Robert R. Amsterdam
Lawyer; Founding Partner, Amsterdam & Peroff.
Last Contribution:
Russia's Interests in the Arctic: A Q&A
Contributor Biography
Mr. Amsterdam is the founding partner of the Toronto- and London-based international law firm Amsterdam & Peroff. In 29 years of practice, he has represented a diverse range of corporations and individuals in markets such as Russia, Hungary, Poland, Venezuela, Bolivia, Guatemala, Nigeria, the United States, and Canada.
He has a distinguished track record of serving clients in shareholder disputes, corporate restructuring, fraud and asset recovery, regulatory and tax issues, complex commercial arbitration, and multi-jurisdictional litigation. He is also frequently sought out as a political risk advisor and strategic counsel for companies seeking to open new markets.
Past clients have included the Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and several other major mining, energy, and agri-business firms. In 2003, he was retained by the former head of the Yukos oil company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, serving a central role in one of Russia’s highest profile cases. In 2008, he was hired to defend Eligio Cedeño, a businessman and political prisoner in Venezuela. The firm has also represented several foreign governments.
Amsterdam & Peroff offers a unique practice niche in handling politically complex cases, implementing comprehensive strategies using advocacy to bring additional forces to bear upon the client’s case beyond the courtroom. The firm has pioneered the concept of “corporate foreign policy,” which seeks to strategically manage relations between businesses and state authorities.
His writing has been published in the Fordham International Law Journal, The International Herald Tribune, Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal, his own blog, among others. He has delivered keynote speeches for groups such as Chatham House, University College of London, Cato Institute, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and several energy, mining, and international investment conferences. He has made regular television appearances on networks such as CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, BBC, and Fox News.
He is a member of the Canadian and International Bar Associations. He earned his BA from Carleton University in Ottawa, and studied law at Queen’s University in Ontario (LL.B). He is also licensed to practice in the United Kingdom. He is listed as a Top 100 lawyer in the UK Legal 500 and Chambers, and has been named to The Lawyer’s Hot 100 and Lawyer of the Week by The Times.
