Debevoise’s Business Integrity Group has launched the Debevoise Business Integrity Screen, designed to provide in-house counsel, sustainability leaders and compliance departments with a tool to help navigate the increasingly complex area of business integrity risk and its potential reputational, financial and political consequences.
“For multinational companies, business integrity risk management is becoming a challenging exercise,” said David W. Rivkin, global co-chair of Debevoise’s International Dispute Resolution Group in New York. “We designed the Debevoise Business Integrity Screen as a guide for businesses that are facing the possibility of new types of sanctions or lawsuits in light of recently developed human rights regulation, such as the Modern Slavery Act in the UK and the Loi de Vigilance in France, and ‘soft law’ instruments, most notably, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.”
The Screen provides an overview of the legal framework and also includes a series of questions and practice points designed to guide businesses as they develop and maintain a systemic approach to integrity risk. The Screen has three pages, “Policies,” “Due Diligence Process” and “Remediation Program,” which align directly with the UNGPs three pillars for demonstrating exemplary human rights practices: a human rights policy commitment, a due diligence process and a process to enable remediation.
“Integrity risks have become increasingly legal in nature,” said Samantha J. Rowe, International Dispute Resolution and Business Integrity Group partner in London. “Ultimately, companies will need to devise a tailored approach that is focused on the particular risks they face and that capitalizes and expands upon existing compliance systems, working with their in-house and external counsel as appropriate. We created The Screen to serve as a roadmap for general counsel and external lawyers alike to take the first step toward developing the best possible integrity risk management solution for their business.”
Debevoise’s Business Integrity Group includes partners, counsels and associates from the firm’s Banking, Business Integrity, Capital Markets, Cybersecurity & Data Privacy, Environmental, Energy/Natural Resources, International Dispute Resolution, Investment Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Sanctions and White Collar & Regulatory Defense groups in seven of the firm’s offices across the globe.
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. We deliver effective solutions to our clients’ most important legal challenges, applying clear commercial judgment and a distinctively collaborative approach.