Biography
Annemargaret also works closely with the Firm’s European and Asian offices on cross border transactions, assisting in identifying and allocating environmental risks as well as educating foreign clients on potential issues raised by global environmental movements. In doing so, she undertakes and oversees due diligence assessments, retains and works with consultants, engineers and other environmental professionals to quantify potential liabilities, and drafts and negotiates contract language to effectively allocate the risk of environmental liabilities between the parties. Annemargaret’s transactional work requires not only an understanding of the current laws and requirements, but attention to pending and future legislative and regulatory developments that may have significant business implications. Annemargaret also advises on disclosure issues in the preparation of financial statement and public securities filings and negotiates transaction specific environmental insurance transactions.
With respect to ESG, Annemargaret focuses more particularly on the “E” component of ESG. Along with subject matter experts, Annemargaret works with both private equity firms as well as public companies on identifying ESG goals and objectives and eventually assisting with the development and implementation of their ESG policies. A significant portion of this work includes the evaluation of future risks, such as the physical and regulatory risks presented by climate change and efforts to mitigate and adapt to its impacts.
Besides transactional experience, Annemargaret counsels clients on a variety of environmental and health and safety topics, including climate change, renewable energy projects and concerns, compliance with hazardous waste and hazardous material, wastewater and air emission requirements, occupational safety issues, asbestos, mold and other building concerns, as well as shareholder, successor and lender liability.
Annemargaret is ranked Band 1 for Environment: Mainly Transactional in D.C. by Chambers USA, where clients note that she is “an icon in the field” and “the best environmental attorney in the country for protecting a company while keeping commercial priorities in mind." She is listed in the “Hall of Fame” for Environment: Transactional by Legal 500 US, where she is described as being “smart, practical and efficient” and “[she doesn’t] lose sight of the big picture when negotiating the environmental portions of deals. It is always a pleasure to work with [her] because I know the deal will run smoothly with respect to environmental.” Annemargaret is recognized as an expert in Environment by Expert Guides’ “Women in Business Law.” Annemargaret was named both “Environment Lawyer of the Year” and “ESG Leadership Lawyer of the Year” for 2024 by Euromoney Legal Media Group’s Americas Women in Business Law Awards. She was also shortlisted in 2020-2022 by Euromoney Legal Media Group. In 2016, she was recognized as an Energy & Environmental “Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal and highlighted for pioneering a practice focused on identifying and allocating environmental risks in transactions, as well as for her roles in numerous landmark deals stretching back more than 25 years. Annemargaret was also named a 2016 Environmental “MVP” by Law360. She is consistently recognized as a “Best Lawyer” for Environmental Law in Washington, D.C. by Best Lawyers in America and as a leading environmental attorney for corporate transactions by Super Lawyers. Annemargaret has published numerous articles, and has been interviewed by several industry publications and legal journals, on such diverse topics as climate change, nanotechnology, lender and successor liability, due diligence and the need for environmental audits in international business transactions. Annemargaret recently spoke at the Conference Board’s panel “Developments in U.S. & EU ESG Disclosure Rulemaking & What U.S. Companies Need to Know," as part of The Society for Corporate Governance’s 2023 Eastern Regional Fall Conference.
Annemargaret is active in the DC Community serving as Chair of the Board of Directors of DC Appleseed Foundation. She was recently honored at the 2024 Securing DC Appleseed that celebrates the foundation’s 30-year legacy. Annemargaret is also a member of Legal Aid of DC’s Board of Directors and George Washington University Athletic Advisory Council.
