Course Description: This 3-hour introductory course explores the business responsibility to respect human rights, focusing on how operations can adversely impact internationally- and domestically recognized human rights. The program introduces business lawyers and their clients to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) Framework for implementing human rights policies into business activities to reduce risk. FIFA’s statutory-regulatory human rights policy utilizing the UNGPs will be explored in the context of a multinational business enterprise.
Time | Description | Speakers |
9:00-10:00am (1 hour) | Welcome & Opening Remarks First Session: A. The Human Rights Responsibility of Large Multinational (MNE), Medium and Small Business Enterprises Under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (2011) B. Access to Effective Remedies for HR Violations with Access Priority: 1. Nation state domestic law including ratified treaties, and remedies, including those found in the law of business contracts U.S. Examples: -US and Texas Constitutions as amended, including U.S. Bill of Rights, other Amendments with case law -Federal and Texas Legislation such as Civil Rights Laws, Criminal, Family, Immigration, Civil and Military Codes with case law -Cities of Houston and Dallas Municipal law 2. Gap Filler soft international-domestic law: the UNGPs in business HR policy, procedure, processes 3. International-regional sources of global hard law for business HR policy context and role of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties | Moderator: –Ruth Lozano McChesney, IHRC Chair; Partner, McChesney Kolly PLLC (San Antonio) Presenters: –John Vernon, Partner, The Vernon Law Group PLLC (Dallas) –Emily Patterson, Attorney at Law, Patterson Consulting B.V. (Brussels, Germany) |
10:00-10:08am (8 minutes) | Break |
|
10:08am – 11:15am (1 hour, 7 minutes) | Second Session: Learning Exercise: Global Business Practice HR Tool Compared to Existing Large Multinational Business Enterprise’s HR Commitment: FIFA (Country: CH) A. Examination of the FIFA HR Statutes (Legal), Regulations, Circulars, Host City Contracts, and other documents concerning HR and Due Diligence B. Examination of the IBA Practical Guide on Business and Human Rights for Practitioners (2016) Compared with FIFAs Legal publications (2024) | Presenters: –John Vernon, Partner, The Vernon Law Group PLLC (Dallas) –Emily Patterson, Attorney at Law, Patterson Consulting B.V. (Brussels, Germany)
|
11:15am – 11:22am (7 minutes) | Break |
|
11:22am – 12:30pm (1 hour, 8 minutes) | Third Session: A. Introduction to students’ FIFA Sporting Event Toolkit Sponsored by SBOT IHRC-ILS and UT Law HR Clinic B. Example of Toolkit application to a FIFA Host City hypothetical event involving a Texas business entity
| Presenter: –Joshua J. Newcomer, Principal, McKool Smith (Houston) |
For over 25 years, Ruth Lozano McChesney has exclusively practiced immigration law, becoming Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Chambers and Partners, recognizing only the top 2% of attorneys, has consistently ranked Ruth in Immigration Law. Her expertise spans from Fortune 100 corporations to small businesses across diverse industries including healthcare, technology, energy, and education.
Ruth is currently the Chair of the International Human Rights Committee (IHRC), as part of the State Bar of Texas International Law Section. Founded in August 2015, the IHRC represents a groundbreaking initiative in connecting business law with human rights advocacy. It emerged from recognition that lawyers needed better education and guidance on international human rights issues affecting their clients’ global operations.
Interested in serving on the committee or partnering with the ILS on our programs, events and initiatives?
Contact Ruth McChesney at rmcchesney@mcchesneykolly.com.
