The General Counsel as Partner in Shaping A Corporate Culture That Respects Human Rights

Abstract

This paper reflects my personal views only, and not necessarily those of any organization or person with whom I am or have been affiliated, which are listed below only for identification. Since 2008, I have acted as senior legal counsel to Harvard Kennedy School Professor John Ruggie, author of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) during his UN mandate; general counsel and senior advisor to Shift (the leading center of expertise on the UNGPs); Senior Program Fellow of the Corporate Responsibility Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government; and former chair of the IBA's Business and Human Rights Working Group. I am grateful for the thoughtful insights of Malcolm Rogge at Harvard Law School regarding the devolution of the business responsibility to respect human rights to corporate counsel.