New York International Law Review

Olabisi D. Akinkugbe

Olabisi D. Akinkugbe is a Purdy Crawford Chair in Business Law and an Associate Professor at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. He specializes in many timely topics such as the intersection of public international law, international economic law, human rights law, international courts, and regional economic integration in Africa. His unique perspective can give us insight into socio-legal, post-colonialism, and third-word approaches into international law.

Rachel Alpert

Rachel Alpert is Co-Chair of Jenner & Block’s National Security and Crisis Practice and the firm’s Human Rights and Global Strategy Practice. She guides companies and institutions navigate the complex landscape of sanctions and controls. Rachel has previously served as Chief Counsel at the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). While at OFAC, Rachel led the agency’s legal team on the development, implementation, enforcement, and removal of U.S. sanctions and coordinated with the Departments of State, Commerce, and Justice. Rachel’s unique experience, in both government and private practice, will provide this panel with a unique perspective.

Jose W. Fernandez

Jose W. Fernandez is the Founder and President of Shelter Island Global Advisors LLC and formerly served as Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment at the U.S. Department of State. In government, he led U.S. international economic policy, including work on sanctions, investment security, energy markets, and global supply chains. He has also held senior roles in both the public and private sectors, advising on cross-border transactions and international regulatory matters. His experience spans diplomacy, international business, and economic statecraft, with a focus on the intersection of geopolitics and global commerce.

Peter Grabowski '21C, '24L

Peter Grabowski is an Associate at Seiden Law, where he focuses on complex commercial litigation and related disputes. He is a graduate of St. John’s Law, where he concentrated on international and comparative law. During law school, he was a member of the New York International Law Review, contributing to scholarship on international legal issues. His academic background and practice experience involve cross-border disputes, international legal frameworks, and the intersection of domestic litigation with global business matters.

David Lakhdhir

David Lakhdhir is Of Counsel at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where he spent over three decades focusing on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment, and international business transactions. He has worked in New York, Tokyo, and London, advising global financial institutions, private equity firms, and multinational corporations. Beyond private practice, he serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Central Asia, Co-Chair of Human Rights Watch’s Board, a member of JUSTICE’s advisory council, and Lecturer-in-Law at Columbia Law School. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

Stratos Pahis

Stratos Pahis is an Associate Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School and Co-Director of the Dennis J. Block Center for the Study of International Business Law. His scholarship and teaching focus on international trade law, international economic law, and public international law. He has taught at Columbia Law School, Wake Forest University School of Law, NYU School of Law, and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. His research explores the intersection of international economic law, national security, and global economic governance, and has appeared in leading journals including the American Journal of International Law and the Journal of International Economic Law.

Eran Sthoeger

Eran Sthoeger is a New York–based litigator and consultant specializing in public international law. He advises governments and other clients on complex issues including maritime boundaries, treaty law, human rights, and other aspects of international law and has appeared before tribunals such as the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at Brooklyn Law School and lectures on international law topics.

Maria Elena Vignoli

Maria Elena Vignoli is a leading International Human Rights Lawyer whose work centers around advancing accountability for international crimes through global legal institutions and regimes. As Senior Counsel at the International Justice Program, she spearheads research and advocacy related to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and engages with court officials and member states while monitoring the court’s institutional development.