Awards and Recognition, Speaking Engagements, Latest Thinking, Firm News & Announcements
Awards and Recognition
- Annemargaret Connolly Ranked Band 1 for Environment: Mainly Transactional in D.C. Award Brief — Chambers USA 2024
- Annemargaret Connolly Named to the “Hall of Fame” for Environment: Transactional Award Brief — Legal 500 US
- Annemargaret Connolly Named 2024 “Environment Lawyer of the Year” Award Brief — Euromoney Legal Media Group Americas Women in Business Law Awards
- Annemargaret Connolly Named 2024 “ESG Leadership Lawyer of the Year” Award Brief — Euromoney Legal Media Group Americas Women in Business Law Awards
- Annemargaret Connolly Recognized as an Environment “Expert” Award Brief — Expert Guides’ “Women in Business Law”
- Annemargaret Connolly Shortlisted for 2022 “Environment Lawyer of the Year” Award Brief — Euromoney Legal Media Group Americas Women in Business Law Awards
Speaking Engagements
-
The Society for Corporate Governance: 2023 Eastern Regional Fall Conference
Speaker(s):
Lyuba Goltser,
Robert Stern,
Annemargaret Connolly and
P.J. Himelfarb
October 5, 2023 — Several Weil Partners spoke at The Society for Corporate Governance’s 2023 Eastern Regional Fall Conference, including the following:
- Weil Public Company Advisory Group Co-Head Lyuba Goltser and Litigation Partner Robert Stern spoke on a panel titled “ESG Commitments in Practice: Guardrails for Managing Risks Around Development, Implementation, Disclosure & Withdrawal.”
- Weil’s Head of the Environmental Practice Annemargaret Connolly and Public Company Advisory Group partner P.J. Himelfarb spoke on a panel titled “Developments in U.S. & EU ESG Disclosure Rulemaking & What U.S. Companies Need to Know.”
Latest Thinking
- Sustainability & ESG Quarterly Roundup Alert — By Rebecca Grapsas, John P. Barry, Lyuba Goltser, Olivia J. Greer, Rebecca Sivitz, Annemargaret Connolly, Matthew D. Morton, Robert Stern, Drew Tulumello, James Bromley, Hayley Lund, Marc Schubert, Amy Waddington and Romain Ferla — PDF — September 2024
- Sustainability & ESG Quarterly Roundup Alert — By Rebecca Grapsas, John P. Barry, Lyuba Goltser, Olivia J. Greer, Rebecca Sivitz, Annemargaret Connolly, Matthew D. Morton, Robert Stern, James Bromley, Christopher Marks, Marc Schubert, Amy Waddington and Romain Ferla — PDF — April 2024
- SEC Adopts Less Prescriptive Climate-Related Disclosure Rules but Challenges Remain Alert — By Rebecca Grapsas, P.J. Himelfarb, Julie Rong, Amanda Zoda, Annemargaret Connolly, Matthew D. Morton, David R. Singh and Robert Stern — PDF — March 13, 2024
- A New Benchmark for Corporate Transparency on Climate – California Governor Newsom Signs Bills Establishing Corporate Climate Disclosure Standards, While Questioning the Feasibility of the Current Implementation Deadlines and Highlighting Concerns over Costs to Affected Businesses Alert — By Annemargaret Connolly, Lyuba Goltser, P.J. Himelfarb, Matthew D. Morton and Rebecca Grapsas — PDF — October 12, 2023
-
Sustainability & ESG Quarterly Roundup
Blog Post — Weil Governance & Securities Watch
— By
Lyuba Goltser,
Annemargaret Connolly,
James Bromley,
Marc Schubert and
Rebecca Grapsas
— September 11, 2023
We are pleased to share with our clients and friends the latest edition of our newsletter, Sustainability & ESG Quarterly Roundup. In this newsletter, we highlight key developments relating to sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics over the past quarter, with a focus on developments of interest to U.S. public and private companies, […]
The post Sustainability & ESG Quarterly Roundup appeared first on Governance & Securities Watch.
...
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Advises Blackstone in Preferred Equity Investment in Inhabit Deal Brief — December 03, 2024
- Weil Advises DT Midstream in its $1.2 Billion Acquisition of Strategic Midwest FERC-Regulated Natural Gas Pipelines Deal Brief — November 20, 2024
- Weil Advises Aterian Investment Partners in Partnership with Outlook Group Deal Brief — November 06, 2024
- Weil Advises Bain Capital and Pine Island in Sale of Precinmac to Centerbridge Deal Brief — October 15, 2024
- Weil Advises Goldman Sachs in Completion of its $440M Strategic Investment in BrightNight Deal Brief — October 07, 2024