Martyn Day, founder of Leigh Day, on a career in international corporate accountability

BPP Human Rights Blog Editor Jay Staker interviews Martyn Day, co-founder of the British human rights law firm Leigh Day.

Few lawyers have left such a deep mark on the modern practice of human rights law in the UK as Martyn Day. A self-described “bolshie bastard”, Day has received numerous accolades over the years, including an honorary doctorate from his alma mater Warwick University. In September 2007, The Times identified Day as one of the UK’s most powerful and influential lawyers and in 2014, Modern Law gave him an award for ‘Outstanding Achievement’. He has authored a number of legal books, and was a Director of Greenpeace Environmental Trust, having stepped down as chairman of Greenpeace UK in 2008. Day founded Leigh Day in 1987, and the firm is now among the top of its field, with the Chambers and Partners UK guide to the legal profession 2021 giving them a top-band rating across eight practice areas, from civil liberties to public law, clinical negligence (claimant), employment (employee and trade union) and environmental (claimant). The Guardian has christened the firm the “thorn in the side of multinationals”.