Delaware Judge Faces New Era of Politically Charged ESG Cases

Lori Will is one of the newest members of Delaware’s Court of Chancery, joining the venue known for adjudicating high-profile business spats just two years ago. But she’s already pioneering how judges navigate a growing cache of politically-charged corporate disputes tied to environmental, social and governance, or ESG, issues.

The first-generation college graduate and mother of two children (and two dogs) made headlines in June when she ruled that Walt Disney Co. had every right to listen to employees’ concerns in its response to a Florida law limiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation. Will decided shareholders weren’t entitled to internal ...