The partners of Volterra Fietta welcomed their newest member into the partnership, Gunjan Sharma, on 1 May 2022.
Gunjan joined the firm as an associate in 2018 and was promoted to Counsel in 2021. Prior to joining Volterra Fietta, Gunjan worked for eight years in the international arbitration and litigation group of a major global law firm in New York.
Gunjan is a New York qualified American lawyer. He is a highly regarded specialist in public international law, investor-State arbitration and international commercial arbitration. Based on client and peer referrals, he has been given the accolade “Rising Star” in multiple legal directories and rankings. For example, Legal500 has identified him as a “Rising Star” in public international law for a number of years, noting that clients describe him as “very professional”, with “fantastic drafting skills” and as a “future star in the public international law area for sure”.
Whilst at Volterra Fietta, Gunjan has led teams representing governments and global businesses in some of the world’s most important and well-known international disputes. In the investment treaty arbitration field, this includes filing the first investor-State arbitration against the French Republic (the claim brought in regards to a gold mine expropriation in KN Holding LLC & Severgroup LLC v the French Republic); and representing Egypt in a case related to Al Jazeera’s and its senior journalists’ support for terrorism and involvement in torture (Al Jazeera Media Network v Arab Republic of Egypt). Gunjan has also been a senior lawyer in numerous State-to-State public international law disputes, including three proceedings before the International Court of Justice (Somalia v Kenya; DRC v Uganda; and Qatar v UAE).
Gunjan also has significant non-contentious and advisory experience. He was part of the Volterra Fietta team that advised a government in the Americas in the negotiation of a transboundary unitisation treaty. He advises numerous Governments on complex and sensitive topics in public international law. Most recently, he advised a Government working through a sensitive matter involving a UN specialised agency. He also regularly briefs Governments on maritime boundary issues and delimitation treaty negotiations.
Commenting on Gunjan’s progression to partnership, partner Robert Volterra said: “I could not be more delighted to have Gunjan become a Volterra Fietta partner. Our decision to invite Gunjan to join us was easy. Gunjan’s talent, drive, initiative, intelligence and the respect he enjoys from his colleagues all made the case for him. Gunjan relentlessly pursues our clients’ interests and guides them to optimal outcomes, as their trusted adviser.”
Partner Graham Coop added: “I am delighted to welcome Gunjan to the partnership at Volterra Fietta. His legal acumen and his sharply honed business development skills are impressive. Over the years, I have enjoyed working with Gunjan on a variety of matters and he is a pleasure to have on any team.”
Partner Peter Flint said: “The associates look to Gunjan as a leader and he selflessly mentors them. It is remarkable how quickly clients come to rely on him with confidence. He is one of the best practitioners with whom I have had the pleasure to work.”
Gunjan said: “I am thrilled to have accepted an offer to join the partners at Volterra Fietta. Volterra Fietta is ranked at the top of leading international directories for one simple reason: the firm and its lawyers provide their clients unmatched expertise globally, at the highest level of public international law. I am excited to continue to work on the world’s most sensitive international cases for global clients with one of the most, if not the most, highly regarded and capable team of public international law practitioners in the world.”
For more information on this client alert, please contact info@volterrafietta.com
