This content originally appeared in The Global Lawyer — our weekly summary of the major news and trends affecting the global legal industry. I'm Lisa Shuchman, executive editor of Law.com International. Please feel free to contact me here, and If you'd like The Global Lawyer to arrive in your inbox every Monday, sign up here.

Much of the world is celebrating the Year of the Ox this week—a year in the Lunar Calendar that symbolizes honesty, patience, hard work and positivity. And much of the world is feeling more positive, as people are finally able to imagine a post-COVID future. But as the threat of the virus still looms, as global warming continues to destroy the planet, and as people across the globe fight oppression and persecution in different forms, corporations and law firms are beginning to acknowledge that they have a role to play in making a difference.

This has become evident in our recent reporting on environmental, social and governance practices, which are proliferating at law firms around the globe. The momentum is driven by government regulations, institutional investors, and corporate clients.

Dylan Jackson wrote last week that Seyfarth Shaw announced it has formed an ESG group, co-led by attorneys based in London, Chicago and San Francisco. The same day, Hunton Andrews Kurth announced the formation of its ESG group. And Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe bolstered its ESG practice with the hire of Ashley Walter, an expert in corporate and social responsibility, who will head the firm's ESG team. And earlier this month, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher announced its new ESG practice.