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Peter is counsel in King & Spalding’s London office, specializing in public international law, ESG and business and human rights.  He has represented states and businesses in some of the leading cases in his field, in the UK and internationally.  In addition to his disputes practice, Peter also advises multinationals on human rights issues in their operations and supply chains, with a particular focus on the energy, tech, mining and automotive sectors.

Peter is recognised as a rising star in the fields of public international law and as a global market leader in business and human rights. 

His disputes practice ranges across jurisdictions and disciplines.  He has represented States in proceedings at the ICJ, ITLOS, and the European Court of Human Rights (including in the leading international cases on climate change). He has represented businesses and individuals in war crimes prosecutions, tort claims involving extra-territorial environmental harm, cases relating to sovereign immunity and in EU sanctions proceedings.  Both in private practice and as a legal adviser to the UK Foreign Office, Peter has considerable experience advising on cross-cutting issues of extra-territorial jurisdiction and conflict of laws. 

Drawing on experience gained in his disputes practice, Peter also provides strategic advice to businesses on how to identify and address human rights issues in their value chains and operations.  He has designed human rights and environmental due diligence programs for some of the largest companies in the world. He has counselled business clients in the automotive, construction and energy sectors on issues relating to human trafficking, child and forced labor. He has advised clients in the AI and telecommunications sectors on issues relating to State interception, network shutdowns and misuse of services by end users and, he has counselled clients in the financial sector on links to environmental impacts caused by clients.  

Across sectors, Peter has designed and delivered outcome focused training on human rights issues, supported clients to implement effective, proportionate human rights due diligence and advised them on how to comply with the relevant regulatory requirements.

Peter has published widely and spoken at events in the UK, USA, at the UN, across Europe, as well as in Uganda and South Africa.

Peter is recognised by Chambers & Partners in Business and Human Rights Law – Global Market Leaders (Band 3).  The citation notes, “Peter has excellent expertise at the intersection of international law and business and human rights, which makes him a go-to lawyer in this field."." 

Selected Articles

August 2023 "Identifying and Addressing Child Labor in International Supply ChainsPractical Law

October 2022 "EU Joins US in Banning Forced Labour Products: Supply Chain Human Rights Due DiligencePractical Law

September 2022 "Using Contractual Clauses to Manage Supply Chain Human Rights Issues", Practical Law

June 2020 “Business Views on Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence Regulation: A Comparative Analysis of Two Recent Studies” Smit, L., Bright, C., Pietropaoli, I. Jughes-Jennett, J. Hood, P. Business and Human Rights Journal, 1-9 doi:10.1017/bhj.2020.10, Cambridge

March 2020 “Kalma v African Minerals: English Court of Appeal Judgment Cuts Against the Grain of Common Law Cases on the Responsibility of Businesses for Overseas Human Rights Impacts” Blog of the European Journal of International Law

“Business and Human Rights; Reflections from Practice” in Derechos Humanos y Empresa: Balance Y Situacion Actual Sobre el Cumplimento de los Tres Pilares Ovejero Puente, A. M. (ed.), Valencia (2020)

February 2020 “A UK failure to prevent mechanism for corporate human rights harms” British Institute of International and Comparative Law

July 2019 Commentary on scope, prevention and legal liability provisions of the revised draft of the proposed binding treaty on business and human rights, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre

May 2019 The Implication of the UK Supreme Court’s Decision in Vedanta for the Management of Human Rights Risk in Overseas Operations and Supply Chains, Oxford Business Law Blog

Dec 2017 - "Jurisdiction and parent company liability: A Catch 22 for English domiciled companies", Practical Law, Thomson Reuters, Vol. XXVIII, Number 11

Full Bio

Credentials

Master of Laws (Public International Law), University of London, Distinction

Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, BPP University, Commendation

Law Society Common Professional Examination, Northumbria University, Commendation

Bachelor of Arts (Modern History), The University of Oxford , First Class

England and Wales

Ireland

French

Spanish

Ranked for Business & Human Rights Law – Global Market Leaders


Chambers Global, 2023

"Peter has excellent expertise at the intersection of international law and business and human rights"


