Staff
Christopher Avery - Director - based in London
avery@business-humanrights.org
- international lawyer; former Legal Adviser and Deputy Head of Research Department, Amnesty International - International Secretariat
- author of Business and Human Rights in a Time of Change, a 108-page report published by Amnesty International UK in 2000
- educated at Columbia Univ. School of Law (LLM); Univ. of California, Davis, School of Law (JD Order of the Coif); Stanford Univ. (BA Honours)
Joanne Bauer - Senior Researcher, New York Representative, HIV/AIDS Project Manager - based in New York area
bauer@business-humanrights.org
- environmental, human rights & Asia specialist; former Director of Studies, Carnegie Council on Ethics & International Affairs - founder of Carnegie Council's human rights programme & environmental values programme
- founding editor of Human Rights Dialogue (magazine published by Carnegie Council); co-editor of The East Asian Challenge for Human Rights (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1999); editor of Forging Environmentalism: Justice, Livelihood and Contested Environments (ME Sharpe, 2006)
- educated at Columbia Univ. School of International & Public Affairs (MIA, International Political Economy & Pacific Basin Studies); Colgate Univ. (BA Honours)
Mauricio Lazala - Head of Latin America and the Middle East & Senior Researcher - based in London
lazala@business-humanrights.org
- international lawyer; former law clerk at International Criminal Court; Programme Manager of Mexican Commission for the Protection & Defence of Human Rights; Outreach Coordinator of B'Tselem (Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories); Research Assistant at Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
- author of "Solutions for the Israel-Palestine Conflict", Per Incuriam - Magazine of University of Cambridge Law Society (2004)
- educated at Univ. of Cambridge Faculty of Law (Law degree, honours), International Human Rights Exchange course at Univ. of Cape Town, Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem (BA)
Abiola Okpechi - Africa Researcher & Coordinator - based in Cape Town
okpechi@business-humanrights.org
- lawyer and human rights advocate; former Refugee Counsellor, University of Cape Town Law Clinic; Human Rights Coordinator, Center for Development Action, Nigeria; Legal officer, Justice, Development & Peace Commission, Ibadan, Nigeria; Legislative Aide in Nigeria’s Senate
- author of "The protection of children and young persons under African refugee law”, CEPACS: University of Ibadan (2003)
- currently studying for a PhD at the Faculty of Law, Univ. of Cape Town; also educated at Univ. of Ibadan’s Center for Peace and Conflict Studies (MSc Humanitarian and Refugee Studies); Nigeria Law School (Barrister-at-law Degree); Obafemi Awolowo Univ. (Law degree, honours)
Gregory Tzeutschler Regaignon - Head of Research & North America Manager - based in Los Angeles area
regaignon@business-humanrights.org
- international lawyer; former associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, New York-based international law firm; past work with Human Rights Watch and Legal Aid Institute of Indonesia
- author of "Corporate Violator: The Alien Tort Liability of Transnational Corporations for Human Rights Abuses Abroad," Columbia Human Rights Law Review (1999)
- educated at Columbia Univ. School of Law (JD Stone Scholar), Parker School of Foreign & Comparative Law, Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Advanced Intl. Studies (MA African Studies), Amherst College (BA magna cum laude)
Roddy Shaw Kwok-wah - East Asia Researcher & Coordinator - based in Hong Kong
shawkwokwah@business-humanrights.org
- anti-discrimination advocate on race, gender & sexual orientation issues in Hong Kong; worked as legal researcher for Civil Rights for Sexual Diversities and represented victims at Equal Opportunities Commission; formerly worked in business in Hong Kong, China & other Asian countries
- co-author of The Visible Truth - Hong Kong Report on Equal Rights for LGBT People (in Chinese)
- educated at Univ. of Hong Kong, Centre for Comparative and Public Law (LLM Human Rights); MA from Univ. of Hong Kong
Annabel Short - Head of Programme - based in New York
short@business-humanrights.org
- environmental journalist; former specialist in social & environmental reporting at Context Group consultants in London; campaigns volunteer at Amnesty International Peru
- author of Go Make A Difference!, a book of environmental tips for The Ecologist
- educated at at London School of Economics (Certificate in Intl. Human Rights Law & Practice); Birkbeck College, Univ. of London (MSc Development Studies); City Univ. London (postgraduate diploma, Journalism); Edinburgh Univ. (MA joint Honours)
Sif Thorgeirsson - Manager, Corporate Legal Accountability Project - based in London
thorgeirsson@business-humanrights.org
- human rights and corporate lawyer; former Researcher at Yale Law School on international human rights issues; former associate at Troutman Sanders law firm in Washington, DC
- educated at George Washington Univ. Law School (JD); Oxford Summer Programme in International Human Rights Law; McGill Univ. (BA History & Political Science)
Joe Westby - Researcher & Operations Officer - based in London
westby@business-humanrights.org
- former Research Intern at Business & Human Rights Resource Centre; Intern at EIRIS (Ethical Investment Research Services); three months working with disadvantage children in Peru
- educated at Oxford University (BA, Philosophy, Politics & Economics)
current Research Interns
Rita Bonora (started May 2006, based in Seoul, previously volunteered Jan-Jul 2005) - an Italian national; MSc in Development Studies at Birkbeck College, Univ. of London; degree in Economics and Business Studies at Bologna Univ., Italy. Previous volunteer work with Global Development Forum and Peace Brigades International.
