VOLTERRA FIETTA - Key Persons
Ahmed is a Solicitor-Advocate (Civil and Criminal Higher Rights of Audience) before the Higher Courts of England & Wales and a French Avocat (Avocat au Barreau de Paris). He currently sits on the Dispute Resolution Committee of the Law Society of England & Wales and is Co-Chair of the Dispute Resolution Section of the African Society of International Law. Since joining the firm, he has been advising and representing clients in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Ahmed holds Egyptian, French and British citizenships. He practices the full range of public international law, both in contentious and advisory work. Ahmed is one of the few lawyers in the world who genuinely practices in the field of State-to-State disputes. Since joining the firm, he has been involved in a number of cases before the International Court of Justice, including the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change Advisory Opinion case. He has long been acting for both States and investors in investment treaty arbitrations, including BIT cases before ICSID and the PCA. His experience in commercial arbitration proceedings includes all the major arbitral institutions, such as the ICC and the LCIA.
Ahmed's investment treaty and commercial arbitration experience covers a broad range of sectors, including energy and natural resources. Ahmed is sought out by clients for his experience in successfully resolving cases which raise complex questions of international law, such as exploitation of natural resources in disputed territories, the status of private and public property following state secession, and the impact of civil unrest/war over the operation of energy and construction projects.
Ahmed also has an extensive practice in non-contentious and advisory work for clients around the world. He regularly advises on structuring and restructuring of investments and complex issues such as: the consequences of civil war on a State's rights and obligations towards foreign investors; legal issues arising from the existence of competing governments; transboundary pipeline transit and transportation regimes; and related international law issues arising from State dislocation.
In 2021, Ahmed published his first book entitled "International Arbitration and Resolving Disputes Arising from Investments in Times of Crisis". Ahmed's book and other chapter contributions are available in the world's most prestigious law faculties and libraries. In 2019, Ahmed was selected as a Young Leader by the Franco-British Council which, each year, nominates a select group of young French and British individuals under 40, with distinguished careers across a variety of sectors from sciences to arts, politics, law, the military and finance. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of the Arab Law Quarterly, which is the leading English language scholarly publication (by Brill) on all matters relating to the law and legal systems of the 22 states in the Arab League.
Ahmed is regularly listed in the leading legal directories. The Legal 500 has described him as "a fantastic lawyer - a real brain when it comes to public international law. He has a lot of experience as counsel in large arbitrations, and his ability is second to none" and as having "a thorough grounding in international law. His ability to operate in French and Arabic, as well as English, also sets him apart as a truly international practitioner."
Anass is a Spanish-qualified lawyer called to the English Bar. He holds a Licence en Droit (إجازة في القانون) and a Masters in International Trade Law from the University of Abdel-Malek Essaadi, Morocco. His areas of expertise include various areas of public and private international law. He was a lecturer of International Law and International Relations at the University of Cadiz, Spain.
Anass has experience working on bilateral investment treaty disputes involving energy, telecoms and manufacturing in developing markets (e.g. Middle East and Latin America). At Volterra Fietta, Anass advises governments and private clients on a wide range of public international law and investment dispute issues. Recent highlights of his work include representing a Middle Eastern State in an ICSID arbitration involving allegations of expropriation related to the telecommunications industry, working on a multi-million ICSID investment treaty dispute against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, advising a Middle Eastern sovereign State client on a variety of public international law issues and providing training to Middle Eastern State officials in relation to State and diplomatic immunity.
Angela is an Australian-qualified lawyer specialising in public international law and international dispute settlement. She is ranked by Legal 500 as a "Rising Star" in public international law.
Since joining in 2016, Angela has worked for Volterra Fietta's government and commercial clients across the full range of public international law, including land and maritime boundary disputes, international human rights, the law of the sea, international investment law, sovereign immunities and the laws of war. She has gained a stellar reputation acting for both claimants and respondents in high-stakes, high-profile investment treaty arbitrations. She has represented clients in multiple State-to-State disputes, including cases before the International Court of Justice. She also has significant experience advising clients in judicial proceedings involving public international law issues before domestic courts.
Highlights of her practice include successfully defending a Southeast Asian State in an ICSID arbitration brought by a US power plant developer, representing a mining investor in multibillion dollar claims against a G20 State, acting for a Latin American State in a major maritime boundary dispute before the International Court of Justice and advising a State in the Middle East in relation to proceedings before the International Court of Justice and before United Nations bodies. She has advised and represented parties in ICSID proceedings involving the energy, mining, financial services, construction, manufacturing, telecommunications, media and hospitality sectors.
Angela regularly lectures in international investment law, public international law and international energy law, including at University College London and SOAS University of London. She has been invited to speak on international law issues at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, by the American Society for International Law and at the Investment Treaty Forum of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.
