Public International Law: The English Bar

A benchmark to which others aspire, Sir Daniel Bethlehem KC handles high-profile state-on-state, diplomatic immunity and BIT cases. He has strong ties to the FCO and has vast experience of both counsel work and arbitral appointments.

Active in all areas of public international law, Sir Michael Wood KC (Hon) has devoted a significant portion of his career to advising the FCO. He is well versed in complex land and maritime boundary disputes, and has enviable experience appearing before international courts and tribunals.

Philippa Webb acts for states and non-governmental bodies, advising on a wide range of PIL issues including state and diplomatic immunities, as well as maritime, boundary and treaty disputes. She is a professor of public international law at King's College London.

Belinda McRae possesses superb expertise spanning BIT arbitration, inter-state disputes and domestic litigation with international law elements. She has appeared in important cases on diplomatic immunity, the compatibility of BITs with EU law and other issues.

Highly regarded for investment treaty arbitrations and inter-state disputes, Kate Parlett has appeared as an advocate before the ICJ in multiple cases concerning a range of PIL issues, including arbitration over terrestrial and maritime delimitation. She also teaches international law at both Cambridge and Geneva.

Formerly a practising solicitor in New Zealand, Penelope Nevill advises on all aspects of PIL law. She regularly lectures on the topic at Cambridge University and King's College London, and attacks a wide variety of leading cases including heavy investor-state arbitration and work examining the jurisdiction of sovereign states in relation to foreign nationals.

Simon Olleson has a strong academic background in PIL and a keen interest in the law of state responsibility. He has recently advised on the PIL angles of environmental disputes and shown himself to be an expert in maritime delimitation cases and BIT arbitration. He has acted in ICJ, PCA, ICSID and ad hoc arbitration proceedings.

Lord Verdirame is active in a broad spectrum of PIL work, tackling cases dealing with international human rights, BITs and inter-state disputes. He is a noted academic in this area, and has appeared before UK courts and various international arbitration tribunals including the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Manuel Casas focuses his practice on the matters concerning inter-state and investor-state disputes. He brings particular expertise to the matters arising from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK.

Monica Feria-Tinta focuses her practice on all aspects of PIL, having appeared before the full range of international courts and tribunals. In recent years she has acted in high-profile cases concerning international human rights, diplomatic immunity and bilateral investment treaty disputes.

Paolo Busco has a broad PIL practice and has significant experience in negotiations, international arbitrations and major UNCLOS disputes. He is favoured as counsel by the Government of the United Arab Emirates. He is qualified as an avvocato in Italy.

Sudhanshu Swaroop KC is commended for his high-profile international law practice. He receives praise for his recent performance in landmark climate change cases, where he acted as lead counsel to the UK, in addition to other significant pieces of international state-led litigation. Other areas of expertise include shipping, commercial law, international arbitration and state immunity.

Wendy Miles KC is a strong commercial public international lawyer who concentrates her practice on international arbitration, including BIT disputes. She represents claimant investors and other clients, and is in demand to act as both counsel and arbitrator.