Public Interest Law Center

2022-23 IFD Fellows

2022-2023 IFD Fellows

 

Sofie Ulrix

International Energy Agency

sophie ulrix

Sofie Ulrix earned a BA in Law and Economics and a MA in Law from KU Leuven, Belgium (First Class Honors). She completed one year of her MA in Law on exchange at King’s College London, United Kingdom.

During her law studies, Sofie worked as a Research Fellow on biodiversity loss at the Leuven Institute for the Future in partnership with the Royal Museum for Central Africa. She interned at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Jones Day in Brussels and served as a delegate to the World Intellectual Property Organization for ELSA International in Geneva.

Sofie completed a LL.M. at NYU School of Law with a focus on energy transition, natural resources and complex litigation. This fall, she will start at the International Energy Agency’s Office of Legal Counsel in Paris.

Sarah Bandini

International Monetary Fund

Sarah B

Sarah received her law degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Bologna. She was among the top graduating students in her class and was awarded several merit-based scholarships during her studies.

Following graduation, she collaborated with one of the most renowned Italian boutique law firms, specializing in the criminal defense of banks and publicly-held companies that took part in some of the most important cases connected to the largest financial scandals that occurred in Italy in the last two decades (e.g., Parmalat, Cirio, and Carim Banca). As an associate attorney at the firm, she further developed her expertise in business crime, tax evasion, and corporate compliance. She also served as a member of the Compliance Board for BPER Factor, a company specializing in factoring and financial transactions, part of the BPER Group (the third-largest banking group in Italy). From November 2017 to March 2021, she pursued a Ph.D. in Legal Studies at the University of Bologna. She graduated with a Final Dissertation on Corporate Control and Criminal Liability, deemed «Excellent» by the Examination Board.

Sarah’s research focuses on Corporate Governance and Compliance. In particular, she is developing a study on Global Compliance to implement programs and risk-assessment strategies that multinational corporations can adopt to prevent wrongdoing in cross-border investments. She carried out part of this project as a Visiting Scholar at Duke University School of Law and at the University of London’s Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.

At NYU, Sarah was awarded the Hauser Global Scholarship and named Student Fellow for the NYU Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement. She is pursuing an LL.M. in Corporation Law, with a focus on financial regulation, corporate compliance, and cross-border transactions. She is an academic member of the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) and a fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London.

Eve Bain

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Eve Bain

Eve graduated from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Arts (French and International Relations) in 2017. Eve was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the New Zealand High Court in 2018. During her studies Eve tutored public law and competed in various international mooting competitions. She also worked for a Member of Parliament and as a law clerk at the New Zealand Law Commission. Eve volunteered for United Nations Youth New Zealand, leading the organisation of the national conference as well as international delegations. 

Eve spent her final year studying at Universidad EAFIT in Medellín, Colombia as an inaugural recipient of the New Zealand Prime Minister's Scholarship for Latin America.  After graduating, Eve worked in the public law team of a leading national firm before joining Stout Street Chambers as a junior barrister in 2020, where she appeared on a range of significant public law and general civil litigation matters. In 2021 the New Zealand Law Foundation awarded Eve the annual Cleary Memorial Prize for outstanding future promise to the legal profession.

Eve completed her LL.M. in International Legal Studies at NYU as a Hauser Global Scholar. During her time at NYU Eve was a research assistant, a Transitional Justice Scholar, and worked for a small island state's permanent mission to the United Nations as part of NYU's Diplomacy Clinic. Eve is very excited to pursue her interest in the practice of public international at the Secretariat of the OECD. 

Liam Faught

International Development Law Organization

Liam F

Liam Faught holds a J.D. from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where he served as Associate Editor of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review and completed a semester abroad at the University of Amsterdam, focusing on public international law and European Union law. He is qualified to practice law in New York State and British Columbia, Canada.

Prior to commencing his L.L.M. at NYU School of Law, Liam spent several years in private practice with major law firms in Canada and New York representing clients in commercial litigation as well as secured financing transactions. He currently works with Guernica 37 Chambers and Centre, where he represents victims of human rights abuses in U.S. and international litigation and prepares civil society reports on a range of human rights issues.

