Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
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COVERSTORY defi nitions, and, to a certain degree, they are somewhat fuzzy at times. And, indeed, I think it is an evolving defi - nition, as we see, but I think a critical component is that it is voluntary. It is a volun- tary activity of the organiza- tion to go beyond what is legally required, and I think that is a very important component. ARMSTRONG: It is interesting because I agree that it is a notion that is voluntary at the present moment, but there seems to be a bit of a trend towards determining how one measures compliance. . . with corporations, corporate social responsibility, obligations. And there is an evolving trend, I think, towards the establishment of some sorts of standards, internationally, in this area, which is in- teresting. So, while it is voluntary now, it may be like one of those things that, over time, becomes something that a corporation feels obligated to do, if it is not otherwise motivated to do it. BADOUR: It is not so voluntary in the U.K., for instance, with the corporation of fi nancial institutions, where they have an obligation to be putting a certain part of their profi ts back in, and their real obligation to be disclosing the kind of community activities that they have. It seems to me, you read their annual reports and see the kind of corporate and social responsibility, disclosure, that they do. It is remarkable. And the reason it is so remarkable is that I think they are regulated to do so. ARMSTRONG: Th ere are many companies that publish reports on their corporate social responsibility performance during the course of a year, and we have begun to do that ourselves. It cov- ers everything from nuclear and industrial safety to sponsorship. BADOUR: It is good for business. And, particularly, I would say, in the last few years that our employees are very keen on seeing what kind of community activity . . . we have done. And our Green Partnership Program is something that really strikes a chord, and it helps in the recruitment of talented colleagues that we bring into the company every year. Pointing you in the right direction Rely on Aird & Berlis LLP for guidance. We have the depth and strength of Canada's largest firms, yet we also possess the creativity and effectiveness of a mid-size firm. A&B is a prominent law firm of more than 120 lawyers with a diversified practice. Clients benefit from our solid relationships with renowned national and international law firms, major institutions and government authorities. We understand the realities of your work. Count on us to keep your business on course. Partnership. Results. Success. For more information, please contact Eldon Bennett, Managing Partner E ebennett@airdberlis.com T 416.865.7704 Brookfield Place, 181 Bay Street, Suite 1800 14 OC T OBER 2008 C ANADIAN Lawyer INHOUSE Untitled-2 1 Toronto, ON M5J 2T9 T 416.863.1500 F 416.863.1515 W www.airdberlis.com 8/26/08 8:57:35 AM