Gare A. Smith
Drawing on his extensive corporate and public policy experience, Gare A. Smith founded the firm’s corporate social responsibility and risk management practice to help clients adopt strategic policies to address the challenges of globalization. He advises corporations and nations on legal, political, and economic aspects of globalization and crisis management, including developing codes of conduct, compliance programs, and monitoring systems. He also provides guidance regarding the resolution of conflicts with governments, the media, unions, communities, and non-governmental organizations.
Gare helps a wide variety of clients, including manufacturers, retailers, private equity companies, and members of the extractive, high technology, and health care industries to integrate respect for internationally recognized human/worker rights and environmental standards into their management practices. In so doing, he addresses business risks in a manner that safeguards clients’ reputations and brands.
Gare conducts Human Rights Impact Assessments and country-specific due diligence regarding the risks associated with social and environmental issues. He provides counsel regarding the implementation of compliance procedures benchmarked on global best practices and programs to address labor conditions, environmental stewardship, community relations, asset security, indigenous rights, and the rule of law. He also helps clients to manage contentious global business issues, including boycotts, divestment campaigns, and conflicts with local communities.
202 261 7370 direct
202 467 9670 fax
Practice Areas- Energy and Regulated Industries
- Energy Technology and Renewables
- Venture Capital & Emerging Companies
- Government Strategies
- Business
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- International
- Commissioner: Azerbaijan Social Review Commission, BTC Pipeline
- Advisory Board: Afghanistan Human Rights Organization
- Member: The Fund for Peace, Human Rights and Business Roundtable
- Johns Hopkins University, B.A., General and Departmental Honors, 1979
- University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1983
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of International Trade
- U.S. State Department’s Superior Honor Award
- Editor-in-Chief, THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN JOURNAL OF LAW REFORM
- Phi Beta Kappa
- An Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility in the Extractive Industries, VOL.11, YALE HUMAN RIGHTS & DEVELOPMENT L.J. (2008)
- IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS FOR CODES OF CONDUCT (published by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation) (2004)
- MONITORING INTERNATIONAL LABOR STANDARDS: TECHNIQUES AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION (published by The National Academies Press) (2004)
- The BTC Pipeline Case Study: Following Through on Global Compact Commitments, EMBEDDING HUMAN RIGHTS IN BUSINESS PRACTICES (published by the U.N. Global Compact) (2004)
- COMPANY CODES OF CONDUCT AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS: AN ANALYTICAL COMPARISON, VOLUMES I AND II (published by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation) (Vol. I, 2003; Vol. II, 2004)