Ben is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales and an attorney at law in New York. He has over ten years' experience in international dispute resolution, having acted for States and private entities in complex, high-value disputes.
Ben has participated as counsel or tribunal secretary in numerous investor-State and commercial arbitrations under all the major institutional arbitration rules, as well as in ad hoc proceedings. He has extensive experience advising clients on matters pertaining to investment (re)structuring and public international law. He has also represented clients in arbitration-related proceedings before the English courts.
Ben has been recognised repeatedly in the Legal 500, as well as the UK edition of Best Lawyers. He holds an LL.M. in public international law from the University of Leiden and an M.A. in law from the University of Cambridge. He has taught international investment law and has authored various articles on public international law subjects.
Elizaveta is a Russian-qualified lawyer. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from Moscow State Institute of International Relations with honours and an LL.M. from the National Research University Higher School of Economics. She also holds an LL.M. in International Dispute Settlement from IHEID and University of Geneva, where she studied commercial arbitration, public international law and investment law.
Prior to joining Volterra Fietta, Elizaveta completed an internship at a US law firm in Paris. Previously, for 2 years, she worked in private practice for a Russian boutique law firm, where her work was focused on international commercial arbitration cases, including construction disputes. Investment cases on which Elizaveta was working related to the post-Soviet Union area and she is experienced in working in a variety of applicable laws from the region. In addition to international disputes cases, her expertise also encompasses adept handling of sanctions-related matters.
Education
LL.M. in International Dispute Settlement (Geneva)
LL.M., National Research University Higher School of Economics
Job Titles:
- Member of the Amsterdam Bar and Has Been Called to the Bar of England
Florentine is a member of the Amsterdam Bar and has been called to the Bar of England and Wales. She holds a degree in the law of England & Wales from the University of Cambridge, a BA in Dutch law and a LL.M in public international law from the University of Leiden.
Florentine advises and represents States, international organisations as well as private clients on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious public international law and international dispute resolution issues, including litigation before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and investor-State arbitration.
Her expertise covers a wide array of public international law topics, including the settlement and litigation of inter-State disputes, the law of the sea, international organisations law, treaty law, (maritime) boundary delimitation, state and diplomatic immunity, international investment law, state responsibility, international environmental and natural resources law, reparations, statehood and state succession, cyber law, international humanitarian law, business and human rights, deep seabed mining and space law. She has represented clients before the ICJ in multiple proceedings as well as in arbitration proceedings involving the financial services, energy, media, construction, art and oil & gas industries. Her practice has included arbitrations under the ICSID, UNCITRAL, NAI, LCIA and ICC rules, as well as domestic court litigation.
Before working with Volterra Fietta, Florentine worked in the international dispute resolution departments of a number of global law firms. Prior to entering private practice, Florentine worked for the International Criminal Court and several international human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch. She has been the editor of a publication on international humanitarian law. Florentine has published and spoken at international conferences on business and human rights issues, ICJ proceedings, the law of the sea, deep seabed mining, space and cyber law.
Gunjan is a highly experienced, New York-qualified attorney who specialises in complex international disputes and the world's most important public international law matters. He holds a Jurisdoctorate from New York University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (International Law, Institution and Ethics) from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. - where he was awarded a Krogh Scholars Honor's Medallion and a certificate in Asian Studies.
In 2024, Gunjan was awarded the title of "Next Generation Partner" by Legal 500 in the first year he was eligible. Clients and peers have publicly lauded Gunjan as "very able", a "future star in the public international law area for sure", "very professional", a "consummate professional", "quick and very easy in communication", having "fantastic drafting skills", "excelling in the depth of his knowledge and ability to provide superior legal advice" and a "highly-experienced arbitration lawyer, whose knowledge of the field and relationships provides invaluable value to clients".
Gunjan has represented States before the International Court of Justice and private entities and States in numerous multi-billion-dollar investor-State arbitrations. He has served as an expert witness on behalf of a State on matters of sovereign immunity, public international law and administrative law. He has practised before a wide range of U.S. federal and state courts. He has also acted as senior and lead counsel to parties in international commercial arbitrations.
Gunjan's non-contentious experience includes providing investment and dispute resolution advice in over 300 large commercial deals, including PSCs, JOAs, EPCs, PPAs and other large construction and energy contracts. He also counsels clients, including States, on maritime and territorial disputes and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He routinely advises Fortune 500 and other major international companies on the protection of their foreign investments from political and regulatory risk. He has represented the interests of private entities and States in treaty negotiations and at diplomatic meetings and conferences.
Prior to joining us, Gunjan spent nine years in the international litigation and arbitration group of a major international law firm. He was also a Litigation Fellow at the Innocence Project, a charitable organisation dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals by using DNA evidence. Gunjan continues to lead one of the world's most unique and specialised pro bono practices in areas concerning international law.
