Overview
Yousuf Aftab is a partner at Steptoe's New York office, where he focuses on business and human rights and sustainability law. With a rare depth of practical experience, Yousuf is renowned for delivering strategic and innovative counsel to Fortune 100 companies, governments, and international organizations on sustainability issues. He is consistently recognized as a Global Market Leader in Business & Human Rights Law by Chambers & Partners (2021 to 2025), with clients noting that "he is meticulous, focused on details and very strategic," with an "unparalleled" ability to predict market trends.
Yousuf has been at the forefront of business and human rights since 2008, when he served as counsel to the UN Global Compact. He has since conducted on-the-ground investigations and high-profile human rights assessments across the world, designed comprehensive corporate human rights policies and governance protocols, and managed disputes and crises, including US Congressional hearings and OECD specific instances. His clients have included many of the world's most prominent companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, HP Inc., GE Vernova, GE Aerospace, Novartis, Bayer, Barrick Gold, Teck Resources, Chevron, Exxon, Shell, Philip Morris International, Nestle, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, EQT, NEI Investments, and Sustainalytics. He has also advised a range of governments and international organizations, including the OECD, UNICEF, and the Consumer Goods Forum, among others.
His expertise extends to the full spectrum of business and human rights laws and standards, from the CS3D, CSRD, LkSG, Norwegian Transparency Act, and various modern slavery acts to the TVPRA, Tariff Act, and UFLPA. He also has deep, practical expertise in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
Before joining Steptoe, Yousuf founded and led a Chambers-ranked boutique sustainability law firm and a sustainability consulting firm. Among his many contributions to the field, he co-authored the book "Business and Human Rights as Law" (LexisNexis, 2019), a work cited by the Supreme Court of Canada. Yousuf's career includes experience at esteemed international law firms in New York and Toronto, where he focused on international commercial disputes. He also played a key role in advising Debevoise & Plimpton LLP on the design and launch of their Business Integrity Group and clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada.
Qualified in New York and Ontario, Yousuf brings a unique combination of legal, strategic, and operational insight to help clients navigate the full array of sustainability challenges practically and efficiently.
- New York
- Ontario, Canada
Areas of Work
Representative Matters
- European Pharmaceutical Company: Conducted a global sustainability governance assessment with reference to six key standards and laws, including the Guiding Principles, the LkSG, the Draft European Commission Directive, the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance.
- Fortune 100 Consumer Goods Company: Conducted global sustainability governance assessment with reference to CS3D, CSRD, TVPRA, Guiding Principles, peer practice, and key stakeholder expectations.
- Fortune 100 Industrial Conglomerate: Global ESG risk assessment—across operations, supply chain, and customers—to identify priority social and environmental risks for company to address in line with voluntary sustainability commitments.
- European Minerals Company: Conducted global human rights risk assessment based on operations and value chain. Identified high-risk markets for priority onsite assessment. Led human rights impact assessment of significant operations in Latin America.
- Debevoise & Plimpton LLP: Advised on the design and launch of the Business Integrity Group, a unique practice to help clients navigate global non-financial risk with integrated advice on corruption, human rights, environment, and money-laundering governance.
- European Pharmaceutical Company: Advised on how to integrate human rights in the design and implementation of patent strategy and governance.
- Fortune 100 Consumer Goods Company: Analyzed on array of sustainability-related legal, financial, and brand risks facing a leading European fast-moving goods company. Developed comprehensive strategy and practical roadmap to shape narrative in sustainability reports, improve policies and training, engage with investors, and prioritize onsite due diligence across global operations.
- Global Mining Company: Conducted global risk and strategy assessment based on Guiding Principles, OECD Guidelines, litigation and regulatory risk, material investor concerns, and the responsible procurement procedures of key clients. Identified priority operations and markets for due diligence based on material and salient risks.
- Canadian Crown Corporation: Advised export-promotion agency on the development of responsible business policy and integrated human rights due diligence indicators to flow upstream and downstream. Developed human rights policy, due diligence indicators, and internal guidance for full value-chain due diligence to be integrated with corruption and export-control compliance.
- US Technology Company: Designed and launch a pilot human rights grievance mechanism accessible to workers across the supply chain, with a view to navigating privilege and co-employment laws.
- European Life Sciences Company: Conducted global human rights risk assessment under legal privilege to identify salient and material risks across global value chain. Assessed strength of all human-rights related policies and protocols with reference to Guiding Principles, OECD Guidelines, and LkSG.
- Fortune 100 Oil & Gas Company Advised on content and structure of human rights policy to ensure alignment with international law, Guiding Principles, OECD Guidelines, and UN Global Compact.
- American Private Equity Fund Advised on the integration of appropriate responsible investing clauses in agreements with limited partners; considered, in particular, structure of reasonable sustainability governance across portfolio companies.
- Fortune 100 Food & Beverage Company: Conducted two, on-the-ground human rights impact assessments spanning the whole corporate value chain in high-risk jurisdictions.
- Global Mining Company: Privileged investigation of allegations of human rights abuse against artisanal miners at a project in Latin America.
- Barrick Gold: Conducted high-profile public assessment of first grievance mechanism designed to align with Guiding Principles for effectiveness under voluntary standards and international law.
- Fortune 100 Consumer Goods Company: Oversaw preparation of various sustainability reports and disclosures, engagements with expert stakeholders, and specific human rights action plans. Advised on disclosures and engagement with key ratings agencies regarding human rights program.
- Fortune 100 Industrial Products Company: Drafted and edited Modern Slavery Act statements; drafted and edited sustainability sections of integrated financial disclosures. Developed disclosure strategy with reference to revised business objectives and target industries to align with Sustainable Development Goals and Guiding Principles.
- Multiple Oil & Gas Companies: Advised on responding to climate change-related human rights proceedings before Philippines Commission on Human Rights.
- Fortune 100 Industrial Products Company: Advised on OECD National Contact Point proceedings concerning downstream labor practices of a state-owned enterprise.
- Fortune 100 Oil & Gas Company Advised on responding to allegations of negligent human rights risk management in litigation against parent company in UK.
- Provided counsel to Fortune 100 banks on human rights governance risks, including legal and brand risks, and developed best-practice social risk due diligence for high-value, high-risk transactions.
- Advised multiple private equity funds on responsible investment covenants, oversight of portfolio company sustainability programs, and disclosure practices for portfolio companies and pension funds.
- Litigation counsel to leading Canadian companies across financial, technology, resource, and power sectors in various disputes before all levels of court in Canada and international arbitration institutions.
- Represented leading global companies in the financial, technology, resource, and power sectors in disputes before New York courts, US courts, and international arbitration institutions.
- Served as counsel to Southern Sudan in constitutional negotiations with the Government of Sudan.
- Advised the UN Global Compact on the implications of the emerging UN Framework on Business and Human Rights.
Speaking Engagements
- "From Soft Promises to Hard Obligations: The Evolution of Business & Human Rights," The 2025 ASIL Annual Meeting, American Society of International Law, April 18, 2025
News & Publications
Noteworthy
- Chambers Global Market Leaders, Business & Human Rights Law, Band 2 (2022-2024)
- US Federal Advisory Committee for Responsible Business Conduct, Subcommittee on the US National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines (2024-2025)
Authored Articles
- "Litigating Business and Human Rights: A Practitioner’s Perspective," in Litigating Business and Human Rights Violations: Themes, Perspectives, and Prospects (Oxford UP, forthcoming) (co-author)
- "Taming the Uncertainty: The Role of Corporate Sustainability Counsel," in Building the Case: How Lawyers Are Leading on Sustainability (Springer Publications, forthcoming) (co-author)
- "Understanding Nevsun through an Equality Lens," in The Justice Abella Memorial Collection (University of Toronto Press, forthcoming) (co-author)
- "Adverse Impact and Fiduciary Duty: Environmental Due Diligence through a Human Rights Lens," Foundation of Natural Resources and Energy Law (2024) (co-author)
- "Practical Considerations to Enhance Legal Certainty of the CS3D," June 2023
- "Navigating the S in ESG: Governing Human Rights Risk," Chambers & Partners, June 2022
- "Enlightened Shareholder Value: Four Elements of Effective Governance," September 2021
- "Business and Human Rights as Law: Towards Justiciability of Rights, Involvement, and Remedy," LexisNexis, 2019
- "ESG and Mission-Critical Issues for Director & Officer Liability," CorpGov, December 2019
- "Modern Slavery Governance for Boards," Enodo Rights and Liberty Shared, 2018
- "Practical Definitions of Cause, Contribute, and Directly Linked to Inform Business Respect for Human Rights (Discussion Draft)," 2017
- "Pillar III on the Ground: An Independent Assessment of the Porgera Grievance Mechanism," Enodo Rights, 2016
- "The Intersection of Law and Corporate Social Responsibility: Human Rights Strategy and Litigation Readiness for Extractive-Sector Companies," 60 Rocky Mt. Min. L. Inst. 19-1, 2015
Professional Affiliations
- Board of Directors, RETI Center
- Board of Trustees, International School of Brooklyn
- Board of Advisors, Documented
- Global Advisory Board, Cornerstone Capital, 2016-2019
- Business and Human Rights Lawyers Association
- American Society of International Law
- World Association of Mining Lawyers
- Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law