Human rights focus for ex A&O partner's startup firm

Advising on human rights-related regulatory requirements is the opportunity spotted by a former magic circle partner who has founded her own boutique firm. London-based Paxus LLP, set up by former Allen & Overy partner Suzanne Spears, will advise corporate clients in the areas of international law, international arbitration and transnational law and offer strategy, due diligence and dispute resolution services. 

Spears, former head of Allen & Overy’s business and human rights practice, said: 'New human rights related transparency and due diligence regulatory requirements are coming into effect across the globe. International disputes and investigations involving human rights issues are multiplying rapidly, and greenwashing about human rights issues is becoming a serious concern. 

'Addressing the corporate and personal risks associated with these issues requires a rigorous assessment of the legal and procedural issues at play, as well as a commercially-minded and credible multidisciplinary approach to the law.'

Spears, who left Allen & Overy in June, will be joined at Paxus by three other former members of Allen & Overy’s international arbitration team: Sebastián Mejía, a tri-qualified Spanish-Colombian lawyer; and Olga Owczarek and Finnuala Meaden-Torbitt, both English solicitors. The ex-A&O team at Paxus is also joined by Dr Kuzi Charamba, who specialises in sustainability-related legal matters globally and especially in Africa; Aishwarya Nair, an international arbitration and sustainable development specialist with a background in India and the Middle East; Sebastián Abad-Jara, who focuses on international law and comparative constitutional law in Latin America; and Leonardo Camacho, who focuses on public policy and constitutional law in Asia.

Spears added: 'Multinational corporations, as well as their investors and directors, are increasingly coming under public and regulatory scrutiny. It is imperative that they and their in-house counsel are alive to and take action to address the potential risks, legally, commercially and reputationally, that non-compliance with international standards of conduct can have on their businesses.’