Biography
Pietro is a Senior Associate at Signature Litigation with experience in public international law, investor-State arbitration, and international commercial arbitration.
He has advised and represented corporations, individuals, and States on matters of public international law before national and international courts and tribunals, as well as arbitral tribunals constituted under major arbitration rules (eg ICC, ICSID, LCIA, SCC, and UNCITRAL).
He is also often engaged in pro bono litigation involving human rights issues.
Before joining Signature Litigation, Pietro was an Associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP. Prior to entering private practice, he worked at the European Union Delegation to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
Pietro is admitted to practice in Brazil and Portugal, and is a Registered Foreign Lawyer with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in England and Wales. He is fluent in Italian and Portuguese, and speaks Spanish.
Pietro is ranked in The Legal 500 UK 2022 guide as a Recognised Practitioner for Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation (Premium) and an Associate to Note for Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration. He is described as “very approachable” and someone who “stands out for his extreme knowledge of details of a case, his level of coordinating all process matters and very friendly attitude.”
Experience
Public International Law and Human Rights
- Petitioning an African court against an abortion ban in light of the State’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other human rights treaties.
- Representing individuals who seek leave to remain in the United Kingdom as stateless persons.
- Advising an African state on electoral best practices in light of its public international law obligations.
- Advising a non-profit organisation on strategic litigation before the courts of African state and before the East Africa Court of Justice on law reforms affecting the ability of the civil society in that state to self-organise as a non-profit entity.
- Working with the Alliance for Marriage in the Americas to ensure marriage equality through the Inter-American Human Rights System.
- Advising a State on its sovereign immunities rights in litigation before the courts of an European State in the context of a NATO military base; advising that same State on the possibility of bringing a claim before the International Court of Justice.
- Advising a South American State on its obligations deriving from a judgment of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
- Devising and delivering a year-long intensive public international law and international economic law practical training for senior officials of a Middle Eastern State.
- Advising a Middle Eastern State on its international humanitarian law rights and obligations in the region.
- Representing a politically persecuted South American individual in proceedings before the Inter- American Commission on Human Rights.
Investment Treaty Arbitration
- Advising a State on issues of investment treaty arbitration and bilateral investment treaties for an eventual drafting of a new Model BIT.
- Advising a Latin American company on the possibility of bringing an investment treaty claim against another Latin American State for indirect expropriation and FET violation.
- Representing the claimants in two related ICSID arbitrations arising out of the expropriation of a glass bottling plant in Venezuela.
- Representing the claimant in SCC arbitration arising out of the forced sale of the claimant’s shareholding in a Polish bank.
- Representing the claimant in PCA/UNCITRAL arbitration arising out of the expropriation of the claimant’s liquid petroleum gas infrastructure in Pakistan (jurisdiction only).
International Commercial Arbitration
- Representing the Claimant in an ICC commercial arbitration concerning engineering and prototype agreements.
- Representing the Respondent in an ICC commercial arbitration concerning technology and procurement agreements.
- Counsel to the Respondent in a class action in a Middle-Eastern State trying to suspend the proceedings and enforce the arbitration clause.
- Drafting contractual dispute resolution provisions for a corporate client for an eventual arbitration under the auspices of the London Metal Exchange.
Publications
Guest Comment, Macro developments in the mining sector going forward – Global Mining Review – April 2022, Volume 5, Issue 3
“UK Introduces New Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 20 May 2021
”Arbitrator bias: lessons from sports arbitration”, Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 18 April 2021
“EU Set to Introduce Mandatory Environmental and Human Rights Due Diligence Law”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 23 March 2021
“From genesis to apocalypse: As Belgium heralds the end of the uncertainty on intra-EU BITs, has the UK missed an opportunity in a post-Brexit world?”, Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 26 February 2021
“Modern slavery in financial services: no room for complacency”, Practical Law Magazine, 25 February 2021
“The World Is Your Oyster? Supreme Court Confirms UK Jurisdictional Gateway for Parent Company Liability”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 18 February 2021
“Watch Out and Speak Up: The UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner calls for Immediate Action in the Finance Industry”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 1 February 2021
“The New ICC Arbitration Rules”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 12 January 2021
“Thank you, next, please: English court strikes out business and human rights claim in light of parallel proceedings in Brazil”, Practical Law Dispute Resolution Blog, 3 December 2020
“A Shift Towards a More Co-ordinated Approach? – The LCIA Updates Its Arbitration Rules”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 19 August 2020
“UK Companies Responsible for Business and Human Rights Violations Overseas”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 8 June 2020
“Agreement for the termination of intra-EU BITs signed: the bell tolls?”, Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 14 May 2020
“Micula v Romania: rematch clause activated?”, Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 6 March 2020
“Macau Ups Its Game: A Discussion on the New Arbitration Law 2019”, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, 21 January 2020
“MoFo APAC Arbitration Update: October 2019”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, October 2019
“Micula v Romania: an OK (and not a KO) in the latest round of proceedings”, Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 27 September 2019
“UK Introduces New Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 20 May 2021
”Arbitrator bias: lessons from sports arbitration”, Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 18 April 2021
“EU Set to Introduce Mandatory Environmental and Human Rights Due Diligence Law”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 23 March 2021
“From genesis to apocalypse: As Belgium heralds the end of the uncertainty on intra-EU BITs, has the UK missed an opportunity in a post-Brexit world?”, Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 26 February 2021
“Modern slavery in financial services: no room for complacency”, Practical Law Magazine, 25 February 2021
“The World Is Your Oyster? Supreme Court Confirms UK Jurisdictional Gateway for Parent Company Liability”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 18 February 2021
“Watch Out and Speak Up: The UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner calls for Immediate Action in the Finance Industry”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 1 February 2021
“The New ICC Arbitration Rules”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 12 January 2021
“Thank you, next, please: English court strikes out business and human rights claim in light of parallel proceedings in Brazil”, Practical Law Dispute Resolution Blog, 3 December 2020
“A Shift Towards a More Co-ordinated Approach? – The LCIA Updates Its Arbitration Rules”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 19 August 2020
“UK Companies Responsible for Business and Human Rights Violations Overseas”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 8 June 2020
“Agreement for the termination of intra-EU BITs signed: the bell tolls?”, Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 14 May 2020
“Micula v Romania: rematch clause activated?”, Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 6 March 2020
“Macau Ups Its Game: A Discussion on the New Arbitration Law 2019”, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, 21 January 2020
“MoFo APAC Arbitration Update: October 2019”, Morrison & Foerster LLP, October 2019
“Micula v Romania: an OK (and not a KO) in the latest round of proceedings”, Practical Law Arbitration Blog, 27 September 2019
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