. It is also credited with revolutionising market practice on the legality of integrating ESG considerations into the investment decision-making by pension funds and other investment houses.

Paul had string of senior academic posts as Visiting Professor, Honorary Professor and Senior Research Fellow at leading universities, including the LSE, the University of Aberdeen the University of Glasgow.