Top-ranked international law firm Volterra Fietta is pleased to announce the promotion of associate Gunjan Sharma to Counsel, effective 1 May 2021.
Gunjan, a New York-qualified attorney, is a graduate of the New York University School of Law. He is also a Krogh Honors Scholars Medallion recipient at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where he also obtained a Certificate in Asian Studies.
Gunjan practises international dispute resolution and public international law at the highest levels. Since joining Volterra Fietta, Gunjan has (amongst other things):
- led the defence of the Arab Republic of Egypt in an ICSID arbitration brought against it by Al Jazeera Media Network;
- successfully secured an end to ICSID proceedings brought against the firm’s client, the Republic of Lithuania, in Roscins v. Lithuania;
- advised the Government of Barbados as it negotiated a transboundary hydrocarbon unitisation treaty with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago;
- represented each of Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United Arab Emirates in three separate cases before the International Court of Justice; and
- served as an expert witness on behalf of a North American Government to explain issues of administrative and public international law to the courts of a European State.
Prior to joining Volterra Fietta, Gunjan was senior associate at a US global law firm, where he represented clients in a number of high profile investor-State arbitrations and major US and international litigations. In addition to international courts and tribunals, Gunjan has represented clients before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; the District Courts for the Southern District of New York, the Southern District of Florida and the District of Columbia; and the Supreme Court of New York, First Department. Gunjan’s prior experience also includes advancing human rights in criminal law. He was previously a Litigation Fellow at the Innocence Project and, as a law student, represented convicts on death row with the Equal Justice Initiative.
Gunjan’s significant dispute resolution experience is complemented by his extensive advisory practice. This includes having directly represented the interests of a major oil and gas company in discussions with the US Trade Representative during the TPP and USMCA negotiations. Gunjan has also advised numerous clients on disputes-related issues in transactional matters in the banking, construction, oil and gas, energy and technology sectors.
Gunjan is recognised as a leading advocate in the public international law and international dispute resolution fields. The Legal500 legal directory ranks Gunjan as a “Rising Star”. In its 2021 edition, Legal500 noted that Gunjan is described by clients and peers as a “future star in the public international law area for sure.” It further noted that they also describe him as “very professional”, with “fantastic drafting skills” that make “documents very easy to read.”
Volterra Fietta has the largest public international law team of any law firm in the world and the second largest dedicated international arbitration practice in London. Gunjan is a senior member of the Volterra Fietta practice and helps the firm provide complete, expeditious and practical advice to its clients around the world on their most important legal issues.
Partner Robert Volterra stated: “Ever since Gunjan joined, clients and peers alike have been congratulating us on having brought him into Volterra Fietta. Gunjan is self-motivated and entrepreneurial. He has already generated significant new client work for the firm.”
Partner Graham Coop said: “Gunjan is a natural fit for Volterra Fietta’s collegial and friendly team culture. Associates in the firm look to him for guidance and he is always happy to take on mentoring roles. His lawyering skills are exceptional and he always contributes strongly to a team, whatever his role.”
Gunjan adds: “I am delighted to be part of the dynamic team at Volterra Fietta. It is easy to present Volterra Fietta to any client facing complex disputes and intricate problems of international law. The firm’s depth of experience, as well as its size and international capabilities, explain why it is routinely tasked by its global clients to represent them in bet-the-company and, indeed, bet-the-country disputes and litigations.”
