Graham Coop

Graham is qualified as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand and as a solicitor in England and Wales. He advises and represents companies, governments and international organisations on international dispute resolution and public international law, with a particular focus on the energy, natural resources and infrastructure sectors, together with environmental, banking and defence issues. He also advises sovereign clients on jurisdictional immunities issues under public international law, including in the context of judicial proceedings before European courts. His work on contentious matters has focused on the Energy Charter Treaty, investment treaties, price revisions under long-term energy sale contracts, and maritime boundary delimitation. He has appeared as counsel, advocate and expert before a wide range of international courts and tribunals, including the International Court of Justice, ICSID, the PCA and the ICC.

Before joining Volterra Fietta, Graham served for 7 years as General Counsel to the Energy Charter Secretariat, a Brussels-based international organisation responsible for the Energy Charter Treaty. As General Counsel, Graham participated in intergovernmental negotiations on emergency dispute resolution issues and energy transit. He also led the development of the Model Agreements for Cross-Border Pipeline Projects and for Cross-Border Electricity Projects. Graham’s career includes over 15 years in private practice. Prior to taking up his post at the ECT, Graham was an international dispute resolution partner in the energy department of the London office of a major international law firm. He has also worked as in-house counsel at a major European gas company and as head of the energy & natural resources department of the Paris office of a major international firm.

Graham is recognised globally as one of the world’s leading experts on international energy law, the Energy Charter Treaty and international investment arbitration. Graham has written and edited a wide range of publications, including Energy Dispute Resolution: Investment Protection, Transit and the Energy Charter Treaty. Graham is an Honorary Associate of the Graduate School of Natural Resources Law, Policy & Management of the University of Dundee’s Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy. He is an honorary member of the Investment Treaty Forum of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. He is a member of the Editorial Committee of the International Energy Law Review and of the Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law. He has lectured at numerous universities around Europe and is listed in the Who’s Who in Public International Law.