Hasina is a Nepal-qualified lawyer with experience in transactional work. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law from Nepal Law Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and an LL.M. from the University of Cambridge, where she studied International Investment Law.
Prior to joining Volterra Fietta, Hasina appeared before the Supreme Court, High Courts and District Courts of Nepal in several commercial and civil cases. Hasina has advised business clients on foreign investment, commercial arbitration and cross-border transactions.
Education
LL.M., University of Cambridge
B.A. LL.B., Nepal Law Campus, Tribhuvan University
Languages
English, Nepali and Hindi
Jared is a Caribbean trained Attorney-at-Law originating from Barbados who holds Bachelor and Master of Law (Public Law) Degrees from the University of the West Indies. First called to the bar in 2011 he commenced in civil and family law practice for four years before transitioning to being a fulltime constitutional, public and administrative law attorney in the Government of Barbados.
Jared has advised the Government and its various departments on local and regional legal matters. He regularly conducts litigation on behalf of the Government of Barbados at all jurisdictional levels of the Courts, including before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). He has appeared in both the appellate and original jurisdictions of the CCJ. He has been a delegate to the Caricom Legal Affairs Committee.
Over the past decade Jared has appeared as counsel for the Government in most major constitutional challenges in Barbados. In addition, he has made appearances in the CCJ which have led to decisions which helped shape the law regarding government consultations prior to applying or removing the Common External Tariff under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and clarified the interpretations applied to specialized domestic violence legislation in accordance with international law standards.
Jared has also served as a Magistrate, presiding over matters in the civil, maintenance, traffic and criminal jurisdictions of the court. He has served as the Solicitor General's nominee to advise the Government of Barbados's Central Purchasing Tenders Committee.
Education
Bachelor and Masters of Law (Honours), University of West Indies, Barbados
Languages
English
Jehad is an English-qualified barrister. He has a broad range of elite experience covering national and international dispute resolution, including investor-State arbitration, business and human rights, state immunity and enforcement proceedings in national courts.
Jehad has advised and acted for numerous states including the USA, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Croatia, Kenya, Malaysia, Barbados and Ghana as well as major international private entities in contentious and non-contentious cases. These matters have involved such issues as maritime delimitation, state immunity, sanctions, financial services, oil & gas, fraud, construction and mining rights. He has acted before the International Court of Justice and in arbitration matters, including investment treaty arbitrations under the ICSID rules, as well as in commercial litigation before the English courts.
Prior to working with Volterra Fietta, Jehad worked at a major UK regulator and practised as a barrister in England and Wales with a highly regarded Chambers. He appeared across a range of courts and tribunals including the Crown Court, the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Jehad has considerable advocacy experience and has received praise from the Court of Appeal bench for his "compelling" advocacy. His practice at the Bar involved advising UK Government departments, including Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Crown Prosecution Service. He then joined the dispute resolution department of a top-tier offshore commercial law firm where he advised on high-value commercial litigation as an attorney-at-law.
Jehad trains clients and others on a range of issues including advocacy and cross-examination, investor-State dispute resolution and boundary issues. He has spoken at such organisations as the Arab British Chamber of Commerce. Jehad is cited in legal 500 as a key lawyer at Volterra Fietta.
Magdalena Kowalczuk Asher is an English-qualified solicitor. She advises sovereign States, State-owned companies and private parties in international dispute proceedings, as well as in non-contentious matters concerning public international law. Legal 500 has named her a key lawyer at Volterra Fietta for public international law and international arbitration.
Magdalena advises States as well as private parties and international organisations (including UN specialised agencies) on public international law issues ranging from immunities, treaty interpretation to State responsibility. She has represented States before the International Court of Justice, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, English courts and in investment treaty arbitrations, such as Bahrain, Barbados, Ghana and Grenada. She has acted for clients on commercial arbitrations under the SIAC, ICC and LCIA rules.
She holds a law degree from the University of Oxford and an LL.M. in International Legal Studies from the New York University School of Law.
Prior to joining Volterra Fietta, Magdalena worked for four years at a Magic Circle law firm in London (with a secondment in Paris), where she gained experience in international commercial arbitration, complex commercial litigation and investment treaty arbitration. Magdalena worked as a research assistant in public international law and human rights during university and at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, as well as a legal trainee at the European Court of Human Rights.
Magdalena provides training on public international law issues, such as immunities, to governments and embassies around the world. She has co-lectured with Robert Volterra at King's College London on evidence before international courts and tribunals.
Margarita is a Russian-qualified lawyer and a UK Government Chevening Scholar. She holds an LL.B. degree with honours from the National Research University Higher School of Economics and an LL.M. degree from the Russian School of Private Law. She also holds an LL.M. in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution LL.M. degree from Queen Mary, University of London, where she studied international investment law.