Chambers Global, 2023

Associate to Watch in Business and Human Rights Law


Chambers Global 2021, 2022

Rising Star in Public International Law


Legal 500, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Up and Coming Practitioner in Business and Human Rights Law


Chambers and Partners Global Rankings, 2020

Brigid Cotter Prize for Master of Laws


University of London, December 2017

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Recognition

Ranked for Business & Human Rights Law – Global Market Leaders


Chambers Global, 2023

"Peter has excellent expertise at the intersection of international law and business and human rights"


Chambers Global, 2023

Associate to Watch in Business and Human Rights Law


Chambers Global 2021, 2022

Rising Star in Public International Law


Legal 500, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Up and Coming Practitioner in Business and Human Rights Law


Chambers and Partners Global Rankings, 2020

Brigid Cotter Prize for Master of Laws


University of London, December 2017

Matters

Advising private clients in two applications to the European Court of Human Rights challenging the extension of sovereign immunity in cases of terrorist financing

Advising a private client in proceedings to annul EU sanctions

Advising a major international energy company on the design and implementation of a human rights due diligence program and on the identification of its salient human rights issues

See more

Close

Matters

Advising private clients in two applications to the European Court of Human Rights challenging the extension of sovereign immunity in cases of terrorist financing

Advising a private client in proceedings to annul EU sanctions

Advising a major international energy company on the design and implementation of a human rights due diligence program and on the identification of its salient human rights issues

Advising a major automotive company on the governance of human rights issues in its supply chain, with a particular focus on critical minerals

Advising a State in relation to proceedings at the International Court of Justice and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on the international legal obligations of States in relation to climate change

Government of Ukraine in an inter-State case in the European Court of Human Rights relating to the annexation of Crimea (Ukraine v Russia (re Crimea) [20958/14 and 38334/18])

Government of Ukraine in an inter-State case against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights relating to human rights violations carried out by State forces and proxies in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine since the outbreak of armed conflict in the region in April 2014 (Ukraine and Netherlands v Russia [8091/16])

Kadri Veseli, formerly Chairman of the Kosovo Assembly and Head of Intelligence of the Kosovo Liberation Army, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity brought against him at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers

Syrian refugees, victims of terrorist attacks by the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al Nusra Front in Syria in a London High Court claim against two multinational Qatari banks, members of the Government of Qatar and two prominent Qatari businessmen accused of participating in a conspiracy to finance terrorist activity, in contravention of Syrian and international law

Marina Litvinenko (aka Carter), the widow of Alexander Litvinenko, former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service, was poisoned by an FSB agent using the radioactive isotope Polonium in London in 2006, in a case brought against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights

Acted as Agent for the UK Government at the ECHR in Duarte Agostinho and Ors, v. Portugal and Ors., the leading international case on climate change and human rights

Acted for the defence in the prosecution, brought in a European State pursuant to universal jurisdiction, of two corporate executives for their alleged complicity in war crimes

Acted for Redress in the UK Supreme Court in R v. TRA, regarding torture by non-State actors and the scope of the UK’s extra-territorial jurisdiction under the Convention Against Torture

Acted for the Government of Ukraine in an inter-State application at the European Court of Human Rights regarding the annexation of Crimea

Acted in the UK High Court in claims regarding the clean-up of oil spills in the Niger Delta

Advised on an internal investigation regarding allegations of forced displacement in the extractive sector

Led a human rights impact assessment for a multinational telecommunications company

Designed and delivered training on Modern Slavery to a multinational construction and engineering company

Advised clients in the financial and extractive sectors on complaints to the relevant National Contact Points regarding human rights impacts in their value chains

Drafted Modern Slavery Statements for clients across sectors, including in the construction and engineering, technology and garment sectors

Matters

Advising private clients in two applications to the European Court of Human Rights challenging the extension of sovereign immunity in cases of terrorist financing

