Climate Action

Please Treat the Information in the Digest as Confidential. Do Not Circulate Outside of the Lex Mundi Network.

If you are interested in a matter, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing Isis Bous and Allison Laubach through the “Ask About This Matter” button on the details page or directly (ibous@lexmundiprobono.org; alaubach@lexmundiprobono.org) and let us know which project(s) interests you. We will place matches with Lex Mundi member firms on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can view all matter summaries on the “Digest” page(s). To view matters by legal need, select the category of interest. See details of individual matters via the “Read More” link in a matter. To view all details of all available matters, choose “View All”.

View by Legal Need
Consultation (2) Contracts (6) Corporate Governance (1) Data Privacy (1) Intellectual Property (3) Nonprofit Governance (2) Regulatory (1) Research (1) Tax Exempt/Nonprofit (2)

Digest |  View All

A Global Firm

Protect Certification Program

Summary:

Assist a mission driven advisory firm working at the intersection of AI, data center, and energy infrastructure and the rural communities affected by its buildout by providing a consultation on how best to protect their certification program (beyond trademarking) and implementing any recommendations.

Referred by:

  • Friend of the Foundation
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: A Global Firm (AGF) is a mission-driven advisory firm led by Principal A. Toni Young that works at the intersection of AI, data center, and energy infrastructure and the rural communities affected by its buildout. AGF advises corporations and investors on entering these communities as trusted partners rather than extractive ones, structuring capital partnerships that place investors at the table alongside communities. The work of AGF is to bridge capital and the communities it depends on, and build the independent standard that turns the development into their lasting benefit, worldwide.
Legal Entity Type: For-profit
SDG(s):Climate Action, Partnerships to achieve the Goals, Sustainable Cities and Communities
Legal Issue(s):

A Global Firm (AGF) has created a project called AIRES (AI and Responsible Energy Standards). AIRES is being stood up as an independently governed global standards body, with GRIDS as its certification. GRIDS is modeled on the USGBC/LEED and B Lab/B Corp precedents. The framework is intended to govern the operator-community relationship around infrastructure buildout and to ensure large organizations operate more responsibly in rural communities.

The AGF team is seeking a consultation with an IP attorney to discuss how best to protect the GRIDS certification (beyond trademarking the name). They would also appreciate assistance implementing any recommendations or registering any IP based upon the advice given during the consultation.

Ask About a Matter
A Global Firm

Trademark Registration

Summary:

Assist a mission driven advisory firm working at the intersection of AI, data center, and energy infrastructure and the rural communities affected by its buildout by registering two trademarks.

Referred by:

  • Friend of the Foundation
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: A Global Firm (AGF) is a mission-driven advisory firm led by Principal A. Toni Young that works at the intersection of AI, data center, and energy infrastructure and the rural communities affected by its buildout. AGF advises corporations and investors on entering these communities as trusted partners rather than extractive ones, structuring capital partnerships that place investors at the table alongside communities. The work of AGF is to bridge capital and the communities it depends on, and build the independent standard that turns the development into their lasting benefit, worldwide.
Legal Entity Type: For-profit
SDG(s):Climate Action, Partnerships to achieve the Goals, Sustainable Cities and Communities
Legal Issue(s):

A Global Firm (AGF) has created a project called AIRES (AI and Responsible Energy Standards). AIRES is being stood up as an independently governed global standards body, with GRIDS as its certification. GRIDS is modeled on the USGBC/LEED and B Lab/B Corp precedents. The framework is intended to govern the operator-community relationship around infrastructure buildout and to ensure large organizations operate more responsibly in rural communities.

The AGF team is seeking assistance registering trademarks for the AIRES and GRIDS names. If, after a search, it is determined that either name is not available, the AGF team has a narrow list of alternative names. While they are working in the U.S. now, they do plan to expand into several countries internationally. So, they would also appreciate guidance on how best to register the trademarks (e.g., should they register using the Madrid Protocol).

