Rachel Barrett

Rachel has exceptional breadth of experience in crisis and risk management, with particular expertise in environment, sustainability, and human rights, guiding her clients through legal and reputational challenges wherever in the world they arise. She is a member of the firm’s Environment & Climate Change and Crisis Response & Risk Management practices, and co-leads the firm’s Business and Human Rights practice.

Rachel has advised clients facing or anticipating regulatory investigation, investor activism, brand damage and media scrutiny in relation to a wide range of issues including product defects, adverse human rights impacts, and environmental incidents, among other things. Working in close collaboration with lawyers from the firm’s other practice areas, Rachel provides comprehensive advice on managing business risk, immediate crisis response and corporate investigations, as well as undertaking ‘lessons learned’ reviews and developing practical longer term responses and change programmes.

Rachel has a background in advising on the project development and financing aspects of energy transactions and has particular expertise in environmental, social and security issues on energy projects, including the application of international sustainability standards. She recently advised on the Yamal Arctic LNG project, and the Nacala corridor project in Mozambique and Malawi.

A selection of Rachel’s recent experience includes advising:

• a consortium of ECAs and commercial banks on environmental and social issues relating to the project financing of the US$36bn Yamal Arctic LNG Project, including negotiating the application of a range of environmental and social standards, and a biodiversity action plan.
• on the global strategic and crisis management aspects of a major corporation’s response to a high-profile product liability issue.
• Siemens on its £985m acquisition of the Rolls-Royce Energy aero-derivative gas turbine and compressor business.
• a range of major corporates on the application of soft law human rights standards, including in relation to human rights impact assessments, governance and compliance reviews, and the establishment and operation of UNGP-compliant grievance mechanisms and compensation schemes.
• a consortium of ECAs and commercial lenders to the US$5bn Nacala rail project in Mozambique and Malawi on the application of international environmental and social standards, including the negotiation of complex environmental and social provisions, and the environmental and social action plan.
• major corporates on human rights due diligence in the context of mergers and acquisitions, including in relation to NGO complaints, litigation risk and parent company liability exposure.
• the United Nations Global Compact and its Global Corporate Counsel Initiative on the role of in-house counsel in fostering sustainable business.
• a range of multinational corporations on Modern Slavery Act and other non-financial reporting obligations and supply chain risk management.

Rachel studied law at Girton College, University of Cambridge.

She speaks English, French, German and Spanish.