Shirley previously worked at MVO Nederland as senior project manager and legal compliance officer. She studied both Dutch and international law, with a focus on human rights, amongst other issues. Shirley has extensive experience in the development and implementation of CSR policies for companies and public authorities.
As NautaDutilh’s CSR specialist, Shirley will support the firm’s growing Sustainable Business and Climate Change practice, led by Freerk Vermeulen and Harm Kerstholt, which focuses on identifying environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities. The team has expertise in areas such as the impact of climate change, corporate governance, sustainable financing, and business human rights and works with clients to develop future-proof solutions to the complex and interrelated challenges associated with corporate social responsibility, from ESG testing of contracts to anticipating changing regulatory requirements in regulated markets.
In addition, together with the Board, Shirley will help to shape NautaDutilh's CSR policy, including our sustainability objectives.
"Sustainability and corporate social responsibility are high on the list of priorities of many of our clients. Their stakeholders - not only investors and regulators but also employees and consumers - demand that they pay attention to these issues. In a rapidly changing playing field, we see that the legal goalposts are also regularly moved. The hardening of soft law is an example of this. We want to and can help our clients in this area. It goes without saying that we are also taking a critical look at our own business operations. We are therefore very pleased that Shirley is joining the firm. Thanks to her unique experience at the intersection of CSR and the law, we can take an important step towards embedding these values more strongly within the firm in order to better serve our clients," says Petra Zijp, managing partner at NautaDutilh.