Sherpa

Description

Sherpa is a French nonprofit association, founded in 2001 by lawyer William Bourdon. It brings together lawyers and jurists who use the law as a tool to fight impunity linked to the globalisation of economic and financial exchange, and to defend the victims of economic crimes. It has filed legal complaints against multinational companies over serious human rights and environmental abuses in their international supply chains and over their involvement in international corruption, including cases against several African heads of state and against the company Lafarge over complicity in crimes against humanity in Syria.

Sherpa acted with partners to secure passage of France’s law on the duty of vigilance for parent and ordering companies, a first worldwide in the fight against corporate impunity. In 2022 it co-founded the Maison des Lanceurs d’Alerte with sixteen other civil society organisations, to improve protection for whistleblowers. The organisation works through four interdependent modes of action: advocacy, legal action, capacity sharing with partner organisations, and a legal laboratory. The laboratory develops innovative legal concepts and strategies that can be replicated elsewhere.

Its work addresses countering corporate influence, ending corporate impunity, tackling illicit financial flows and protecting civic space. Sherpa states it pursues no profit and values independence, guarding against conflicts of interest with companies or institutions. It works with affected people and communities, other legal practitioners, associations and unions in France and abroad, technical and scientific experts, and journalists and investigative specialists. It belongs to a wide network of partner organisations across human rights, environmental, anti-corruption, media freedom and indigenous rights fields.

Sherpa produces press releases, analyses, investigations, reports, legal doctrine and handbooks of proposals. It invites the public to alert it to cases, become members, or volunteer.