Drawing on his extensive corporate and public policy experience, Gare 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.
Gare previously served as Vice President of one of the world’s most recognized clothing brands, with responsibility for global implementation of the company’s code of conduct and government relations. In the public sector, he served as Senior Foreign Policy Advisor and Counsel to Senator Edward M. Kennedy, focusing on trade, human rights, and national security issues and creating the first voluntary code of conduct for U.S. multinationals. He was appointed by the White House to serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. His accomplishments in this role included helping to launch President Clinton’s Model Business Principles, advising the apparel industry regarding the creation of a code of conduct and independent monitoring system, and serving as a U.S. representative to the International Labor Organization, the U.N. Human Rights Commission, and the U.N. Working Group on Indigenous Peoples.
Bars and Court Admissions
- 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
professional / civic involvement
- Commissioner: Azerbaijan Social Review Commission, BTC Pipeline
- Advisory Board: Afghanistan Human Rights Organization
- The Fund for Peace, Human Rights and Business Roundtable
SPEECHES AND CONFERENCES
Keynote Speeches
- "Corporate Social Responsibility Challenges for the General Counsel," Corporate Counsel Institute, September 25, 2008
- "Risks, Roles, and Responsibilities: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Extractive Sector," Yale Law School, March 8, 2008
- “Energy Projects in Conflict Zones: Human Rights Issues and Responsibilities,” The International Bar Association, Calgary, Canada, September 19, 2004
- “Implementing Global Compact Commitments,” U.N. Global Compact Forum, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, December 11, 2003
- “Human Rights and Responsibilities in the 21st Century: A Corporate Perspective,” The John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, November 21, 2000
- “Corporate Codes of Conduct and the Promotion of Labor Rights in Cuba,” The National Policy Association, Mexico City, Mexico, June 16, 2000
- “Globalization with a Human Face: New Groundrules for a New Era,” World Affairs Council/United Nations Association – USA, October 12, 1999
- “Human Rights and Democracy in Europe on the Eve of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights,” The Women’s National Democratic Club, December 3, 1998
- “The Intersection of Business Interests and Human Rights,” Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, October 16, 1997
- “The Clinton Administration’s Labor Legacy,” The Council on Foreign Relations, December 11, 1997
- “Diplomatic Design or Puzzle Palace: The Making and Execution of U.S. Foreign Policy,” U.S. Naval War College, December 19, 1996
- “The U.N. Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: U.S. and Tribal Government Perspectives,” Harvard University, May 18, 1996
- “Civil-Military Relations and the Promotion of Democratic Standards in an Interdependent World,” United States Southern Command, February 6, 1996
International Conferences and Conventions
- Corporate Representative, U.S.-E.U. Command, Hydrocarbon Security Planning Conference (2003)
- U.S. Corporate Representative, Asian Pacific Economic Council, Human Resources Ministerial (1999)
- Co-Head, U.S. Delegation, 83rd, 84th, 85th, 86th Conferences, U.N. International Labor Organization (1995-1998)
- Co-Chair, U.S.-E.U. Symposium on Codes of Conduct and International Labor Standards (1998)
- U.S. Delegate, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Conference on Human Rights (1998)
- Chair, Task Force on Business and Labor, G-8 Denver Democracy Initiative (1997)
- U.S. Delegate, Fourth Ministerial Council Session, North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation(1997)
- Co-Head, U.S. Delegation, 53rd Session of the U.N. Human Rights Commission (1997)
- U.S. Delegate, 52nd, 54th Sessions of the U.N. Human Rights Commission (1996, 1998)
- Head, U.S. Delegation, U.N. Working Group on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (1996-1997)
- U.S. Delegate, United Nations General Assembly (1996)
- U.S. Observer, Council of Europe, Steering Committee for Human Rights (1996)
- U.S. Delegate, U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission Labor Working Group (1995)
publications
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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)
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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)