Human Rights and Supply Chain Due Diligence: What are the new requirements and what to expect?
On February 23rd, the European Commission proposed a Sustainable Corporate Governance Initiative and is now entering negotiations with co-legislators.
Smaller companies will increasingly be held to standards similar to large multinationals and public procurement will be allowed to insert criterium to force Human Rights compliance on both European companies and companies with part of their operations in the European Union.
Join us for a panel discussion about the new requirements of human rights due diligence and how this impacts companies in Europe and the United States:
- What are companies on both sides of the Atlantic concerned about?
- How does it affect a company’s compliance organization?
- What kind of due diligence obligations exist?
- What kind of disclosure requirements exist?
- What are sanctions in cases of non-compliance?
- What do companies need to do now?
|AGENDA|
- Examples of recent human rights lawsuits and criminal charges against companies: Criminal charges initiated by NGOs against (German) companies
- Criminal law and civil law aspects of human rights violations:
- Who is responsible for human rights violations under criminal law?
- What are possible claims under civil law?
- What is the role of NGOs and trade unions?
- What courts are competent in the EU for human rights due diligence violations?
- Presentation of the proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence adopted on February 23, 2022
- Comparative law overview of the legal situation in Germany i.e. Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz, France i.e. loi vigilance and the United States i.e. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act incl. the “Rebuttable presumption” provision taking effect on June 21, 2022
Panel discussion in English, Q&A in French & English
| SPEAKERS |
- Philippe Portier, Partner, JEANTET, Paris
- Dr. Mansur Pour Rafsendjani, Partner, NOERR, Munich
- Arthur Bodek, Partner, GDLSK, New York
- Mariana Ruiz Alvarado, Senior Social Development Specialist, EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK, Luxembourg
|TIMING|
8:30 Check In
9:00-10:00 Panel discussion
10:00-10:30 Networking
Jeantet, 11 Rue Galilée, 75116 Paris
Registration
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Speakers
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Arthur BodekPartner, GDLSK, New YorkArthur Bodek is a partner in the New York office of GDLSK. His practice is focused on import and export trade law, Customs law and other regulatory law as it relates to international trade. Much of his work centers around developing creative strategies to maximize benefits under Free Trade Agreements and a host of other duty-free/reduced duty tariff programs (e.g., U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Central American Free Trade Agreement, Generalized System of Preferences, African Growth and Opportunity Act, Caribbean Basin Initiative, and many others). Mr. Bodek also works with clients to develop favorable Customs valuation and tariff classification strategies to generate Customs duty-savings.
Mr. Bodek represents clients in connection with CBP requests, audits, investigations and enforcement actions. He is also involved in supply chain issues including those related to forced labor and sustainability as well as importer security programs such as the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT).
Mr. Bodek regularly counsels clients on compliance issues and frequently speaks to trade audiences on these topics.
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Dr Mansur Pour RafsendjaniRechtsanwalt (Lawyer) Partner, Noerr, MünichRechtsanwalt Dr. Mansur Pour Rafsendjani has more than 20 years’ experience of international legal advice and is Co-head of our International Trade Group. Drafting international agreements and court representation in trade and distribution law and logistics as well as cooperation of companies (Global Purchasing, Global Supply, Distribution, Franchising and Commercial Agency, Supply Chain Advice) are among his specialties. His particular expertise also includes supply chain compliance consulting.
Together with his team he has advised more than 600 prominent German and foreign companies including listed companies. He lectures on many international trade law and logistics subjects. From 2007 to 2013, he headed our office in the Ukraine. Prior to joining Noerr, he was chief in-house counsel in an asset management company and lecturer in securities law (University of the Saarland) and in international contract law (Saarland University of Applied Sciences). -
Philippe PortierPartner, Jeantet, ParisPhilippe Portier is in charge of Corporate Finance/M&A, Corporate Compliance/CSR and Public Affairs/Lobbying.
He is a specialist in corporate governance, executive remuneration (Say on Pay) and compliance (anti-corruption programmes, due diligence plans, etc.) and contributes to the work of the Institut Montaigne, Fondation Croissance Responsable and the IFA.
From 2012 to 2021, he chaired the Association des Avocats Lobbyistes (AAL).
