Twenty-two law firms around the world – including Clifford Chance, DLA Piper and Pels Rijcken – have founded the Association of Business and Human Rights Lawyers (BHRLA). BHRLA is to promote human rights, leadership and cooperation between commercial lawyers.
This is stated in the association’s founding statement, which was dated last week published. The founding office noted that companies have a responsibility to respect human rights as stipulated in United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Accordingly, BHRLA supports lawyers who advise commercial clients on the human rights risks and opportunities associated with business activities.
To awaken
According to the statement, the responsibility to respect human rights requires more than just refraining from committing or being involved in human rights violations. The founders state that the company is proactive human rights impact – in which they may be involved through their own activities, or the activities of their partners – must prevent, mitigate, or overcome.
BHRLA aims to raise awareness in the business and legal sectors of the responsibility to respect human rights, and encourage lawyers to incorporate business and human rights advice into their repertoire.
The association wants to do this through education – for example seminars, publications and conferences – and what are called forums. This forum should provide a platform for leadership, collaboration, and peer learning between corporate and human rights lawyers and commercial companies.
Affected office
The twenty-two firms involved in BHRLA are commercial law firms with headquarters in Australia, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. Of these, seven offices have branches in the Netherlands, namely Clifford Chance, DLA Piper, Eversheds Sutherland, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, Norton Rose Fulbright and Pels Rijcken.
Martijn Scheltema, partner of Pels Rijcken, is a member of the BHRLA board. On his office website stilt he about the association: “Handling human rights with care is about much more than looking critically at where the legal risks lie. This requires a genuine interest in and understanding of the rights holder’s situation. This requires completely new skills from lawyers, which the association will enhance.”
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