Liam is pursuing an L.L.M in International Legal Studies with a focus on public international law, human rights, and development. He is particularly interested in the role of international organizations in furthering development and upholding human rights. During his time at NYU, Liam was a Transitional Justice Scholar and participated in NYU’s International Organizations Clinic, advising the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and multilateral development banks on human rights risks and governance issues relating to digital development projects.

Florencia Garcia

International Finance Corporation

Florencia pic

Florencia graduated from University of Buenos Aires in 2018. She was ranked in the top 1% of a class over 2300 students and received academic excellence awards for her performance at moot court competitions. She represented the UBA at the 2016 edition of the Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot, where the team reached the Round of 16th and Florencia was ranked among top advocates. One year later, she represented the UBA at the 2017/2018 edition of the Willem C. Vis Moot, where the team received an honorable mention for Best Memorandum for Respondent. 

After graduation, Florencia was promoted to associate at Mitrani, Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Law Firm (Buenos Aires office), where she has been practicing corporate law, focusing on cross-border M&A transactions, antitrust and securities filings, domestic and international contracts, and compliance with economic sanctions, export control regulations, and AML/CFT regulations. 

She has contributed to the pilot clinic organized by TradeLab and the UBA, where Florencia and her classmates advised the South Centre. The focus of the clinic was to advance research on the misappropriation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. More recently, Florencia has co-authored a book review that was published at the American Review of International Arbitration. 

Florencia completed her LL.M. at NYU as a Hauser Global Scholar. During her time at NYU, she was a research assistant for Professor José Alvarez, she served at NYU Law Women Development Committee, and worked for a small island state's permanent mission to the United Nations as part of NYU’s Diplomacy Clinic.

Ojonugwa “Nugwa” Ichaba

International Monetary Fund

Ojonugwa Ichaba

Ojonugwa "Nugwa" is a Nigerian law qualified, UK- trained lawyer with several years’ experience in finance, projects, and M&A practice. She obtained a Bachelor of Laws from the University of York UK and is called to the Nigerian Bar, graduating in the top 8% of her class.

Nugwa commenced legal practice with Templars- one of West-Africa’s largest commercial law firms, where she was a Senior Associate in the Finance and Projects practice, advising sponsors, development finance institutions (DFIs), banks and other financial institutions on a variety of finance and infrastructure development transactions in Nigeria, including the development and circa US$1.3 billion financing of Nigeria’s largest deep seaport project granted on a 45-year concession from the Nigerian Ports Authority; and the US$150 million financing from a leading DFI (and a syndicate of other lenders) for the development of a second feed conditioning unit for a strategic fertilizer plant project. For her work, she has been recognized by the IFLR1000 as a “Rising Star” in Banking and Finance.

Nugwa graduated from NYU with an LLM in Corporations (focusing on Banking, Finance, M&A and Development).  She is interested in the intersection between law, finance and economics and its impact on social development, particularly in emerging countries. At NYU she was a Research Assistant with Prof. Ohlrogge as well as the LLM representative for the Black and Allied Law Students Association.

Gustavo Jacomassi

World Bank

Gustavo J

Gustavo Chimure Jacomassi holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Fundação Getulio Vargas Law School (FGV Law School) in São Paulo, Brazil. He was admitted to the Brazilian Bar in 2017.

At FGV Law School, he earned a Postgraduate Degree in Economic Criminal Law, received a complementary undergraduate degree in International Relations on the Contemporary World, and provided legal advice to refugees and migrants in partnership with the ADUS Refugee Reintegration Institute. He also participated at the prestigious Bucerius Law School’s Academic Exchange Program in Germany. Gustavo was elected keynote speaker for his graduation ceremony.

Before commencing his Master of Laws (LL.M.) at NYU School of Law, Gustavo practiced for five years as an anti-corruption and compliance attorney in leading law firms in Brazil, where he led independent investigations into suspected corporate misconduct within the Car Wash Operation (Operação Lava Jato) and other major anti-corruption probes. He also participated in the negotiations of leniency agreements with government authorities and implemented integrity programs into publicly listed companies. During this period, he engaged in pro bono consulting and taught courses at the Brazilian-based community Legal, Ethics and Compliance.

