Counsel

Angela is an Australian-qualified lawyer specialising in public international law and international dispute settlement. She is ranked by Legal 500 as a “Rising Star” in public international law.

Since joining in 2016, Angela has worked for Volterra Fietta’s government and commercial clients across the full range of public international law, including land and maritime boundary disputes, international human rights, the law of the sea, international investment law, sovereign immunities and the laws of war. She has gained a stellar reputation acting for both claimants and respondents in high-stakes, high-profile investment treaty arbitrations. She has represented clients in multiple State-to-State disputes, including cases before the International Court of Justice. She also has significant experience advising clients in judicial proceedings involving public international law issues before domestic courts.

Highlights of her practice include successfully defending a Southeast Asian State in an ICSID arbitration brought by a US power plant developer, representing a mining investor in multibillion dollar claims against a G20 State, acting for a Latin American State in a major maritime boundary dispute before the International Court of Justice and advising a State in the Middle East in relation to proceedings before the International Court of Justice and before United Nations bodies. She has advised and represented parties in ICSID proceedings involving the energy, mining, financial services, construction, manufacturing, telecommunications, media and hospitality sectors.

Angela regularly lectures in international investment law, public international law and international energy law, including at University College London and SOAS University of London. She has been invited to speak on international law issues at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, by the American Society for International Law and at the Investment Treaty Forum of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

Clients and peers have praised her as “thorough and savvy”, “a formidable advocate and cross-examiner” and “one of the up-and-coming stars in this field”.

Angela holds a BA (majoring in European Studies) and an LLB (Hons I) from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Civil Law (Dist) from the University of Oxford, focusing on public international law.

Direct dial: +44 (0)207 380 4398

Email: angela.ha@volterrafietta.com

Education

BCL (Dist), University of Oxford, United Kingdom

BA/LLB (Hons I), University of Sydney, Australia

Languages

English, Cantonese Chinese (spoken), intermediate French

Bar admissions

New South Wales, Australia