Ashley Walter

Partner & Chief Sustainability Officer

Seattle

Ashley Walter is Partner & Chief Sustainability Officer at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, where he advises large technology companies, leading apparel brands, multinational retailers, and renewable energy project developers on business-critical climate, product sustainability, human rights and responsible sourcing issues.

As Orrick’s Chief Sustainability Officer, he also oversees Orrick's strategic sustainability initiatives. Ashley focuses on developing innovative methods of supporting clients in achieving ESG objectives, including designing novel systems to manage supply chain risk; forming and guiding management-level ESG Steering Committees; and helping clients address the ESG requirements of major customers by engaging with those customers on our clients’ behalf.

Ashley is a co-founder and past chair of the Corporate Social Responsibility Law Committee of the ABA Business Law Section, has co-chaired the Practising Law Institute's annual ESG program for the last four years, and is heavily involved in ESG initiatives at Stanford Law School, where has served as a moderator at the Stanford Directors' College, has lectured on ESG at business law courses, has taught the course “Corporate Social Responsibility,” and will be teaching the course “Law and Governance in ESG Strategy” in the spring of 2025. Prior to Orrick, Ashley founded the corporate social responsibility practice at a Silicon Valley-based law firm.

How I help clients:

  • Customer ESG Engagement: Engaging with clients’ major customers in response to ESG inquiries or requirements
  • Supply Chain Risk: Developing responsible sourcing systems for high-risk supply chains
  • ESG Goal Management: Advice regarding retaining, modifying or withdrawing ESG goals
  • ESG Steering Committees: Forming and guiding management-level ESG Steering Committees
  • ESG Due Diligence: Conducting ESG due diligence with a focus on post-closing program building
  • Quarterbacking Compliance: Creating and advancing a project plan for regulatory compliance, including working with third-party consultants
  • Representative ESG clients:

    • Microsoft
    • Leading Global Technology Company
    • Multinational Digital Communications Technology Conglomerate
    • Multinational Coffeehouses Chain
    • Juniper Networks
    • Fortinet
    • Synopsys
    • Marvell
    • NetApp
    • Keysight
    • Dropbox
    • Dexcom
    • Shockwave Medical
    • Rubrik
    • American Clothing Company
    • Worldwide Clothing and Accessories Retailer
    • Multinational Manufacturer of Food Products
    • Williams Sonoma
    • Foot Locker
    • Beyond Meat
    • Brightmark
    • EDF Renewables