Founder & Principal
Suzanne is recognised globally for her expertise in international law, international arbitration and business and human rights. Prior to founding Paxus, she spent twenty years practicing in these areas with leading global law firms in London and New York. Most recently, she was a Partner in the Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations Group at Allen & Overy, where she co-headed the Global Business & Human Rights Practice and co-founded the ESG Group.
Suzanne advises and represents governments, international organisations and private clients on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious issues arising under public international law. She regularly acts as counsel before international commercial and Investor-State arbitration tribunals (including under the ICC, UNCITRAL, ICSID, PCA and other rules) and she has experience in transnational tort litigation, State-to-State arbitration and proceedings before the International Court of Justice.
Suzanne also advises clients on dispute prevention, risk management, due diligence, compliance and governance with respect to business and human rights. She is often instructed to advise on highly sensitive issues, such as relationships with host governments, security forces, communities and civil society.
In addition to being a lawyer, with a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, Suzanne is a political and social scientist by background, with a master’s from Colombia’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a bachelor’s in International Relations from Tufts University. She was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Spain and has held positions with the United Nations (in New York and Colombia), the Council on Foreign Relations and the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights.
Originally from California, Suzanne is admitted in New York and practiced as a foreign registered lawyer in London for many years. She is also Associate Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame Law School.
Columbia University School of Law
2002
Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs
1998
Inter-American Institute of Human Rights
1997
Spain
1995-1996
Tufts University
1994
Band 3
Band 3
Band 2
Band 2
Leading Individual
Leading Individual
Global Leader Recommended
International Investments Agreements Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year in England
Elgar, S. Spears & A. Denny, eds
forthcoming
in Investment Arbitration and Climate Change Kluwer, A. Magnusson & A. Ipp eds
forthcoming
The Business and Human Rights Review
Allen & Overy
2022
in Corporate Social Responsibility - Sustainable Business: Environmental, Social and Governance Frameworks for the 21st Century IBA, R. Lindsay & R. Martella eds
2020
in European Yearbook of International Economic Law (EYIEL) with Maria Fogdestam-Agius
2019
in Corporate Disputes
with Stephanie Hawes
July – September 2019
in Retos y desafíos de las empresas y derechos humanos (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana & Grupo Editorial Ibáñez)
2019
in Ethical Corporation
10 May 2019
Petroleum Review
2016
Energy, Oil & Gas
2016
1 Indian Journal of Arbitration L.1 with Gary Born
2012
North American Free Trade & Investment Report
2012
in Evolution in Investment Treaty Law and Arbitration C. Brown & K. Miles eds.
2011
13 Journal of International Economic Law 1037
2010
11 Yale Human Rights & Development Law Journal 178 with Lisa Laplante
2008
