The French-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC) Magazine profiled Haynes and Boone, LLP Senior Counsel John Eldridge in a feature about his career as an environmental lawyer and involvement in the French-American community.
Here is an excerpt of the Q&A:
John, you are the Chairman of the FACC Houston Board of Directors, you’ve been engaged with our community for years, and your wife and children speak French fluently. Can you tell us more about this strong relationship with France?
John Eldridge: My relationship with France traces to the women in my life. My maternal grandmother treasured French things, and she visited France right before World War I began. My mother also loved France, and we visited France several times when I was young. Then, I married my wife, Annette, whose mother is French. I have taken these clues and opportunities to cultivate my own relationship with France, its business, culture, history, geography and cuisine. My wife and I enrolled our sons in the AWTY International School, so they would learn to speak French, and we have met some wonderful French families there who remain close friends. My love of French wines has strengthened these relationships as well. I joined the FACC Houston several years ago to network with professional business individuals and to support the ties between the city of Houston and the French-speaking world. Being part of the FACC has helped introduce Haynes and Boone to numerous business executives, educators, community leaders and diplomats. Our firm has received legal work through our FACC connections and I have personally introduced our firm’s clients to the various business resources available at the FACC.
You have many years of experience as an environmental lawyer at Haynes and Boone. What major changes did you observe in these past decades? What are the main milestones?
J.E: My environmental practice, including the 20-plus years as a partner at Haynes and Boone, has involved corporate transactions, regulatory analysis, litigation and appellate work. Over the past few decades, I have seen several trends. Corporations have become very conscious of their images and actions, and they have developed a genuine concern for environmental compliance and stewardship. Clean air issues have become the major focus with climate change—in the 1970s it was water and in the 1980s and 1990s it was waste. Lenders and the capital markets have become drivers for environmental improvement. International standards and treaties have become more important, especially with climate change being a global issue. It is also noteworthy how the environmental concerns have blended with social and governance issues (ESG) to become a major force in many companies and investors. Sustainability is now an integral part of the business world.
To read the full article, click here.