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Robert Volterra. Volterra Fietta. The International Law FirmRobert Volterra

Tel: +44 207 380 3890
E - robert.volterra@volterrafietta.com

Robert is a Canadian barrister and an English solicitor-advocate. He advises and represents governments, international organisations and private clients on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious public international law and international dispute resolution issues. He has acted as counsel and advocate before the International Court of Justice and ad hoc international arbitration tribunals, including under the Permanent Court of Arbitration, ICSID, ICC, SCC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, WTO and UNCLOS rules. He regularly sits as an arbitrator on international arbitral tribunals, including ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, SCC and LCIA arbitrations.

Robert is a Visiting Professor of International Law at University College, University of London (UCL), where he teaches the international law of foreign investment and the international law of boundary disputes. He is on the International Law Advisory Board of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. He is a member of the ICC Latin American Arbitration Committee. He is on the Management Board of the Investment Treaty Forum. He is on the Expert Panel for States of UNCTAD's Programme on Dispute Settlement in International Trade, Investment and IP. He is a Legal Expert on the Energy Charter Secretariat's Legal Advisory Task Force.

Legal 500 2011 ranked Robert as one of the leading practitioners in public international law. Chambers and Partners 2011 ranked Robert in the top tier of individual practitioners globally. Over the years, these two directories have recorded that Robert is described by clients and peers as follows: "a fantastic lawyer"; "combines commercial and public international law experience"; "a "phenomenal lawyer" "; "both an excellent lawyer and an excellent team leader"; "“great breadth and depth, with strength in international arbitration, border, treaty, and investor/state disputes"; "a pre-eminent PIL specialist"; "widely acknowledged as a leader in public international law arbitrations"; "highly recommended"; "a star player"; "a leading reputation"; "a thorough and analytical approach"; "a brilliant and open approach"; "excellent ability to communicate legal proceedings to foreign clients"; "a well-known and celebrated practitioner"; "expertise in investment arbitrations as well as traditional PIL matters"; "a venerated figure"; "formidable"; "market leader"; "top-class practitioner"; "a global player"; "a brilliant PIL lawyer - strong and astute".

Legal Business' "Legal Experts" has ranked Robert as "highly recommended" and one of the "leading lights" in the field of international arbitration and litigation for the past 10 years. Legal Business Arbitration Report 2006 lists Robert as one of the five "stars of international investment treaty arbitration".

International Law Office (ILO) Client Choice Awards 2011 named Robert as its winner in the Public International Law category.

Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian


Stephen Fietta. Volterra Fietta. The International Law FirmStephen Fietta

Tel: +44 207 380 3890
E - stephen.fietta@volterrafietta.com

Stephen is an English solicitor. He advises both sovereign States and private clients on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious public international law and related dispute resolution issues, including: the protection of international investments under bilateral and multilateral investment treaties, free trade agreements and concession contracts; treaty drafting and interpretation; State sovereignty over natural resources; land and maritime boundary issues; the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); transboundary pipeline projects and the Energy Charter Treaty; sovereign and diplomatic immunity; State succession over the property of dissolved States; State responsibility for the acts and omissions of public authorities and domestic courts; UN, EU and domestic trade sanctions regimes; international environmental law; and human rights.

Stephen regularly leads teams of lawyers representing our clients before the world's leading public international law courts and tribunals. He has advised in connection with disputes heard at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and a multitude of ad hoc and institutional arbitral fora (including under UNCLOS, ICSID, PCA, ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL Rules). He has been particularly active over recent years as counsel in investment arbitration proceedings pursuant to the ICSID and UNCITRAL Rules.

Chambers Global Directory 2012 ranks Stephen among the world's leading dozen public international lawyers. It describes him as a "quick-witted and knowledgeable" dispute resolution specialist. The Legal 500 Directory 2011 identifies Stephen as one of the "leading individuals" in public international law in the United Kingdom. Chambers Global 2008 named Stephen as one of the world's "up and coming" public international law practitioners at that time. Stephen was also featured in the global Who's Who in Public International Law (published in 2007).

The Global Arbitration Review 2011 named Stephen as one of the world's leading international arbitration practitioners under the age of 45 (the "45 under 45"). The Global Arbitration Review 2010 described Stephen as "a lynchpin of the work in investment law and public international law work".

Stephen has lectured on a variety of post-graduate courses at Kings College, London (international boundary law and the law of the sea) and University College, London (international investment law). Stephen is a regular speaker at conferences on topics of public international law and international dispute resolution.

Languages: English, French and Italian