Profile

Graham Coop is a partner in the law firm of Volterra Fietta and head of the firm's Business & Human Rights practice. Graham is qualified as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand and as a solicitor with higher rights of audience (Civil) in England and Wales. He advises and represents companies, governments and international organisations on international dispute resolution and public international law, with a particular focus on the energy, natural resources and infrastructure sectors, together with environmental, banking and defence issues. His work on contentious matters has focused on the Energy Charter Treaty, investment treaties, price revisions under long-term energy sale contracts, and maritime boundary delimitation. He has appeared as counsel, advocate and expert before a wide range of international courts and tribunals, including the International Court of Justice, ICSID, the PCA and the ICC. He is on the UK Attorney General's list of public international law practitioners.

Before joining Volterra Fietta, Graham served for seven years as General Counsel to the Energy Charter Secretariat. He led the development of the Model Agreements for Cross-Border Pipeline Projects and for Cross-Border Electricity Projects. Prior to taking up his post at the ECT, Graham worked on international dispute resolution issues as a partner in the energy and infrastructure department of the London office of a major international law firm. He has also worked as in-house counsel at a major European gas company and as head of the energy and natural resources department of the Paris office of a major international firm.

Graham is recognised globally as one of the world's leading experts on international energy law, the Energy Charter Treaty and international investment arbitration. He is an honorary member of the Investment Treaty Forum of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. He is a member of the Editorial Committee of the International Energy Law Review and of the Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law. He is a Legal Expert on the Energy Charter Secretariat's Legal Advisory Task Force. He has lectured at numerous universities around Europe and is listed in the Who's Who in Public International Law.