Expertise and Experience

International Human Rights Law & Transnational Repression

Lauren has built a substantial practice in strategic human rights litigation, with a particular focus on transnational repression. She regularly advises and represents clients before UN Special Procedures, the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files, the European Court of Human Rights, and other regional courts, and has extensive experience representing clients in high-level diplomatic engagement, including at the UN in Geneva.

Selected matters include:

• Co-counsel for a former Head of State before the UN Special Procedures and the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files.

• Co-counsel for a family in proceedings before UN Special Procedures for torture, extraordinary rendition, arbitrary detention, and due process.

• Marsha Lazareva v Kuwait — counsel to Marsha Lazareva in her human rights complaints against Kuwait, including a successful request for deletion of her Red Notice, submissions to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, UN Special Rapporteurs, UN Reprisals mechanisms, and engagement through the Universal Periodic Review (led by Cherie Blair CBE KC). 

• Seretse Khama Ian Khama v Botswana — counsel for the former President of Botswana before UN Special Procedures and other international fora (led by Cherie Blair CBE KC).

• Bridgette Motsepe v Botswana — counsel for Pan-African Parliament Goodwill Ambassador Bridgette Motsepe in international human rights proceedings arising from the 'Butterfly' case (led by Cherie Blair CBE KC). See reporting here and here. 

• Conducted an independent investigation into allegations of human rights violations against local communities and autochthonous populations in connection with the Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of the Congo, including multiple field deployments (led by Cherie Blair CBE KC). 

• Co-counsel for an individual in a challenge to an INTERPOL Red Notice requested by Russia. 

• Advising an individual on criminal proceedings in South Africa, INTERPOL, and extradition.

• Advising individuals on criminal proceedings in Kuwait, INTERPOL, and extradition.

• Representing the Association of Defence Counsel before International Criminal Courts and Tribunals at the Guantánamo Military Commissions, attending pre-trial hearings in the 9/11 case and authoring a published report evaluating the proceedings against international fair trial standards and the prohibition of torture (available here). 

Public International Law

Lauren has appeared as counsel before the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and has advised sovereign States in some of the most significant multilateral proceedings of recent years.  

Selected matters include:

• Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change (Advisory Opinion, International Court of Justice) - Counsel to Albania (led by Cherie Blair CBE KC and Daniel Bethlehem KCMG KC).

• Request for an Advisory Opinion submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Case No. 31) - Counsel to Rwanda (led by Cherie Blair CBE KC).

• Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar) - Advising a State on the merits and process for intervention (details confidential).

• Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation) Advising a State on the merits and process for intervention (details confidential).

• Advising a State in a maritime delimitation dispute (details confidential).

• Advising a State on extradition and mutual legal assistance frameworks and providing bespoke capacity building programme (details confidential).

International Criminal Law

Lauren’s international criminal law practice spans proceedings before the International Criminal Court, complex criminal investigations, and advising States on international criminal law obligations and transitional justice.

Selected matters include:

• Counsel to a civil society organisation on the preparation of an Article 15 Communication to the ICC for crimes allegedly committed in a South American State (details confidential).

• Counsel to a State in the conduct and strategy of a large-scale international criminal investigation (details confidential).

• Advising a post-conflict State on their cooperation obligations with the International Criminal Court (details confidential).

• Advising a State on the establishment of a transitional justice mechanism (details confidential).

• Advising representatives of a persecuted minority in southern Asia on legal strategy and international advocacy for accountability for historic human rights violations.

• Prosecutor v. Gbagbo & Blé Goudé — Legal Consultant in the defence of Charles Blé Goudé before the International Criminal Court, The Hague.

Investor-State Arbitration 

Lauren has experience as counsel in investor-State arbitration and international commercial dispute resolution, representing both States and private parties. Her practice encompasses the full lifecycle of proceedings, from jurisdictional strategy and merits submissions through to enforcement and annulment.

Selected matters include:

• Marsha Lazareva v Kuwait – challenge against an arbitral award before the French Court of Appeal (led by Cherie Blair CBE KC). See reporting Global Arbitration Review here, here and here.

• Valeria Italia Srl v Albania, PCA Case 2018-49 - part of the team representing the Government of Albania in UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings (led by Cherie Blair CBE KC).

• Counsel to Saudi investors before the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation relating to an industrial plant (led by Cherie Blair CBE KC).

Immigration & Asylum Law

Lauren is developing a practice in immigration and asylum law, with a particular focus on asylum, humanitarian protection, and refugee status determination. Her extensive experience acting for victims of torture, arbitrary detention, persecution, and transnational repression makes her exceptionally well placed to advise and represent individuals in complex claims.

Extradition 

Lauren is developing a practice in extradition and regularly appears in Westminster Magistrates’ Court. 

Selected Publications and Speaking Engagements

• A Preliminary Review of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (published by the Bar Human Rights Committee and commissioned by the Ombudsperson Institution of Kosovo, authored jointly with Dr Gus Waschefort), available here.

• Panellist, “The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change”, organised by Linklaters Netherlands, Amsterdam).

• Speaker, “Support Iranian People’s Struggle for Rights and Justice”, Conference at the UK House of Lords.

• Fair Trial Monitoring Report, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed et al Pre-Trial Hearings at the Military Commissions in Guantánamo Bay, available here.

• Panellist, “Iran – Justice for Victims of Crimes Against Humanity”, alongside Prof. Javaid Rehman (UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran), Baroness Helena Kennedy KC (Director, International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute), Mr Geoffrey Robertson KC (Co-Head, Doughty Street Chambers), Lord Alton of Liverpool MP (Member, Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights) and Laila Jazayeri (Director, Association of Anglo-Iranian Women in the UK).

• Oxford University Press, Reports on International Law, Ruto and Sang case, Prosecutor v William Samoei Ruto and ors, Decision on the issuance of the decision pursuant to Article 61(7) of the Rome Statute, available here.

• Oxford University Press, Reports on International Law, Situation in the Republic of Kenya, Prosecutor v Ruto (William Samoei) and Sang (Joshua Arap), Decision on the defence requests to excuse Mr Ruto and Mr Sang from trial pursuant to Rule 134ter, available here.

• Oxford University Press, Reports on International Law, Situation in Uganda, Prosecutor v Ongwen (Dominic), Decision on Defence request for production of correspondence addressed to Mr Ongwen, available here.

• Oxford University Press, Reports on International Law, Situation in Uganda, Prosecutor (on the application of Victims) v Ongwen (Dominic), Decision on request for disclosure and related orders concerning Mr Ongwen’s family, available here. 

• Oxford University Press, Reports on International Law, Prosecutor v Ruto (William Samoei) and Sang (Joshua Arap), Decision of provisional direction on the Prosecution’s request for guidance on disclosure relating to P-0534, available here.

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Background

Before transferring to the Bar of England & Wales, Lauren worked as a Senior Associate at Omnia Strategy LLP, the law firm founded and led by Cherie Blair CBE KC. She started her career in The Hague, working at the International Centre for Transitional Justice (2015-2016) and the International Criminal Court (2016–2018).