Published on 27 February 2017 in Client Alerts
Volterra Fietta partner Professor Robert G. Volterra has been appointed the New Zealand Law Foundation 2017 International Dispute Resolution Fellow. During the week of 27 February 2017, he will be giving a series of public and private lectures, seminars and press briefings on a wide range of public international law topics in Auckland and Wellington. These include the following events:
On 28 February, Robert will present a seminar at the Auckland University of Technology Law School and Business School on the topic of ‘Business and Human Rights’.
Also on 28 February, Robert will give a lecture titled ‘Small States and International Dispute Resolution at the University of Auckland Law School. Information on this event can be found here.
On 1 March, Robert will participate in Bankside Chambers’ Round Table Discussion on ‘International Dispute Resolution in New Zealand: the bold, the beautiful, and the future’. Information about this event can be found on the event flyer here.
On 2 March, Robert will present the New Zealand Law Foundation International Dispute Resolution Fellowship Lecture: ‘Human Rights is the New Business Risk – New Challenges in Dispute Resolution’ at Victoria University of Wellington. Information about this event can be found here.
Robert said: “I am greatly honoured by this appointment. New Zealand as a country and many New Zealanders have been at the forefront of public international law and international dispute resolution. I had the good fortune to be a very junior member of the New Zealand legal team that took France to the International Court of Justice in the 1995 Nuclear Tests case. This will be my first visit to New Zealand and I am looking forward to it with great anticipation.”
Volterra Fietta’s intensive hearing schedule for 2026 has continued apace. In July 2026, a team from the firm, led by Robert Volterra, Ahmed Abdel-Hakam and Florentine Vos, represented the Republic of Croatia at a hearing in the Addiko Bank AG and Addiko Bank d.d. v Republic of Croatia (ICSID Case No ARB/17/37).
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From 8 to 10 July 2026, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud met in Jeddah to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments. The visit yielded the signing of 13 new Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) and commercial agreements across trade, investment, energy, mining and natural resources, technology, education, health, people-to-people ties, and defence.
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On 13 July 2026, the United Kingdom and the Swiss Confederation announced the conclusion of negotiations on an enhanced free trade agreement (“FTA”). This followed ten rounds of negotiations to modernise the two States’ bilateral framework which were launched in 2023. The Parties have indicated that they anticipate the final technical edits to be finalised
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On 17 July 2026, Volterra Fietta partner Robert G Volterra spoke at the Asia International Arbitration Centre London Roundtable on “Artificial Justice: Deciphering AI-Generated Fairness in Arbitration”. Robert discussed the growing use of AI in legal practice and dispute resolution, focusing on the limits of current AI tools and the risks associated with their use.
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