Young Public International Law Group
Connecting PIL practitioners
Welcome
The Young Public International Law Group (“YPILG”) is a network of young public international law practitioners from law firms, the bar, international organisations, governments and academic institutions around the world. The purpose of YPILG is to connect early to mid-career PIL practitioners to one another, to facilitate exchanges of ideas and knowledge-sharing in the PIL field, and to promote the next generation of PIL professionals.
The YPILG hosts a number of events throughout the year, lectures by leading academics and practitioners of public international law topics, practical training sessions in PIL practice and other informal networking events.
YPILG is supported by:
About Us
Adriana Abu Abara
Clifford ChanceAdriana is a senior associate at Clifford Chance with experience in international arbitration, complex litigation and public international law disputes. She has acted for states and corporate clients in various arbitral forums and courts and has advised clients on a range of public international law matters.
Tell Me More
Miglena Angelova
Fietta LLPMiglena is a senior associate at Fietta LLP, a specialist public international law firm in London. Miglena's practice focuses on contentious and non-contentious aspects of public international law and investment-treaty arbitration. Prior to joining Fietta, Miglena spent time at the European Court of Human Rights, working on the project of accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights.
Tell Me More
Manuel Casas
Twenty EssexManuel is a barrister at Twenty Essex, where he specialises in public international law, international arbitration (investment and commercial), and general commercial law. Before transferring to the Bar, Manuel was a Judicial Fellow at the International Court of Justice and counsel at WilmerHale.
Tell Me More
Stephen Donnelly
Essex Court ChambersStephen is a member of Essex Court Chambers and of the Scottish bar. He practises in public international law and international arbitration before international and domestic courts and tribunals. He is a member of the Attorney-General’s public international law panel of counsel, and a visiting lecturer in international investment arbitration at King’s College London.
Tell Me More
Tal Geron
Foreign & Commonwealth OfficeTal Geron is Assistant Legal Adviser at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Since joining the FCDO, he has represented the UK at the United Nations in Geneva and in legal proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights and the UK Supreme Court, as well as in bilateral and multilateral negotiations. He advises on a range of public international law matters, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law and serves as Secretary to the UK National Committee on International Humanitarian Law. He was previously Of Counsel in private practice and ranked in Legal 500.
Monika Hlavkova
Debevoise & PlimptonMonika is a senior associate at Debevoise & Plimpton, where she acts as counsel on a range of international law disputes, including inter-state proceedings at the International Court of Justice, investor-state disputes, and domestic court proceedings raising issues of public international law. She has a substantial pro bono practice with a particular focus on issues of sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflict. Monika has previously worked with the International Law Programme at Chatham House, and at the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic where she focused on human rights cases.
Tell Me More
Jackie McArthur
Essex Court ChambersJackie McArthur is a barrister at Essex Court Chambers in London. She specialises in public international law and investment treaty arbitration, as well as public law litigation with an international or human rights element. She is a member of the Attorney-General’s Panel for Public International Law, and frequently advises and represents governments and private clients on questions of international law.
Tell Me More
Abdullah Tariq
Fietta LLPAbdullah is an associate at Fietta LLP, a specialist public international law firm in London. Abdullah’s practice covers contentious and non-contentious aspects of public international law, including investment treaty arbitrations and inter-state disputes before the International Court of Justice and treaty-specific dispute resolution fora, and advice on the law of the sea. Abdullah was previously an associate at a major Pakistani firm, with a focus on commercial and constitutional law, and international arbitration.
Tell Me MoreNews & Events
To become a member of YPILG and be added to our mailing list, please send your name, affiliation and contact details to admin@ypilg.com. Please email us at the same address should you wish to unsubscribe.
Forthcoming events
We welcome proposals for future events. Should you wish to suggest an event, please submit a completed event proposal form to admin@ypilg.com.
Past events
After a hiatus in activities, the newly reconstituted Board of YPILG held a relaunch event on 4 September 2024. Kindly hosted by Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, the evening featured drinks and canapes, a welcome and introduction to the new Board, and sparkling conversation between a fresh group of young PIL practitioners. This was a great opportunity for the next generation of international lawyers to meet each other, and to catch up with old friends and colleagues. Further events will be announced shortly.
On 23 June 2020, YPILG and Arnold & Porter hosted a webinar on public international law in the UK, post-Brexit. On the fourth anniversary of the Brexit referendum vote, and with the transition period due to end in less than six months, it was a timely moment to take stock of the implications for public international law of the UK’s departure from the European Union. Presented by “new voices” in PIL (Maria Fogdestam-Agius, Jackie McArthur, Bart Wasiak, Joel Dahlquist and Elizabeth Chan), this webinar explored a wide range of perspectives on the topic of PIL in the UK, post-Brexit. The event was moderated by YPILG board members Lucas Bastin of Essex Court Chambers and Laura Rees-Evans of Fietta LLP. A video recording of the webinar is available here, and a write-up of the webinar is available on Kluwer Arbitration Blog.
The Foreign & Commonwealth’s Legal Directorate has hosted its Annual International Law Seminar on the 9 May, 2019 at 9.30 – 17.00 and has reserved a number of places for YPILG members. The aim of the Seminar was to generate dialogue amongst government lawyers, academics and private practitioners, on the work undertaken by the Legal Directorate.
On 5 January 2018, YPILG hosted the launch event for the pilot mentoring programme at the Great Hall of King’s College London.
On 12 December 2017, YPILG in collaboration with Essex Court Chambers hosted an informal discussion with Professor Lowe QC on Lessons learned as a public international law academic, counsel and arbitrator.
On 11 September 2017, YPILG hosted an informal networking event at the Four Sister’s Townhouse in London.
On 11 September 2017, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP hosted YPILG’s first event in Asia at their offices in Singapore. The event was a debate on the topic “This house believes that a permanent investment court is required to address legitimate concerns with the present ISDS regime”. The debate was introduced by Paul Tan and moderated by Stephen Fietta and Daniel Seah.
On 4 May 2017, YPILG in collaboration with Matrix Chambers hosted a panel discussion on Advocacy before international courts and tribunals: a practical guide. The panellists were Michelle Butler (Matrix), Dr Kate Parlett (20 Essex Street), Amy Sander (Essex Court Chambers) and Will Thomas (Freshfields), with Alison Macdonald QC (Matrix) as moderator.
On 16 March 2017, YPILG in collaboration with Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, hosted a talk from Catherine Amirfar, on the outlook for international law under the Trump Administration, as well as sharing reflections on her time at the State Department.
On 31 January 2017, YPILG in collaboration with Essex Court Chambers hosted a Q&A session on “Public international law in 2016 and beyond – key developments of the past year and expectations for the future”. The panellists were Stephen Fietta (Fietta), Professor Dan Sarooshi (Essex Court Chambers), and Paul Tan (Rajah & Tann), with YPILG Board member Lucas Bastin (Essex Court Chambers) as moderator.
The British Institute of International and Comparative Law held an event on careers in public international law on 18 January 2017, reserving a number of places to YPILG members.
YPILG’s launch event was held at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on 29 November 2016. Professor Vaughan Lowe QC and Iain Macleod, FCO Legal Adviser, introduced the Group.