Sandra Cossart (started Mar 2007, based in London) - a French national; LLM in EU law from College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium; MA in East European Studies from Institute of Political Studies, Paris; Degree in Russian from Institute of Oriental civilisations and languages, Paris; Law degree from Paris Sorbonne University. Former associate at Clement Vivien and Associates in Paris. Work on EU-funded projects in Russia. Experience working in UN Economic Commission for Europe, European Parliament and Council of Europe. Voluntary work with human rights NGOs.
Christopher Cairns (started Nov 2007, based in London) - a US national; BS in Foreign Service majoring in International Politics from Georgetown University; currently doing an MSc in Human Rights at London School of Economics. Previously research intern at Wal-Mart Watch, editorial intern at the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico City, a Business & Human Rights division intern at Human Rights Watch, and a volunteer for Learning Enterprises in Indonesia. He also has two years combined media experience working for Georgetown University’s main student newspaper and TV station.
Nora Serrat-Capdevila (started Feb 2008, based in London) - a Spanish national; MA (distinction) in Human Rights from Univ. of Essex, UK; degree in Political Science from Univ. Pompeu Fabra, Spain; degree in Political Science from Institute of Political Studies, Toulouse, France. Previous volunteer work with Amnesty International – International Secretariat, REDRESS, Mexican American Studies & Research Center (University of Arizona).
past Research Interns
Nov 2006-Sep 2007: Jacquie Kiggundu – a national of Canada; BA Honours in Psychology and Sociology from Queen’s University (Canada); Currently studying for MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science (forthcoming). Former research analyst for Correctional Service Canada. Former co-chair of the board, Sexual Assault Centre of Kingston.
May-Aug 2007: Christopher Pogue – a US national; Master of Arts in Modern History, Univ. of St. Andrews (Scotland); currently pursuing a JD from the Univ. of Cincinnati College of Law on an Arthur Morgan Fellowship provided for by the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights. Former intern with both the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati (Volunteer Lawyers Project) and the Colorado Public Interest Research Group.
Mar-May 2007: Kellie Johnston - a national of Canada; LLM in Intl. Law from Univ. of New South Wales, Australia; LLB at Dalhousie Univ. in Halifax, Canada; BA in English and Classics from the Univ. of Alberta, Canada. Former associate at Fraser Milner Casgain LLP in Calgary, Canada, specialising in energy & environmental law.
Nov 2006-Mar 2007: Barbora Cernusakova - a Slovak national; MA in Political Science and Journalism, Comenius University, Bratislava; currently studying for MSc in Human Rights at London School of Economics and Political Science. Previously worked as Director of Amnesty Intl. Slovakia and Media Coordinator, Friends of the Earth Slovakia.
Nov 2006-Jan 2007: Benjamin Plimpton – a US national; educated at the London School of Economics (MSc Human Rights) and New York University (BA History, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa); coordinated Human Rights Program at the Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (CIS) in El Salvador from September 2003 to August 2005.
Jun-Sep 2006 & Jun-Sep 2007: Alex Avery - a national of USA; student at Menlo School.
Jun 2005-Feb 2006: Joelle Brohier - a French national; founder of an information project on corporate social responsibility in developing countries; held management positions with Unilever, Bosch and Havas Advertising; educated at Sup de Co Rouen, a French graduate management school (DESCAF, 1988); studied development & environment at a postgraduate level in Hong Kong and now pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Decision Making (Open Univ. UK).
Sep 2004-Jan 2006: Oru Mohiuddin - a national of Bangladesh & UK; former Researcher at Transparency International Bangladesh; Programme Officer at Terre des Hommes Bangladesh; educated at Univ. of Birmingham (MSc Governance & Development Management, Chevening Scholar); Marymount Manhattan College (BA magna cum laude Business Management)
Sep-Dec 2005: Adalyat Abdumanapova - a national of Kazakhstan; worked as lawyer at GRATA Law Firm (Kazakhstan); presented Kazakhstan's national television programme "City of the Future"; was part-time journalist for a Kazakhstani youth journal and a member of National Debate Centre; LLM in International Human Rights Law at Univ. of Essex (UK) (Chevening Scholar); Finance Management degree from International Business Academy (Kazakhstan); LLB (honours) from Kazakh State Law Academy.
Jun-Aug 2005: Antoine Raes - a French national; student at ESCE (Ecole Supérieure du Commerce Extérieur), an international business school in Paris specialising in world trade; also pursuing business studies in Germany (Berlin-Fachhochschule fur Wirtschaft FHW).
Jan-Apr 2005: Sylvie Bacquet - a French national; received LLM in International Human Rights Law from Univ. of Essex, MA in International Relations & Diplomacy (cum laude) from American Graduate School of International Relations & Diplomacy (Paris), LLB (Honours) in Law from Univ. of Essex.
Sep 2004-Jan 2005: Rebecca Buchholz - a German national; in final year at School of Oriental & African Studies, Univ. of London, pursuing BA in Development Studies & Economics; former Volunteer at Relief Foundation (Chennai, India)
Aug 2004 and July 2005: Galen Avery - a US national; student at Menlo School
July-Aug 2004: Julia Suriano - a national of El Salvador; Economics major at Duke University; studied at London School of Economics 2003-2004.
Volunteer advisers
Finance & accounts administrators:
- Melvin Coleman (Finance Director, Amnesty International)
- Steve Abrams (Certified Public Accountant; member, Amnesty International USA Board of Directors)
IT advisers:
- Toby Rubenstein (based in London)
- Michael Wiggins (based in California)
