The recent rise of ESG regulations, alongside increased polarisation, has created new challenges and concerns for businesses. These include navigating an array of ‘pro-ESG’ and ‘anti-ESG’ laws, managing congressional and state Attorney General (AG) investigations into ESG commitments and responding to shareholders, activist groups and other stakeholders. General counsels (GCs) are called on to advise their organisations on these complex legal and regulatory issues, often compounded by fraught political dynamics. How do GCs prioritize ESG matters relative to other competing demands in their legal portfolios? What ESG topics currently most grab their attention or keep them up at night? How do GCs organise and direct their legal departments to address ESG? What are GCs’ expectations of external counsel regarding ESG and how can external counsel do better in this area?