Radha D. Curpen

Radha Curpen is a highly sought-after legal expert on environmental, Indigenous relations, governance, regulatory, climate change, human rights, crisis management and sustainability matters. She is Group Head of McMillan’s ESG and Sustainability practice and also serves as McMillan’s National Client Relationship Ambassador, an advisory role that expands McMillan’s strong commitment to client relations and service.

Trusted on the most high-profile matters, Radha has acted for some of North America’s largest and most well-known organizations in the energy, infrastructure, natural resources, agribusiness, industrial, consumer goods and mining sectors. Her clients include corporations, boards of directors, special committees and Indigenous communities as well as governmental and regulatory agencies globally. She practices across Canada and also advises on cross-border issues, including those relating to the United States.

With unmatched experience in several areas, including corporate strategy, commercial transactions, prosecutions, project development, operational matters and reputation management, Radha assists her clients in identifying risks associated with environmental, social, regulatory and public policy. Her advice is highly beneficial for environmental and impact assessments, the transportation of dangerous goods, renewables projects, partnerships with Indigenous communities, negotiating on participations with Indigenous communities and contaminated sites, as well as crisis prevention and management.

Radha provides exceptional advice on ESG strategy and solutions. Her strategic guidance informs a wide range of business decision-making and governance, embedding ESG into organizations. She counsels on and creates strategy to respond to shareholder activism in ESG. She also advises on ESG risks and opportunities, ESG reporting against standards, frameworks and certifications. Clients rely on her to defend environmental and regulatory prosecutions.

Also active in matters of ESG policy, Radha is a member of the ESG Advisory Council to the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation and a former member of British Columbia’s ESG Advisory Council to the Minister of Finance. She is also a member of the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ ESG Industry Working Group, supporting the development of an ESG guide for pension fund investment and pension plan administrators.

Radha’s environment practice includes advising on climate change programs, renewable project development, emissions, carbon offsets, control measures, credits and trading under regulatory regimes, ESG disclosure and sustainable business strategy, policy and protocol. She also contributed to the launch of Mondaq’s ESG Guide, comparing ESG frameworks and other essential ESG regulations from various jurisdictions around the world.

Her extraordinary breadth of expertise spans human rights issues, including modern slavery, supply chain risk and operational risk in connection with business disruptions, inspections and regulations.

An engaged member of Western Canada’s business community, Radha is an experienced corporate director and a member of the Business Council of British Columbia’s board of governors. Further, she is the immediate past chair of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and a member of its Council of Governors.

Radha has previously served as a managing partner at the Vancouver office of a national law firm, which she helped grow from ten lawyers to over 125 lawyers and professional staff. She is also personally engaged in her community through a variety of special engagements and appointments.