Business and human rights

The expectation that commercial organisations should assess and avoid the risk of their business adversely impacting human rights is now firmly established in international standards, corporate policies and, increasingly, in domestic laws and regulations. 

Our global cross-practice team works with clients to identify and avoid risks to human rights, and to manage the associated risks to their own business.  

Members of our practice have been involved in the development and implementation of core international standards in this area over the last decade – most importantly the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.  

We also offer market-leading experience in public international law, crisis management and dispute resolution, working with clients across all major sectors and geographies to solve their most complex human rights challenges.

We can help you to:

• Recognise, and position yourself to take advantage of, the many opportunities presented by the evolving business and human rights landscape
• Develop corporate human rights policies and governance frameworks
• Conduct human rights due diligence, impact assessment and stakeholder engagement including structuring, strategy and issue prioritisation
• Manage risks in the context of business relationships and transactions, including through contractual requirements and codes of conduct
• Comply with national and international reporting requirements and standards
• Design effective processes to identify and mitigate modern slavery risk, and to comply with reporting obligations
• Establish and implement human rights grievance mechanisms
• Investigate and resolve disputes
• Help you respond effectively, when faced with a crisis, particularly in contexts involving grave risks to human rights such as during periods of armed conflict or civil unrest