Ask About a Matter
ISeeChange

Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

Summary:

Assist a climate tech company focused on flood risk intelligence and community science by providing a data privacy consultation and updating their Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Referred by:

Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: ISeeChange is a New Orleans-based climate tech company focused on flood risk intelligence and community science. They operate a SaaS and DaaS platform that helps cities and stormwater agencies understand localized flood exposure using real-time community observations and environmental data. ISeeChange is a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation with a stated mission to advance climate resilience, reflecting that public benefit is core to the business, not incidental to it.
Legal Entity Type: For-profit
SDG(s):Climate Action
Legal Issue(s):

In the past, ISeeChange primarily worked with governments/municipalities. However, they are now expanding their customer base to include private sector clients — remote sensing companies, infrastructure consultants, engineering firms, insurers, and banks. Each of these private sector clients is invested in helping people.

ISeeChange has Terms of Use and a Privacy Policy on their website that was drafted by an attorney several years ago. However, they do not reflect their current practices (including the use/sale of data) or address the commercial relationships they are now entering.

The ISeeChange team is now seeking a consultation with a data privacy attorney to ensure their data collection and use practices comply with applicable law.  They primarily operate in Louisiana and Florida but intend to expand into more sensitive jurisdictions. So, they will likely need to comply with the most sensitive/stringent data privacy laws in the United States. Eventually, they plan to expand abroad. But they understand the attorney will be speaking from a US perspective.

Based on the review/guidance from this consultation, they are seeking assistance updating their Privacy Policy and Terms of Use accordingly.

Ask About a Matter
,
Vital Voices

Draft Template MOU and Licensing Agreement

Summary:

Assist a nonprofit training and supporting female leaders by reviewing their template MOU and Licensing Agreement used with their international chapters.

Referred by:

  • Anonymous Collaborator
Jurisdictions: U.S.
About the Organization: Vital Voices is a nonprofit founded on the idea that nations and communities cannot move forward without women’s voices in leadership positions. They invest in women leaders who are taking on the world’s greatest challenges from violence against women and girls to the climate crisis and more. Vital Voices impacts three million people each year and over 49,000 women have participated in their programming.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Climate Action, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Gender Equality, Good Health and Well Being, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, Reduced Inequalities
Legal Issue(s):

Over the past thirty years, Vital Voices has had over 49,000 women and girls participate in their programming. A handful of their alumni have since established Vital Voices chapters in their home countries. There are currently 11 active chapters and three inactive chapters. The Vital Voices team feels it is important to strengthen this collaboration and make sure all of the chapters are aligned.

Vital Voices drafted a template MOU (2 pages) detailing the terms of the relationship, as well as a Licensing Agreement (2 pages) detailing the use of Vital Voices’ name/logo. Both were reviewed by an attorney many years ago. They are now seeking assistance from an attorney to review/update these contracts to ensure they are up to date, reflect best practices, and adequately protect the organization. Ideally, they would like to consolidate these into a single contract if appropriate.

If possible, they would also appreciate guidance on what steps they should take to address the inactive chapters. But this is secondary request.

Ask About a Matter
, ,
Land Use Atlas, Inc.

Research on Zoning Laws

Summary:

Assist a nonprofit democratizing information hidden within zoning codes by conducting research on zoning laws.

Referred by:

Jurisdictions: Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey (official maps only), Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington State, and Wisconsin.
About the Organization: Land Use Atlas is a nonprofit working to digitize, demystify, and democratize information currently hidden within zoning codes. Their flagship project, the National Zoning Atlas (NZA), is a multi-institutional research collaboration centralizing data about zoning – the most important power of American local government, and the little-understood force shaping our lives. Their online interactive map exposes how thousands of communities use zoning – long a tool for racial and economic segregation – to shape housing choices, health outcomes, transportation patterns, environmental degradation, and climate response, among other things.
Legal Entity Type: Nonprofit/Charity
SDG(s):Climate Action, Life on Land (sustainability of ecosystems), Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities
Legal Issue(s):

The Land Use Atlas team is seeking volunteers to research/contribute information about whether jurisdictions have zoning. The volunteers will review jurisdictions’ websites and ordinances, contact jurisdictions when needed (including submitting public information requests), identify the existence of zoning codes, and extract zoning codes. The President of Land Use Atlas is an attorney and a professor at Cornell Law School. The Land Use Atlas team will provide detailed written instructions and guidance. They are also available to facilitate webinar trainings for groups of volunteers.

 

Ask About a Matter
,