AF PARTNERS
Our Work
In addition to litigating on behalf of clients before the ILOAT, UNDT/UNAT, and the internal appeal boards of WIPO, IOM, WHO, The Global Fund, UNAIDS, ITU, WMO, UNHCR, UNESCO, WTO, ILO, and others, the AF Partners team has brought cases challenging the legality of the immunity of the UN and other international organisations before the European Court of Human Rights and US Federal Courts
​US SUPREME COURT--
Marie Laventure, et al., Petitioners
v.
United Nations, et al.
Haitian Cholera Introduced by UN Peacekeepers
Of counsel EP Flaherty filed in amicus curiae brief in the US Supreme Court urging Court to grant certiorari to Haitian plaintiffs who had been sickened or had relatives killed by cholera introduced by UN Peacekeepers from Nepal, challenging the constitutionality of UN immunity which prevented them from obtaining compensation from the UN for their losses. The Court refused the case and the victims received no compensation from the UN.
Amicus Brief: click here
Supreme Court Dismissal Order: click here
US Supreme Court:
Cynthia Brzak et al v UN, Ruud Lubbers, Kofi Annan et al.
Sexual harassment claim under Title VII arising from sexual assault by former UN High Commissioner for Refugees
A long-time American staff member and elected staff council official was sexually assaulted by former UN High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers in his office. After losing support of then UN SG Kofi Annan (who initially tried to sweep the case under the rug), Lubbers resigned and UNHCR then tried to drive Brzak out before her retirement by pretextually abolishing her general service post. Represented by EP Flaherty, Brzak sued Lubbers, Annan, the UN and others in US Federal court claiming discrimination under under US Title VII. After oral argument before a 3 judge panel of the US 2nd Circuit Federal Court of Appeals in New York which dismissed the appeal (click), Brzak filed a writ of certiorari before the US Supreme Court (click) which refused to hear the case. Brzak remained a staff member of UNHCR through her retirement date.
European Court of Human Rights
Perez v Germany (ECHR 15521/08 --2015)
In this case, a former UN general service staff member from Spain worked as a general service employee for the UN on a series of short term contracts for many years in Germany without accruing any pension benefits. She was made redundant and sued Germany in the ECHR claiming that the immunity it granted the UN from civil suit in German courts deprived her of her rights to due process under Article 6 of the ECHR. The ECHR disagreed and dismissed the case--click.