Europe’s umbrella bar has drawn up the first formal code for lawyers to advise clients on corporate social responsibility (CSR), which, if adopted, would see lawyers routinely advise clients on wider social issues.

The code, which calls on lawyers to carry out a CSR assessment as part of due diligence, has been drawn up by the Council of the Bars and Law Societies of the European Union (CCBE) after more than 12 months of work.