Prior to joining Volterra Fietta, Margarita completed an internship at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. Previously, for several years, she worked in public and private practice, including in major Russian law firms, promoting international trade and investments and representing clients in international transactions and disputes.
Nkasi is a Caribbean-qualified attorney-at-law called to the Barbados Bar. She holds an LL.B from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus and an LL.M in Public International Law from the University of Manchester. During her LL.M, she studied International Investment Law, Warfare and Lawfare (Law of Armed Conflict), and International Law, Technology and Security. Her dissertation explored how artificial intelligence and international investment can assist in the global response to climate change.
Prior to joining Volterra Fietta, she worked in private practice in Barbados. She also interned at the General Legal Division of the United Nations.
Education
LL.B. (Hons), University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus
LL.M. in Public International Law, University of Manchester
Peter is qualified as a solicitor of England and Wales. He holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Oxford.
Peter has a particular focus on international arbitration, cross-border litigation and ADR. Over his career, Peter has been advisor to governments and commercial parties in connection with international disputes of a global nature in a wide range of jurisdictions around the world. He has advised clients on disputes arising in the context of cross-border contracts, BITs, the ECT, multilateral trade agreements and host State investment protection legislation. This includes significant experience in representing both investors and States in disputes arising under investment treaties and host State investment protection legislation, at ICSID, the PCA and elsewhere. His arbitration experience includes all of the established arbitral rules, including those of the ICC, LCIA, ICSID, SCC, the PCA, the Energy Charter Treaty, COMESA and SADEC.
Peter advises governments and commercial parties in connection with cross-border disputes in a wide range of jurisdictions, including Russia and the CIS, the Baltic States, Turkey, Lebanon, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, South and Central America, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, South Korea and a number of sub-Saharan African states. His experience covers a broad range of commercial sectors, including mining, aeronautical engineering, oil and gas exploration, energy generation and distribution, rail infrastructure, banking and financial instruments, construction and telecoms.
Prior to joining Volterra Fietta, Peter was a Partner and Head of Practice in the international arbitration groups of two global law firms.
Ramalingam is an Indian-qualified lawyer with over three years' experience in litigating before various national tribunals, high courts and Supreme Court of India. Ramalingam has an undergraduate degree in journalism & mass communication from SRM University and an LL.B (Hons.) from the School of Excellence in Law, Chennai. He recently graduated with an LL.M. from King's College London where his writing project was focused on the non-discriminatory treatment and early disposal regime which was being negotiated under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
Prior to joining us, Ramalingam worked as a co-counsel in the High Court of Madras and represented clients in several high profile cases. He has also worked as a research assistant to Prof. Ingeborg Schwenzer for the 2nd edition of a treatise on sales of goods and contract laws across the world.
Rhianna is a Canadian-qualified lawyer. She holds a B.C.L./J.D. with distinction from McGill University as well as an M.A. in International Economics and a B.Soc.Sc. in International Development and Globalisation.
Prior to joining Volterra Fietta, Rhianna worked as Assistant Legal Counsel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration and completed a judicial clerkship at the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal. Rhianna also previously worked in various capacities within the Canadian Foreign Affairs Department (Global Affairs Canada), including as the Desk Officer for Nepal and Bhutan and a Junior Development Officer for Afghanistan. Alongside her legal education, she gained experience in international trade litigation while working as a Law Student in the Canadian International Trade Law Bureau. In addition, Rhianna completed human rights internships at the Canadian Permanent Mission to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva and the Collectifs des Associations Contre l'Impunité au Togo (CACIT) in Lomé.
Education
B.C.L/J.D., McGill University
M.A. in International Economics, Berlin School of Economics and Law
B.Soc.Sc. in International Development and Globalisation with a minor in Economics, University of Ottawa
Languages
English, French and German
"Robert Volterra is probably the best public international lawyer on the planet"
Vishaka Ramesh is an Indian-qualified lawyer. She holds a BA, LLB (Hons) degree from the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law in India and a BCL from the University of Oxford, where she received the Volterra Fietta Prize for International Dispute Settlement and the Winter Williams Prize for International Economic Law.
Vishaka's experience includes investment treaty law, the law of the sea, the law of armed conflict, and international arbitration. Prior to joining Volterra Fietta, she worked at a leading firm in London, where she represented States in investment and commercial arbitrations. She was the youngest ever Research Fellow appointed to the United States Naval War College's Stockton Center for International Law, where she worked on issues including naval warfare, autonomous weapons systems and the law governing outer space. She previously worked as a Legal Assistant to Special Rapporteur August Reinisch of the UN International Law Commission, and as a Research Consultant at Concordia University.
Education
BA, LLB (Hons), NALSAR University of Law, India
BCL, University of Oxford
Languages
English