At NYU, Gustavo pursued an LL.M. in International Legal Studies, focusing on law and development, global governance, and international law. During this time, he was selected as a Transitional Justice Scholar for the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and was awarded a position as a research assistant for the Institute for International Law and Justice’s Megaregulation Project under the supervision of Professor Thomas Streinz. Through the Government Anti-Corruption Externship, he was also hired as an intern for the United Nations’ Office of Internal Oversight Services, Investigations Division, and served as LL.M. Representative for the International Law Society and Secretary-General for the Brazilian Legal Society. Gustavo was selected as a recipient of the Public Interest Prize for LL.M.s and presented his paper on transitional justice in Brazil at the 20th Annual ILHR Emerging Scholarship Conference.

Gustavo looks forward to commencing his fellowship with the World Bank’s Operational Policy Practice Group.

Ananya Khandelwal

World Bank

Ananya

Ananya Khandelwal holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) degree from Tamil Nadu National Law University, India. She is qualified to practice law in India.

Prior to pursuing her LLM at NYU, Ananya practiced at the Supreme Court of India where she handled cases related to environmental laws, civil and criminal procedural laws. She has also represented clients in mediation proceedings involving matrimonial disputes and property disputes before the Supreme Court Mediation Centre. Additionally, she worked with a leading trade law firm, where she assisted in the drafting and filing of appeals on behalf of domestic industries against non-imposition of anti-dumping duties on subject countries. Ananya has also volunteered to work on the Global Health and Human Rights Database, which was being developed by an organisation that focuses on human rights advocacy.

During her LLM year, Ananya undertook courses with a focus on Technology laws and Digital governance. She was also selected as a Human Rights Scholar with the Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice, where she worked on federated digital ID systems for the Digital Welfare State Project. Furthermore, she worked on the BigScience Project for Allen Institute for AI, examining the regulatory frameworks as well as proposals for algorithmic accountability.

Ananya's main interests are at the intersection of technology laws and human rights laws, especially in the areas of data rights, digital governance, and related regulations.

Jeremy Ng

World Bank Technology & Innovation Group

Jeremy Ng

Jeremy earned a BA in Law in 2018 from the University of Cambridge (First Class Honors, De Hume Prize).  Prior to NYU, Jeremy was an associate in Allen & Overy’s (A&O) London Derivatives and Structured Finance practice.  As the first junior lawyer chosen for secondment to Fuse (A&O’s internal tech innovation hub), he worked with senior stakeholders on various LegalTech and RegTech policy issues.  He was also involved in a range of pro bono initiatives, including the drafting of a communication to the UN CEDAW Committee.

At NYU, Jeremy was a Human Rights Scholar (Digital Welfare State project), a Research Assistant at Guarini Global Law & Tech, a Graduate Editor of the NYU Journal of International Law and Politics, and a Salzburg Cutler Fellow.

Ruth Ng

United Nations Development Programme

Ruth Ng

Ruth Ng hails from the island-city of Singapore and obtained her law degree from the University of Oxford. Being awarded the Singapore Public Service Commission Scholarship enabled her to embark on the BA (Jurisprudence) at Oxford and LLM (International Legal Studies) at NYU.

Prior to attending NYU, Ruth worked as a State Counsel in the Civil Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore, providing legal advice to ministries and representing the Government. She has been seconded to the Crime Division, Legal Aid Bureau, and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. At the Attorney-General’s Chambers, she was actively involved in the Futures Thinking Group tracking future trends and the Technology Law Cluster exploring legal issues related to new technologies.

Ruth is interested in governance and community development. The LLM program at NYU has equipped her to better approach the interfaces between law, technology, the international system, finance, and development. Ruth seeks to contribute to a world where young people feel confident about their future, and families and friends everywhere can share good food together.

Kafui Quashigah

International Finance Corporation 

Kafui

Kafui completed his LL.B. degree at the University of Ghana School of Law in 2017, where he graduated as the Best Student in Law. He was called to the Ghana Bar in 2019, and received several awards upon graduating from the Ghana School of Law.