Advising a private client in proceedings to annul EU sanctions

Advising a major international energy company on the design and implementation of a human rights due diligence program and on the identification of its salient human rights issues

See more

Close

Matters

Advising private clients in two applications to the European Court of Human Rights challenging the extension of sovereign immunity in cases of terrorist financing

Advising a private client in proceedings to annul EU sanctions

Advising a major international energy company on the design and implementation of a human rights due diligence program and on the identification of its salient human rights issues

Advising a major automotive company on the governance of human rights issues in its supply chain, with a particular focus on critical minerals

Advising a State in relation to proceedings at the International Court of Justice and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on the international legal obligations of States in relation to climate change

Government of Ukraine in an inter-State case in the European Court of Human Rights relating to the annexation of Crimea (Ukraine v Russia (re Crimea) [20958/14 and 38334/18])

Government of Ukraine in an inter-State case against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights relating to human rights violations carried out by State forces and proxies in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine since the outbreak of armed conflict in the region in April 2014 (Ukraine and Netherlands v Russia [8091/16])

Kadri Veseli, formerly Chairman of the Kosovo Assembly and Head of Intelligence of the Kosovo Liberation Army, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity brought against him at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers

Syrian refugees, victims of terrorist attacks by the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al Nusra Front in Syria in a London High Court claim against two multinational Qatari banks, members of the Government of Qatar and two prominent Qatari businessmen accused of participating in a conspiracy to finance terrorist activity, in contravention of Syrian and international law

Marina Litvinenko (aka Carter), the widow of Alexander Litvinenko, former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service, was poisoned by an FSB agent using the radioactive isotope Polonium in London in 2006, in a case brought against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights

Acted as Agent for the UK Government at the ECHR in Duarte Agostinho and Ors, v. Portugal and Ors., the leading international case on climate change and human rights

Acted for the defence in the prosecution, brought in a European State pursuant to universal jurisdiction, of two corporate executives for their alleged complicity in war crimes

Acted for Redress in the UK Supreme Court in R v. TRA, regarding torture by non-State actors and the scope of the UK’s extra-territorial jurisdiction under the Convention Against Torture

Acted for the Government of Ukraine in an inter-State application at the European Court of Human Rights regarding the annexation of Crimea

Acted in the UK High Court in claims regarding the clean-up of oil spills in the Niger Delta

Advised on an internal investigation regarding allegations of forced displacement in the extractive sector

Led a human rights impact assessment for a multinational telecommunications company

Designed and delivered training on Modern Slavery to a multinational construction and engineering company

Advised clients in the financial and extractive sectors on complaints to the relevant National Contact Points regarding human rights impacts in their value chains

Drafted Modern Slavery Statements for clients across sectors, including in the construction and engineering, technology and garment sectors

Credentials

Master of Laws (Public International Law), University of London, Distinction

Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, BPP University, Commendation

Law Society Common Professional Examination, Northumbria University, Commendation

Bachelor of Arts (Modern History), The University of Oxford , First Class

England and Wales

Ireland

French

Spanish

Ranked for Business & Human Rights Law – Global Market Leaders


Chambers Global, 2023

"Peter has excellent expertise at the intersection of international law and business and human rights"


Chambers Global, 2023

Associate to Watch in Business and Human Rights Law


Chambers Global 2021, 2022

Rising Star in Public International Law


Legal 500, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Up and Coming Practitioner in Business and Human Rights Law


Chambers and Partners Global Rankings, 2020

Brigid Cotter Prize for Master of Laws


University of London, December 2017

Close

Recognition

Ranked for Business & Human Rights Law – Global Market Leaders


Chambers Global, 2023

"Peter has excellent expertise at the intersection of international law and business and human rights"


Chambers Global, 2023

Associate to Watch in Business and Human Rights Law


Chambers Global 2021, 2022

Rising Star in Public International Law


Legal 500, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Up and Coming Practitioner in Business and Human Rights Law


Chambers and Partners Global Rankings, 2020

Brigid Cotter Prize for Master of Laws


University of London, December 2017