JACKSONVILLE, FL—Florida attorney Jonathan A. “Jon” McGowan of The McGowan Law Firm, was a speaker at the International Conference on European Company Law and Corporate Governance in Croatia. The conference, which took place November 24 & 25 at the University of Zagreb, was themed Corporate Purpose in the Digital Era: Towards Revisiting the Director’s Duties and Liabilities.
McGowan was invited to present on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing as it relates to the fiduciary duty of corporate directors. ESG is a quickly developing field, which is advancing faster than the existing regulatory systems. Recent legislation passed by the European Parliament creates a potential conflict. McGowan’s presentation focused on the problems this causes for corporate directors who are tasked with meeting unclear ESG standards while also satisfying their fiduciary duty. While focused primarily on level developments in the European Union, McGowan also addressed the conflicts between E.U. and United States law, and the problems they may cause for transnational corporations.
McGowan has established himself as an expert in the legal development of ESG. He authored a chapter on ESG in the United Kingdom in the book Impact Investing and Social Enterprise: Global Progress and Challenges, published by ABA Publishing. He authored a journal article on green bonds in the United Kingdom for The Year In Review, The International Law Journal of American Bar Association/ International Law Section. He has pending publications with INTEREULAWEAST – Journal for International and European Law, Economics and Market Integrations and The University of Chicago Business Law Review. As a Fellow at the European Law Institute, he is on the members consultative committee for the project Guidance on Company Capital and Financial Accounting for Corporate Sustainability.
McGowan practices in business law, government affairs, and legal development.
