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Thanks for this note. I provide the following reaction in my role as an attorney with ICANN.</div>
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<font class=""><span class="" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The concern raised by the Board in its comments was not solely focused on the issue of increased potential for lawsuits or IRPs. Rather, the Board focused on the <i class="">impact</i> of
opening up ICANN to suits or IRPs based on human rights issues prior to having the framework for consideration of ICANN’s role in respecting human rights. As Bruce explained on the 12 January 2015 call, not having a framework leaves either courts or IRP
panels to determine how human rights fit into ICANN’s mission. Leaving ICANN’s mission open to that type of external definitional work seems counter to all the effort of the CCWG-Accountability to confirm ICANN’s narrow and limited mission. </span></font></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Including undefined commitments to human rights in the Bylaws</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> without the framework to guide courts or IRP panels in how they should consider
the scope of human rights commitments in ICANN, creates a risk for the entire community. CCWG Counsel’s suggestion that IRP usage could be limited, by example, through “preclud[ing] claims of human rights violations that are not grounded in a specific violation
of an applicable law”,</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">still leaves the question of what law would be applicable? How do we know that the laws that will be relied
upon are respectful of ICANN’s limited mission? </span></div>
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<div class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The question isn’t really “will ICANN be subject to more suits?” As CCWG counsel noted, the potential of suit always
exists. The potential of IRPs being brought on human rights grounds is probably increased if there is a specific Bylaws mention of human rights. However, these are not where the real risks occur. The question that should be considered is</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> “Does
the community wish to leave the definition of ICANN’s role in human rights to Courts or IRP panels?"</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font face="Calibri,sans-serif">. Also, it is important to note that the Board’s comments do
not remove the possibility of human rights being referred to in the Bylaws, but rather propose that consideration of that placement should happen after a framework is completed.</font></span></div>
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<div class=""><font face="Calibri,sans-serif">I</font><font face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(255, 254, 254);"> look forward to continuing this conversation with the CCWG.</font></div>
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<div class=""><font face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(254, 253, 253);">Best, </font></div>
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<div class=""><font face="Calibri,sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(253, 252, 252);">Sam</font></div>
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<span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span>"Gregory, Holly" <<a href="mailto:holly.gregory@sidley.com">holly.gregory@sidley.com</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span>Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 4:28 PM<br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span>Mathieu Weill <<a href="mailto:mathieu.weill@afnic.fr">mathieu.weill@afnic.fr</a>>, Thomas Rickert <<a href="mailto:thomas@rickert.net">thomas@rickert.net</a>>, León Sánchez Ambía <<a href="mailto:leonfelipe@sanchez.mx">leonfelipe@sanchez.mx</a>>,
"<a href="mailto:accountability-cross-community@icann.org">accountability-cross-community@icann.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:accountability-cross-community@icann.org">accountability-cross-community@icann.org</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Cc: </span>"ACCT-Staff (<a href="mailto:acct-staff@icann.org">acct-staff@icann.org</a>)" <<a href="mailto:acct-staff@icann.org">acct-staff@icann.org</a>>, Sidley ICANN CCWG <<a href="mailto:sidleyicannccwg@sidley.com">sidleyicannccwg@sidley.com</a>>,
ICANN-Adler <<a href="mailto:ICANN@adlercolvin.com">ICANN@adlercolvin.com</a>>, "'Rosemary E. Fei'" <<a href="mailto:rfei@adlercolvin.com">rfei@adlercolvin.com</a>>, Samantha Eisner <<a href="mailto:samantha.eisner@icann.org">samantha.eisner@icann.org</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span><no subject><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Dear CCWG Co-Chairs, Members and Participants and ICANN Staff,
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Attached please find our memo responding to the certified question of January 11, 2016 regarding litigation risks related to the proposed human rights bylaws provisions. Kind regards, Holly and Rosemary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">HOLLY J. GREGORY</span></b><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><br>
Partner and Co-Chair<br>
Global Corporate Governance & Executive Compensation Practice<br>
<br>
</span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Sidley Austin LLP</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><br>
</span></b><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">+1 212 839 5853<br>
<a href="mailto:holly.gregory@sidley.com" title="Click to send email to Gregory, Holly">holly.gregory@sidley.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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