With private equity firms increasingly interested in making so-called impact investments, which seek not only strong returns but also positive societal benefits, it is vital that attorneys get up to speed on the practice and the reasons for its rising popularity so they can successfully assist with the related legal work.

Impact investing has been around a while, but the private equity industry deciding the practice could be beneficial for business is a relatively recent development, especially since the PE industry is typically laser-focused on the financial bottom line. However, over the past several years there has been growth in private equity players focused on making impact investments, and attorneys that have done significant work in the space say the practice is only growing in popularity.

Originally published in Law360 on November 19, 2018.