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40 W. St. U. L. Rev. 195 (2012-2013)
Corporate Civil Liability under the Alien Tort Statute: The Practical Implications from Kiobel

handle is hein.journals/wsulr40 and id is 203 raw text is: Corporate Civil Liability Under the Alien Tort Statute: The Practical Implications From Kiobel INTRODUCTION................................................................ 195 I. BACKGROUND ......................................................... 196 A . The A T S ...................................................... 196 B. Developing and Current Case Law .............................. 197 II. ELEMENTS AND KEY ISSUES TO AN ATS CLAIM AGAINST A CORPORATE D EFENDANT ........................................................ 198 A. The Scope of the Law of Nations ............................... 198 B. Parties Who May Be Sued - State Actor v. Private Actor ........ 199 C. Corporate Liability Under the Aiding and Abetting Theory ....... 200 D. Supreme Court Precedent....................................... 201 III. CORPORATE ATS LIABILITY IN KiOBEL ............................... 202 A . K iobel Review ................................................. 202 B. Courts' Split of Authority ...................................... 204 C. Supreme Court Hearing Kiobel.................................. 205 IV. CORPORATE COMPLIANCE ............................................. 206 A. Integrating Due Diligence to the Code of Conduct ............... 207 B. Activities That Raise Red Flags................................. 208 1. Forced Relocation .......................................... 208 2. Forced Labor .............................................. 208 3. Engaging an Abusive Security Force ........................ 209 C. Risky Business Practice Areas and NGOs' Movements ........... 209 D. Identifying High-Risk Countries................................. 210 V . CONCLUSION ......................................................... 211 INTRODUCTION Can a corporation be sued in federal court under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS)1 for torts alleged to have been committed in a foreign country as a result of its business practices? This question was presented to the U.S. Supreme Court in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, on appeal from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.2 As of the writing of this article, the Court has yet to issue an opinion.3 But regardless of the Court's answer, attorneys employed by multi-national corporations should proactively address the business practices of their employers that implicate human rights abuses. Whether a broad or narrow holding is announced, the varying labor conditions and state activities of host countries that multi-national businesses must engage with mean the opinion will not be one-size fits all. 1. ATS is also known as the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA). 2. Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co., 621 F.3d 111 (2d Cir. 2010), cert. granted, 132 S.Ct. 472 (2011). 3. The opinion was announced on April 17, 2013.

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