Debevoise & Plimpton LLP partner Catherine Amirfar and co-chair of the firm’s International Dispute Resolution Group and Public International Law Group has been appointed Deputy Co-Chair of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom. She will serve in this role alongside Deputy Co-Chair Can Yeginsu. They succeed Amal Clooney, who now becomes Special Advisor to the Chair of the Panel. The Panel will commence its second term in January 2022. For more information, please see the press release.

The High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom is an independent body that was established in July 2019 at the request of the United Kingdom and Canadian governments to provide advice to countries that are members of the Media Freedom Coalition of States. The High Level Panel comprises a diverse group of 15 leading lawyers from around the world and has been asked to provide advice and recommendations to governments to prevent and reverse abuses of media freedom. 

With over twenty years of experience, Ms. Amirfar is consistently recognized at the very top of her field by the major legal directories, ranking in Public International Law (Global) (Band 1) and International Arbitration (USA) (Band 2) by Chambers Global. The 2021 edition of Chambers describes her as “one of the top lawyers in the world.” She currently serves as President of the American Society of International Law, one of the most prestigious organizations within the field of international law. Ms. Amirfar also serves as a member of the U.S. Department of State’s Advisory Committee on International Law, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Advisory Committees of the American Law Institute for the Restatement (Fourth) of Foreign Relations Law of the U.S. and for the Restatement of the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration.