This summer, the European Union is expected to finalize and pass a law – albeit in a materially different form from previous versions – that will place substantial human rights obligations on global employers. On March 15,...more
Since it was established in 2014, a United Nations Inter-Governmental Working Group (“IGWG”) has met annually to develop a multilateral treaty to attempt to hold businesses legally accountable for harms that may be related to...more
11/6/2019
/ Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Liability ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Due Diligence ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Human Trafficking ,
International Labor Laws ,
Multinationals ,
Supply Chain ,
Transparency ,
UN Guiding Principles ,
United Nations ,
Working Groups
An ongoing debate exists regarding the nature and extent to which transnational companies should be held directly and legally liable for human rights impacts. Much of this debate has involved calls for additional regulation...more
11/10/2017
/ Burden of Proof ,
Burden-Shifting ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Corporate Veil ,
Due Diligence ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Human Trafficking ,
Multinationals ,
Supply Chain ,
UN Guiding Principles ,
Working Groups
Courts in California and Canada have emerged as testing grounds for advancing claims of forced labor in global supply chains. The plaintiffs’ approach is to make companies more accountable to “soft law” norms like the UN...more
2/15/2017
/ Canada ,
Child Labor ,
Class Action ,
CLRA ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Costco ,
False Advertising ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Multinationals ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Supply Chain ,
Thailand ,
Third-Party Service Provider ,
UN Guiding Principles ,
Unfair Competition Law (UCL)
Recent class actions have claimed that companies have violated California consumer fraud and unfair competition laws resulting from alleged forced labor in their global supply chains. These state law claims argue that...more
10/15/2015
/ Alien Tort Statute ,
Child Labor ,
Class Action ,
Consumer Fraud ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Human Trafficking ,
Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
SCOTUS ,
Slavery ,
Supply Chain ,
Transparency in Supply Chains Act ,
UN Guiding Principles ,
Unfair Competition
In response to the increasing global awareness that companies need to evaluate the effects their operations have on human rights, private entities and organizations have developed arguably competing guidance to achieve that...more