Alien Tort Claims Act

Are Companies Liable in the U.S. for Abuses Abroad?

November 22, 2011

A split has emerged among federal appeals courts over whether corporations can be held liable in U.S. courtrooms for human rights abuses conducted overseas. Now the Supreme Court has agreed to weigh in on the dispute; if it decides in favor of companies, that might drive plaintiffs to pursue individual executives and board members instead. More details inside.
 

Ruling Closes the Door on Alien Tort Statute Liability

February 23, 2011

A federal appeals court has ruled that corporations can't be held liable in the United States under the Alien Tort Statute for charges of international law violations in foreign countries. Unless the case is appealed to the Supreme Court, the decision effectively closes the door on the bulk of ATS litigation. More details inside.
 

News From the HR (Human Rights) Department...

June 09, 2009

Compliance headaches have gone global this week, from Nigeria to China.First, Royal/Dutch Shell finally blinked and settled a civil lawsuit against the company about to start in New York. Relatives of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian civil-rights activist hanged by authorities there in 1995, had sued Shell under the U.S. Alien...
 

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Survey of the Week


Deloitte is conducting their annual Look Before You Leap: Managing Risks in Global Investments survey to better understand the approaches companies are taking to address compliance and integrity-related risks in emerging markets. 

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