Prior to NYU, Kafui was a Senior Associate in a leading Ghanaian law firm where he gained a wealth of experience working on cross-border transactions, conducting extensive legal due diligence in respect of projects and asset acquisitions, and advising on complex financing and corporate structures. Notably, he advised a global tech company on the construction of a 12-fibre pair submarine cable system connecting South Africa and Portugal to enhance their services offered within the African region. He was also part of a team that advised one of Ghana’s sovereign investment funds on the assignment of debt provided by a Canadian asset manager to a Ghanaian mining company.

As a Dean’s Graduate Award Scholar at NYU, Kafui specialized in International Business Regulation, Litigation and Arbitration and took courses on Sovereign Finance, Law and Business of Corporate Transactions, Securitization, and Cross-Border Insolvency. His interests revolve around the convergence of sovereign wealth funds and financing development, with a particular focus on Africa.

Rashmi Ramanath

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 

Rashmi Ramanath

Rashmi Ramanath obtained a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts (B.A., LL.B (Hons.)) degree from OP Jindal Global University, India in 2018 and is qualified to practice law in India. Rashmi has worked as a corporate lawyer with two leading law firms in India, advising both domestic and international clients on private equity and M&A transactions. She has also advised clients across varied industry sectors on legal and regulatory matters. In addition to her corporate career, Rashmi has a strong passion for social impact and development. She has served as a research fellow with a prominent Indian university on projects at the intersection of law and policy in the area of educational reforms and election laws in India.

At NYU, Rashmi earned her LL.M. in Corporations Law with a focus on the interaction between law, business, and finance. Her areas of interest include development finance and business ethics and compliance. While at NYU, she was also a staff editor for the NYU Review of Law and Social Change.

Akshobhya Reddy

United Nations Development Programme

Akshobhya Reddy

Akshobhya holds a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts double degree (with honors) from The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, India. She is qualified to practice in India. Prior to her LLM, Akshobhya was working as a Law Clerk at the Supreme Court of India under Justice Subhash. She assisted the judge with his cases on Constitutional law, Criminal law, and Civil Procedure. After her clerkship, Akshobhya was working at a boutique law firm where she advised Big Tech companies and tech startups with their privacy and data protection matters like content regulation, privacy policy, and legal enforcement.

During her LLM, Akshobhya had taken courses on data law, regulating digital corporations, and human rights. Akshobhya was also a Research Assistant with the Guarini Global Law and Tech, where she worked on the evolving data law in India and the Facebook Oversight Board. Her main interest lies in the intersection of law and technology. She is particularly interested in data law, digital governance, and human rights. After the fellowship, she will be interning with the UN Envoy on Tech, where she will be assisting them with their work on the Global Digital Compact.

Efren II Resurreccion

World Bank

Efren Resureccion

Efren has over five years of experience as a project finance, corporate transactions, and employment lawyer from the Philippines. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law (“UP Law”) where he was awarded the Irene Cortes prize for best paper in Constitutional Law. He graduated cum laude as a Bachelor of Science in Management, major in Legal Management, minor in Philosophy, from the Ateneo de Manila University.

Efren began his legal career at a leading Philippine law firm and honed his craft by handling transactions for domestic and multinational clients, including one of the largest project finance transactions in Philippine history. He was recognized by the Firm as a top performing Junior Associate before his promotion to Senior Associate. He was a senior lecturer of labor and employment law at UP Law. To further pursue a career in public service, Efren clerked for a Commissioner of the National Labor Relations Commission and assisted in the resolution of appellate-level employment disputes.

At NYU, Efren is specializing in International Legal Studies to build expertise in the field of International Development. He has taken courses on Financing Development, International Human Rights Law, and European Union Law. He is currently working with Professor Margaret L. Satterthwaite, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, on research projects for the Legal Empowerment and Judicial Independence Clinic. Efren is also a Graduate Senior Researcher for Professor Natasha Iskander of the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service in a project that aims to protect workers’ health rights. He keeps up to date with developments in comparative and international law as a Graduate Editor of the NYU Journal of International Law and Politics .He looks forward to utilizing the skills he gained in his practice coupled with his passion for public service and International Development through his Fellowship at the World Bank Legal Operations Policy Group.