Objective

Strategic litigation is a new phenomenon in dispute resolution in which legal means are used to bring about broad societal change beyond the scope of the individual case.

Prominent examples include corporate liability for human rights abuses, corporate sustainability due diligence failures, collective redress, SLAPPs and climate change litigation.

The course will focus on current litigation in civil and commercial matters and analyse different scenarios through lectures, case studies and workshops.

Key topics

• Home or away? Grounds for jurisdiction in international cases
• Human rights due diligence and business law (including SLAPPs)
• The new Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence: violations and liability
• Representative actions: a way to change corporate behaviour
• Climate change litigation
   

Who should attend?

Lawyers and legal practitioners interested in strategic litigation and its potential to advance human rights and social justice; in-house counsel of business or consumer organisations; insurance lawyers; government officials; policymakers; stakeholders; representatives of international organisations and NGOs.

Visit to the CJEU in Luxembourg

On 25 June 2024 (the day before the course will start) participants will have the opportunity to visit the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

Speakers

Laura Carpaneto, Associate Professor, University of Genova

David Einhaus, Lawyer/Avvocato, Dr Einhaus und Partner, Freiburg

Francesca Farrington, Lecturer, University of Aberdeen

Mansur Pour Rafsendjani, Partner, Noerr, Munich  

Miklós Redner, Attorney-at-Law, Birkway, Amsterdam

Ianika Tzankova, Advocate, Birkway, Amsterdam; Professor of Global Dispute Resolution and Mass Claims, Tilburg University

Geert Van Calster, Attorney-at-Law; Professor of Private International Law, KU Leuven

Sina Van den Bogaert, Member of the Legal Service, Quality of Legislation LEG 1, European Commission, Brussels