Austin J. Pierce

Associate

Chicago
austin.pierce@lw.com
+1.312.876.6536

PRACTICES

  • Capital Markets
  • Environment, Land & Resources
  • Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)
  • Latin America Practice
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Public Company Representation
  • Shareholder Activism & Takeover Defense

BAR QUALIFICATIONS

  • Illinois
  • Texas

EDUCATION

  • JD/LLM, Duke University School of Law,

LANGUAGES SPOKEN

  • English
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese

PROFILE

Austin Pierce helps companies, funds, and their boards to advance their corporate strategies through the identification and management of environmental, social, and governance risks and opportunities.

Often bridging business, law, and academia, he routinely advises clients on some of their most pressing ESG issues. Austin provides clients with sophisticated but pragmatic guidance, having advised hundreds of companies and funds on matters relating to climate change, biodiversity and natural capital, human rights, Indigenous rights, DEI, and overarching ESG and sustainability strategy.

He draws from deep experience working with clients across sectors and sizes on capital markets offerings and disclosures, financing structures, ESG programs and policies, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory and litigation matters.

Austin’s experience is global, having advised clients on matters across continents, with a particular focus on Latin America.

A recognized thought leader, Austin frequently speaks and writes for publications such as the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, Environmental Law Reporter, Law360, PracticalESG, and Latin Lawyer on ESG matters. He has also written extensively on the intersection of environmental and social matters, including a chapter in the American Bar Association’s Guide to Human Rights Due Diligence for Lawyers.

EXPERIENCE

Austin’s experience includes advising:

ESG Counsel

  • A large tech company on design of their carbon markets program
  • A global systemically important bank on development of climate change strategy and related disclosures*
  • A global systemically important bank on assessment of evolving ESG laws and regulations across all 50 US states
  • A large US retailer on review of DEI initiatives for civil rights considerations
  • A large utility company on project development, including environmental justice, natural capital, and human rights considerations, for projects throughout the Americas*
  • A large US academic institution on laws and best practices regarding Indigenous rights and cultural heritage
  • Large-, mid-, and small-cap companies and their boards, as well as pre-IPO companies on comprehensive ESG strategies, including policy and program design, target-setting, ESG ratings/rankings and other third-party standards, and ESG trainings and capacity building
  • Companies and private capital sponsors on trainings involving human rights, responsible sourcing, and other supply chain matters
  • Various companies on stakeholder engagement, including shareholder activism and proposals
  • Various companies on ESG disclosures, including mandatory and voluntary reporting

Sustainable Finance

  • Almar Water Solutions and Transelec in green financing for acquisition and expansion of seawater propulsion system for Minera Centinela and Minera Antucoya, recognized as 2024 Global Banking & Markets: Latin America Awards - Project Finance Loan Deal of the Year
  • A global manufacturer on its dual (USD-EUR) green bond offering
  • Initial purchases on large energy company’s issuance of sustainability-linked senior notes
  • A large industrial client on a sustainability-linked loan and credit facility

Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity

  • Apollo in its US$3.6 billion acquisition of Barnes Group
  • Carlyle in its US$1.5 billion acquisition of Worldpac from Advance Auto Parts
  • Summit Partners in its investment in Celcoin
  • A large private equity firm in responsible sourcing/supply chain diligence for acquisition of a manufacturing company
  • Tapestry, Inc. in its US$8.5 billion acquisition of Capri Holdings (terminated)
  • A large tech company in responsible sourcing/supply chain considerations for renewable energy fund
  • Various buyers and sellers and their boards on ESG and environmental matters in multiple stock, asset, merger, spin-off, joint venture, and SPAC transactions
  • Various PE sponsors in development and review of ESG programs

Capital Markets

  • Underwriters in initial public offering of Amer Sports, Inc.
  • Underwriters in initial public offering of BKV Corporation
  • Tamboran Resources in initial public offering
  • UL Solutions in initial public offering
  • Various underwriters and issuers, across sectors, in initial public offerings, secondary offerings, notes offerings, and business combination and de-SPAC transactions

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham