Seattle Avocats

Since its founding in 2015, Seattle Avocats has been committed to universal values of inclusion and defense of the commons.

We chose our name as a tribute to the great Native American leader Seattle who denounced the abuses committed on his people and warned of human responsibility in the destruction of the environment. Historian Murray Morgan wrote that Seattle was exceptional in that he distinguished himself as a warrior, but that he was first and foremost a peacetime tyee.

This choice reflects our commitment to humanist values, integration and diversity.

The firm assists and advises numerous associations and NGOs working for the general interest, diversity and the defense of human rights:

• we have concluded a sponsorship agreement with the sea rescue association SOS Méditerranée (France and International) which helps migrants in accordance with international law
• we regularly assist SOS Homophobie during trials against hate speech or homophobic acts
• we have supported the association Ecole Miroir, an artistic training center for actors open to young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods created by Ms. Catherine Jean-Joseph (now Inclusion & Diversity Programs Manager at Netflix France and former Culture and Audiovisual Expert to the Interministerial Delegate for the Visibility of Overseas France)
• we assist 5 NGOs (Notre Affaire à Tous, Sherpa, FNE, Eco-maires, ZEA) and 14 public authorities in the first application of the law on corporate duty of care aimed at enjoining a major oil and gas company to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (climate law, environmental law)
• we assist UNADEV (Union Des Aveugles Et Déficients Visuels), an association of general interest defending blind people, in its reporting against a recognized media group following defamatory remarks made, as well as in defense of acts of violence due to disability;
• we regularly defend associative or political activists fighting against hate speech and extremists.
• François de Cambiaire is also a lecturer at ESSEC Business School, with Professor Viviane de Beaufort, a specialist in diversity and women empowerment.

On employment law issues, the firm has been supporting an initiative to facilitate access to employment for excluded populations for several years.

Finally, Seattle Avocats has developed an expertise in the French Duty of Vigilance law (2017) protecting the respect of human rights by multinationals worldwide. In this regard, we have defended Amazonian peoples' associations in Brazil and Colombia (including Opiac, COIAB, FEPIPA, CPT, FEPOIMT), and we have also sued the oil company Total for climate inaction and non-compliance with the Paris Agreement.