Suzanne Spears promoted to partner at Volterra Fietta

Volterra Fietta is pleased to announce the promotion of Suzanne Spears to partner effective 1 May 2016.

Suzanne represents and advises multinational corporations, sovereign States and international organisations on a wide range of public international law and international dispute resolution issues. Her practice focuses on investor-State, State-to-State and international commercial arbitration; and advising multinational companies on business and human rights matters. She has particular sector expertise in energy and natural resources, and regional expertise in Latin America and Africa.

Suzanne joined Volterra Fietta as counsel in October 2015. She brought more than a decade of experience in international dispute resolution, previously having practiced at two leading global law firms. Suzanne also has held positions with international human rights and foreign relations organisations, including the United Nations, the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights and the Council on Foreign Relations. She currently teaches International Arbitration at the University of Notre Dame’s Law School campus in London.

At Volterra Fietta, among other matters, Suzanne is currently advising an Asian State on a maritime boundary dispute; acting for an investor in an ICSID arbitration against a Latin American State; representing a former government official against a Latin American State at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; and advising North American mining companies in relation to business and human rights matters in Australasia, Latin America and Africa.

Since joining the firm, Suzanne has spoken on public international law or international arbitration at a number of events, including at the United Nations, and has given a keynote address to a conference on business and human rights. She will be speaking at the upcoming BIICL Investment Treaty Forum Conference on the role of proportionality in international investment law.

Commenting on the promotion, founding partner Robert Volterra said:

“We are extremely pleased to be welcoming Suzanne into the partnership at Volterra Fietta. She has made an immediate impact since she joined the firm and has expanded our already strong capability in international dispute resolution and human rights. Her promotion is well earned and reflects the continued strong growth of the firm.”

Suzanne Spears said:

“I am honoured and delighted to be joining the partnership at the firm made up of both renowned and budding public international lawyers. Volterra Fietta has proved to be a wonderful place to immerse myself in public international law, practice investor-State arbitration and develop my business and human rights practice. The firm is going from strength to strength. I look forward to helping it respond to increasing client demand.”

Suzanne, a US native, is qualified as an attorney in New York. She obtained a Juris Doctor and a Master in International Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Tufts University. She was a US Fulbright Scholar in Spain and speaks Spanish and English.

The promotion of Suzanne follows the promotion of Giorgio Francesco Mandelli to partner from counsel last year.

Volterra Fietta remains the largest partnership of dedicated arbitration practitioners in London.

Volterra Fietta constantly challenges itself to develop its position in the global market as the world-leader in public international law contentious and advisory work. The firm is ranked in the top tier in all the legal directories. It is recognised as delivering effective and client-centred legal services. Suzanne’s promotion reflects the firm’s commitment to fostering talent and excellence.

Please click here for an article published by The Global Arbitration Review on the promotion of Suzanne Spears to partner.

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