By respecting and promoting human rights and fair labor standards, multinational companies, especially those with international supply chains, can change the human condition through their trade practices. With the “soft law” of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights crystalizing into “hard law,” companies now face adverse publicity, reputational harm, and legal liability if they fall short in respecting and promoting human rights in their business activities.
Clark Hill’s Business and Human Rights (BHR) team is equipped to advise companies in various types of industries and sectors on the growing body of national and international human rights laws that intersect with business practices. Our team helps businesses mitigate legal, reputational, and operational risks arising from adverse human rights impacts.
Key services include:
- Advise and assist multinational companies in conducting sophisticated due diligence to meet legal and regulatory requirements, including broader ESG and sustainability obligations and commitments.
- Assist businesses in drafting press responses and public statements regarding their business and human rights practices.
- Draft contractual agreements with human rights compliance provisions.
- Assist clients in maintaining access to U.S. and foreign markets by ensuring that their goods are compliant with national and international laws on forced labor, such as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).
- Assist companies in conducting complex supply chain traceability and conducting deep analysis and reviews on the required documentation.
- Advise and assist companies in conducting fair labor practices in compliance with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
- Assist and advise U.S. companies on responsible sourcing to promote human rights while advancing small and local farmers and businesses.
Clark Hill’s BHR team is equipped to advise clients on international, regional, and national business and human rights matters given our lawyers’ diverse backgrounds and geographical reach, including multiple nationalities, languages, and cultural backgrounds. Our integrated BHR team is composed of leading lawyers and professionals with government experience and extensive human rights experience. Including representing governments and companies on various human rights issues before domestic and international human rights tribunals, such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and various United Nations Human Rights Committees.
