Overview
The attorneys and advisors in Foley Hoag’s Global Business & Human Rights practice have decades of experience helping clients advance and implement internationally-recognized human rights, social, and environmental laws, regulations, and normative standards.
In today’s globalized economy, companies and organizations are held to higher standards regarding the human rights, social, and environmental impacts of their operations. Legislators, business partners, investors, shareholders, consumers, and civil society organizations expect your policies to accord with both nationally and internationally recognized standards. Failure to meet these expectations may expose your company to a range of legal, reputational, and operational risks. Translating stakeholder expectations into effective and credible strategic initiatives can be a daunting challenge.
More »
Our clients operate worldwide, and we advise them on issues ranging from Indigenous Peoples’ rights on the ground to freedom of expression online. We offer counsel on both current legal requirements and emerging expectations, including those framed by the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Global Network Initiative, and the Voluntary Principles on Security & Human Rights.
Attorneys and advisors in our Global Business & Human Rights practice can help companies navigate the process of conducting the due diligence necessary to identify the specific risks associated with current or proposed operations. To assist in managing those risks, we assess an organization’s existing practices against legal and regulatory requirements, as well as established voluntary standards and principles, and identify areas for improvement and ways to resolve complex challenges. Finally, we offer guidance in developing the policies and action plans necessary to improve a company’s performance, manage overall risk, safeguard and enhance its reputation, and demonstrate your commitments to responsible stewardship. Our policy guidance is premised upon industry best practices and globally recognized standards, and we tailor our services to your unique needs.
Our advice helps clients to:
- Understand and manage legal, operational, and reputational risks;
- Develop business principles, policies, and standards;
- Implement effective internal training programs and oversight measures;
- Improve and enhance your company’s reputation and brand;
- Retain customers and employees; and
- Improve relationships with communities, media, regulators, opinion leaders, think tanks, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders that have a direct bearing on social license to operate.
To this end, we provide counsel on:
- Legal and regulatory compliance;
- Corporate Social Responsibility;
- Policy and standard developments;
- Human rights due diligence and impact assessments;
- Federal affairs and government strategies; and
- Stakeholder engagement; and crisis management.
The goal of our Global Business & Human Rights practice is to protect your operations from risk while helping you to operationalize responsible business conduct that is aligned with legal requirements, and emerging best practices.
