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- Hannah Edmonds Camara
Hannah Edmonds-Camara advises on a range of both international and domestic employment and human rights issues including drafting and implementation of policies and compliance programmes, international employment and human rights aspects of global transactions and contentious employment matters.
She has particular expertise in helping businesses manoeuvre through the growing global regulatory landscape surrounding the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, through training on international human rights law and best practice, policy design and implementation, management of supplier relationships and due diligence.
Ms. Edmonds-Camara gained valuable experience while on secondment to a large pharmaceutical client. She is a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee, Public Service (pro bono) Committee, and Africa Initiative.
- Acting for Microsoft Corporation, assisting with global employment law aspects of its acquisition of Nokia’s devices and services business, involving employees across 60 countries.
- Assisting a client in responding to the leaking of highly confidential information and trade secrets to a competitor.
- Assisting with global employment law aspects of a large pharmaceutical company’s acquisition of a competitor’s franchise, involving the transfer of employees across 40 countries.
- Conducting human rights due diligence exercises relating to the potential acquisition of multinational businesses (including a business subject to disclosure requirements relating to potential use of conflict minerals in its products).
- Assisting a leading life science company on their supplier audit protocols governing employment, environmental and health and safety protections across multiple jurisdictions.
- Advising a leading consulting firm on the drafting and implementation of its new supplier code of conduct, and the scope of related contractual clauses, audit rights, and other compliance documentation and issues.
- Advising numerous clients, across a range of industries, on the drafting of transparency statements required by the U.K. Modern Slavery Act.
- Working with leading multinational companies on their global codes of conduct and business ethics documentation with a particular focus on human rights issues, including anti-discrimination policies, data privacy, freedom of association, the use of whistle-blower hotlines, and so on.
- Supporting clients with their internal training and awareness-raising programs and initiatives, and helping build the internal alliances necessary to formulate effective human rights plans.
Pro Bono
- Advising undocumented minors on UK immigration matters on behalf of client, Kids in Need of Defence.
- Establishing a legal aid clinic at the University of The Gambia.
- Advising the Public International Law and Policy Group on juvenile measures in Kosovo.
- Advises GrowTH (a night shelter in East London) on an array of matters including refugee and asylum cases and employment/ Modern Slavery Act matters.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Employment Lawyers’ Association
Previous Experience
- Secondment to the in-house legal department of a global pharmaceutical company.
- Lectured in international law at the University of The Gambia.
September 18, 2020, Global Policy Watch
The UK Government recently announced that it is developing legislation that would make it illegal for large businesses operating in the UK to use certain commodities that have not been produced in line with local laws, and require in-scope companies to conduct due diligence to ensure that their supply chains are free from illegal deforestation...… Continue ...
September 17, 2020, Inside Energy & Environment
The UK Government recently announced that it is developing legislation that would make it illegal for large businesses operating in the UK to use certain commodities that have not been produced in line with local laws, and require in-scope companies to conduct due diligence to ensure that their supply chains are free from illegal deforestation...… Continue ...
September 17, 2020, Covington Alert
On September 14, 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced five Withhold Release Orders (WROs) against products from certain factories and companies doing business primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China based on allegations of forced labor. CBP and other U.S. government departments and agencies have repeatedly stated ...
Summer 2020
In this video, Covington's Business and Human Rights practice team members Daniel Feldman, Tom Plotkin, and Hannah Edmonds-Camara address: how is human labor in the spotlight? how are supply chains impacted? how can companies address business and human rights challenges?
July 8, 2020, Covington Alert
In recent years and with increased vigor in recent months, stakeholders and governments, including the United States, have focused on labor-related and other human rights issues concerning the treatment of Uyghur and other minority Muslim groups in the Xinjiang region of China. In this post, we provide an overview of some of these developments and considerations ...
May 29, 2020, Covington Alert
In this update, we provide an overview of a number of recent international developments in the area of business and human rights ("BHR"). While public policy and corporate agendas have slowed in the past several months as a result of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been recent indications that key stakeholders—including governments, ...
May 7, 2020, Global Policy Watch
“Businesses that have better risk mitigation processes across their supply chains cause less harm to people… Good environmental, social, and governance practices pay off… We need to make sure that responsible business conduct and sustainable supply chains become the norm.” EU Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, April 29, 2020 On April 29, 2020, in a...… ...
May 6, 2020, Covington Alert
On April 29, 2020, in a webinar hosted by the European Parliament’s Responsible Business Conduct Working Group, EU Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders announced that the European Commission (the “Commission”) will move swiftly to introduce regulation on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence for companies, with its legislative proposal to ...
March 27, 2020, Covington Alert
On Friday 20 March, the UK Government announced various support measures for UK businesses. One of these was the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the “Scheme”), which it is hoped will reduce the risk that UK employers promptly dismiss employees in response to the Coronavirus outbreak. Further guidance was published on 26 March, providing some much needed detail ...
