International Team Head Explains What Works In Field Of Corporate Accountability

• Published date: 25 November 2020
• Subject Matter: Environment, Government, Public Sector, Environmental Law, Constitutional & Administrative Law, Human Rights
• Law Firm: Leigh Day
• Author: Mr Richard Meeran

Leigh Day partner Richard Meeran shared his expertise as a pioneering multinational human rights abuse lawyer at the 2020 key UN forum on the issue this week.

Richard, who heads up Leigh Day's international team, was a panellist at the United Nations Business and Human Rights Forum, 16-18 November, 2020.

He addressed the audience at the Effective corporate accountability as prevention session, which aimed to explore what corporate accountability means, does it work, does it prevent business related human rights abuses and what are the challenges faced by lawyers?

Richard was asked to speak because of his significant experience in the field of corporate accountability, having brought the first three multinational human rights cases in the UK courts during the 1990s.

• Richard pioneered UK multinational parent Company litigation against Cape PLC for 7,500 South African asbestos miners Thor Chemicals for 42 South African workers poisoned by mercury and Rio Tinto for Edward Connelly. This included two landmark jurisdiction victories in the House of Lords, Connelly v RTZ Corporation Plc [1997] 3 WLR 373 and Lubbe & Others v Cape Plc 2000 1 WLR 1545.
• He represented 31 Peruvian torture victims in case against Monterrico Metals plc, in which a worldwide freezing injunction was obtained Tabra & Others v Monterrico Metals Plc [2009] EWHC 2475; [2010] EWHC 3228.
• Between 2004 and September 2016, Richard worked with the South African Legal Resources Centre and Legal Aid South Africa on a series of 23 silicosis test cases against Anglo American South Africa by former South African gold miners. Later, he worked together with South African attorney, Zanele Mbuyisa, for more than 4000 South African gold miners in silicosis litigation against Anglo American South Africa and AngloGold Ashanti, which in 2016 resulted in the establishment of the Q(h)beka Trust.
• He is acting for 270 Colombian campesinos who allege damage...