Amal’s law firm

There are some local journalists including a self-proclaimed CIA agent who don’t have a clue about the origin of the GMA-Amal Clooney client-lawyer relationship and pretend they do, probably because they want to be in the public limelight due to Amal’s celebrity status being married to the actor George Clooney.

Some even spread ridiculous stories saying I was paying Amal’s fees. All these are publicity seekers. Amal Clooney makes more money than I do or will ever do. She handles both pro bono as well as high profile cases of wealthy clients. It really depends on the nature of the case and whether the case falls within the ambit of her expertise.

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Then there is the reputation of the legal firm in London for which she works. Information on it is not a mystery. It is available with a click of a button from the Internet.

I am printing some information on the legal firm for those who do not use computers or those who are too lazy to bother to find out about the firm.  Amal Alamuddin Clooney works for the Doughty Chambers Law firm. Its offices are in Doughty Street in London but they have opened a branch in the Hague since most of the cases brought before them are concerned with human rights and international law.

“Members of the firm are at the forefront of international litigation ranging from the European Court of Human Rights and the Privy Council to cases before the International Court of Justice, the courts of the European Union and international arbitrations.

Barristers are admitted to practice in other national jurisdictions, and regularly appear in the courts of Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore and many Caribbean states as well as other countries. Chambers also has a well-known and active international criminal law team.”

The firm’s barristers advise individuals, NGOs, Governments and international organizations on matters of international law.

 In British legal practice, there is a division of work between lawyers who do the research and paper work who are known as solicitors while there are others who appear in court and argue their cases. Amal is a barrister according to her profile. Again. I must repeat this information is found in the Internet.

“The Doughty Chambers has developed particular expertise in international human rights, jurisdiction, diplomatic and consular law as well as immunities, international sanctions regimes and corporate social responsibility issues. Doughty Street’s media-law advice also often includes an international dimension. Where required, Chambers draws on an extensive network of local lawyers in others jurisdictions to ensure comprehensive advice and representation for clients dealing with issues in multiple forums.”

Amal and another member of the firm Katherine O’Bryne worked with lawyers Modesto Ticman Jr and Larry Gadon, a law firm in Manila.

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Among the cases the Doughty Chambers has taken up are major cases on national security and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (e.g. A and others v SSHD, Al Skeini, Al Jedda, Binyam Mohamed v FCO, Al Rawi v Security Services, Serdar Mohammed v SSD), in leading cases such as the “Mau Mau litigation” (Mutua and others v FCO) on historical abuses in Kenya or Jones v Saudi Arabia on state responsibility and torture, in cases regarding compulsory purchase (e.g. HMB Holdings v Antigua) and in large private international law group litigation claims against multinational companies (e.g. Motto v Trafigura and Guerrero v Montericco).

Moreover members of the law firm “conduct advocacy and human rights training for judges, prosecutors and defence counsel as well as government officials, NGOs, police and military personnel around the globe.

Doughty Street barristers “have trained the British and US military, NATO, the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, judges and lawyers in countries such as Afghanistan, Bahrain, Libya, Oman, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda.”

They teach international law and some have published leading practitioner guides in this area. They appear on television and other media as experts on issues relating to international law.

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I think these facts about the work of barristers from the Doughty Chambers, of which Amal is just one of them,  speaks for itself.

Let me state clearly I am just a friend of Amal’s family from way back — her mother was one of my closest friends during our days in exile in London. She gave me the comfort of her friendship and wisdom in those unhappy days.

That is why my daughter Veronica and I were invited to the Clooney reception at Danesfield Hotel on Marlow-on-Thames in England. Amal and her mother, Baria stay at my house when she visits Manila and I stay with her when I am in London. But we do not discuss legal matters.

I have nothing to do with GMA’s case before the UN Council on Human Rights which is strictly a matter between Amal and GMA’s lawyers in Manila. All questions should be addressed to them and not to me.

Of course, Amal has made a reputation for herself because she takes up very difficult cases and does her work meticulously.

The information on her work and her career is also available in  the Internet. Here it is:

“Amal Alamuddin now Clooney is a barrister specialising in international law, human rights, extradition and criminal law. She has represented clients in cases before the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as in domestic courts in the UK and US.

?She provides advice to governments and individuals on international law, and has been appointed to a number of UN commissions including as adviser to Special Envoy Kofi Annan on Syria, and as Counsel to the Inquiry launched by UN human rights rapporteur Ben Emmerson QC into the use of drones in counter-terrorism operations.

She is fluent in French and Arabic and has particular expertise in international criminal law and the Middle East region. But she also handled cases in our region.” 

Among them is Cambodia vs. Thailand. She handled the case of a “request for interpretation of the Judgment of 15 June 1962 in the case concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear. Representing Cambodia in inter-state territorial claim (International Court of Justice, The Hague).”

Two cases catapulted her to international status when she represented Yulia Tymoshenko, former Ukrainian Prime Minister, in human rights claim and (European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg) and the Sweden v Assange. She represented Julian Assange, head of Wikileaks against the Swedish government’s move to extradite him from London.

Her list of accomplishments are too long to contain in this column but this account should give readers an idea of her skills as an international lawyer.