March 19, 2020, Covington Alert
The speed and severity of the current crisis means UK employers face very difficult and pressing decisions. Some intermediate steps can be taken to preserve workforces for a period and avoid immediate redundancies. Some form of individual or even collective consultation with employees or their representatives may be necessary. This can be used ...
February 3, 2020, Cov Africa
Commencement of the AfCFTA. The landmark African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is slated to go into force on July 1, 2020. When fully implemented, the trade agreement will eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers, and substantially increase intra-regional trade to volumes worth over $3.3 trillion. Twenty-nine countries have deposited their instruments of ...
December 13, 2019, Global Policy Watch
In Part 2 of our business and human rights series to mark World Human Rights Day, we discuss the increasing recognition of the linkages between human rights abuses and corruption, and how companies can find efficiencies in their efforts to address these overlapping risks. Corruption and adverse human rights impacts are often intertwined. This was...… Continue ...
December 10, 2019, Global Policy Watch
In Part One of our blog series to honour the UN’s World Human Rights Day, we consider the evolving business and human rights landscape and some of the challenges this presents for multinations. This piece was first published in the U.K.’s Law Society Gazette on 10 December 2019. The theme of this year’s UN Forum...… Continue Reading
October 2, 2019, Global Policy Watch
On 4 September 2019, the U.S. Department of State (“DoS”) published draft ‘Guidance for the Export of Hardware, Software and Technology with Surveillance Capabilities and/or Parts/Know-How’ (the “Guidance”). The DoS invited public comment on the draft Guidance until 4 October 2019, after which they will publish finalised guidance. Goal: Preventing Human Rights ...
September 30, 2019, Covington Alert
Recent global trends have placed significant scrutiny on matters related to modern slavery and human rights issues in supply chains. New legislation has steadily been introduced across the globe (including in the U.S., the U.K., France and Australia). In this update, we provide an overview on a variety of international and national developments in the business ...
August 21, 2018, Cov Africa
We reported following the 2017 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights on the progress of an international treaty on the subject. On 19th July 2018, the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group (OEIGWG) presented the draft text of a treaty to the High Commissioner for Human Rights (through the Permanent Mission of Ecuador, acting as Chair...… Continue Reading
August 6, 2018, Covington Alert
We reported following the 2017 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights on the progress of an international treaty on the subject. On 19th July 2018, the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group (OEIGWG) presented the draft text of a treaty to the High Commissioner for Human Rights (through the Permanent Mission of Ecuador, acting as Chair in the process).
July 12, 2018, Global Policy Watch
The UK’s anti-slavery commissioner resigns On 17 May 2018, the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Kevin Hyland OBE, announced his imminent resignation. While praising the Prime Minister’s leadership in the fight against modern slavery, he expressed concern about Home Office interference with the role, and the hope that any future Commissioner would be ...
May 17, 2018, Global Investigations Review
April 20, 2018
LONDON—Covington advised BenevolentAI on an £80 million equity investment by new and existing investors, including Woodford Investment Management, at a pre-money valuation of £1.4 billion. The firm also recently advised BenevolentAI on its acquisition of Proximagen Limited, a Cambridge, UK-based drug discovery and development company, for an undisclosed ...
March 26, 2018, CIOReview
March 8, 2018, Covington Alert
Corporate Human Rights Benchmark Ltd (CHRB) has published its 2018 research methodology and is currently encouraging relevant companies to disclose information relevant to this year’s research and ranking exercise.
January 25, 2018, Global Policy Watch
In this blog, Covington’s Africa practice highlights ten key issues to watch in Africa in 2018. U.S. Policy: The derogatory remarks that President Trump made about Africans and Haitians, which he denies having said, create a negative image for the U.S. across the region as the year begins. Nevertheless, the administration will push forward on...… Continue ...
January 25, 2018, Cov Africa
In this blog, Covington’s Africa practice highlights ten key issues to watch in Africa in 2018. U.S. Policy: The derogatory remarks that President Trump made about Africans and Haitians, which he denies having said, create a negative image for the U.S. across the region as the year begins. Nevertheless, the administration will push forward on...… Continue ...
December 26, 2017
SILICON VALLEY—The Financial Times has recognized Covington among the most innovative firms in 2017 in the category of "Enabling Business Growth," for advising "Tencent in its acquisition of a $8.6bn majority stake in Supercell, the Finnish gaming company, while maintaining Supercell’s creative culture and retaining its employees by introducing incentive ...
December 8, 2017, Covington Alert
Last week, the United Nations hosted the sixth annual Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva. The three-day event provided attendees with informative panels and important updates on the state of the field. Lawyers from Covington’s business and human rights initiative were in attendance and suggest five important takeaways for business.
October 11, 2017, Global Policy Watch
The U.K. government has provided updated and firmer guidance on the section 54 Modern Slavery Act transparency in supply chain reporting requirement (about which see more here). Organisations are now expected to publish transparency statements ‘at most’ six months after the organisation’s financial year end. Businesses are also encouraged to leave statements ...
August 29, 2017, Cov Africa
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has issued a decision to hold the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo responsible for the massacre of over 70 people in Kilwa, recommending: i) that the government provide compensation of US $2.56 million to eight victims and their families (the largest sum that the...… Continue Reading
August 3, 2017, Global Policy Watch
We recently reported on the global trend towards improved business “non-financial reporting” of human rights and environmental practices. The latest U.K. developments in this area are the Modern Slavery (Transparency in Supply Chains) Bill 2017 (the “Bill“) and a report on labour market enforcement strategy published by David Metcalf, the U.K. Labour Market ...
Business and Human Rights: “Is This Even Relevant to Our Company?”
June 14, 2017, Webinar
April 12, 2017, Global Policy Watch
The Joint Committee on Human Rights – comprised of members of both Houses – has published a report calling on the U.K. government to take significant further steps to improve corporate human rights practices, including criminalising “failure to prevent human rights abuses”. The Committee acknowledges that the U.K. Government’s introduction of reporting ...
March 9, 2017, Cov Africa
Businesses are being bombarded with information about their global human rights and other nonfinancial responsibilities, and are under growing pressure to publicize their efforts in that regard. Below we outline five key developments that business should be actively monitoring in a rapidly evolving landscape. 1.“Hard” Legal Obligations Governmental efforts to ...
February 7, 2017, Covington Alert
This International Employment Update summarises recent international employment law developments in Austria, China, France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
January 18, 2017, Covington Alert
The push to improve business “non-financial reporting” of human rights and environmental practices has gained significant momentum over recent months, with the implementation of EU Directive 2014/05/EU and the new Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards to promote and shape the future of corporate reporting on sustainability. Stock exchanges in around 45 ...
International Labour Standards and Indian Workplaces in the Global Supply Chains
November 16, 2016, India and Sustainability Standards Conference
October 19, 2016, Cov Africa
According to the 2016 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 45.8 million men, women and children around the world are ensnared in some form of modern slavery, which includes slavery, servitude, forced labor and human trafficking. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly vulnerable to this scourge: Estimates of modern slavery in Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for ...
September 19, 2016, Covington Alert
In 2015, the UK government introduced a requirement for certain companies to make annual statements on action taken to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their businesses and suppliers. The publication deadlines for the first organisations caught by the rules expire in September and recent statements issued by businesses across a variety of sectors ...
Covington Represents Tencent in $8.6 Billion Acquisition
June 21, 2016
SILICON VALLEY—Covington advised Tencent Holdings Limited, a leading provider of internet service in China, in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in Supercell from SoftBank. A consortium established by Tencent will acquire up to 84% of Supercell for $8.6 billion in a transaction valuing Supercell at approximately $10.2 billion. Supercell is a ...
April 14, 2016, Covington Alert
Latest figures suggest that women in the UK still earn on average 20 percent less than men. Companies that fail to address gender pay differences will be highlighted in league tables under the new Gender Pay Gap Regulations. The draft regulations require private employers in the UK to collect and publish information showing differences in pay between male and ...
December 17, 2015
LONDON, 17 December, 2015 — Covington advised AstraZeneca on its acquisition of Takeda’s respiratory business. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will make a payment of $575 million, and approximately 200 staff will transfer to AstraZeneca upon completion. The deal will include the expansion of rights to roflumilast (marketed as Daliresp in the ...
March 10, 2015, Cov Africa
The economy in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to grow. A handful of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa, it has the world’s greatest population of young people and the number of middle class consumers – estimated to be 350 million – is booming. With such a growing, promising market, comes great...… Continue Reading
December 23, 2014, Inside Energy & Environment
As foreign investment into Sub-Saharan Africa continues to grow, inevitably, so does the risk of disputes arising between commercial parties. The potential benefits of arbitration in settling a commercial dispute, including procedural flexibility and neutrality, are well known (read more from the ICC here). This post provides an introduction to the relevance of ...
December 22, 2014, Cov Africa
As foreign investment into Sub-Saharan Africa continues to grow, inevitably, so does the risk of disputes arising between commercial parties. The potential benefits of arbitration in settling a commercial dispute, including procedural flexibility and neutrality, are well known (read more from the ICC here). This post provides an introduction to the relevance ...
July 28, 2014, Cov Africa
At a recent event focused on the promotion of investment in Africa, top UN officials lent their voices to a message that has gained a consensus of opinion: trade and investment are crucial to achieving the development objectives across the African continent. In remarks about the “dynamism and promise” of a continent where overall growth...… Continue Reading
June 12, 2014, Cov Africa
Opportunities for companies looking to go public in Africa are expanding. Whereas a decade ago, there were only a handful of African stock exchanges, there are now at least 23. While many of them remain relatively small and dominated by a few large companies, interest from both foreign and domestic companies is rising. Historically, many...… Continue Reading