Robert Amsterdam

Spear’s Review

A lawyer to presidents and billionaires, Robert Amsterdam has advised on some of the world’s leading disputes and advocacy cases. Well-known clients have included Russian prisoner of conscience Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Ugandan pop star turned opposition leader Bobi Wine.

An expert in high-profile cases involving cross-border issues, dispute resolution and governance, Amsterdam is a dual UK-Canadian-qualified lawyer with four decades of experience. He is a recipient of the global pro bono dispute award from American Lawyer magazine and has secured rulings and settlements on behalf of corporate, mining and other clients in challenging jurisdictions.

‘Our global team includes leading world specialists in litigation and arbitration, crisis and risk management, corporate foreign policy and political advocacy,’ his firm says.

Adviser Profile

Described as ‘the billionaire’s lawyer’, with clients including UHNWs, national governments and presidents, Robert Amsterdam says that his firm’s ‘guiding principle is to leave no stone unturned in the defence of our clients, and we will not be intimidated by either the scope of the mandate nor the power of the opponent’.

His firm has been instrumental in a series of pivotal cases on the world stage, including billionaire Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s ten year legal battle with the Russian state. Amsterdam was also hired by the former prime minister of Thailand to defend the rights of the Red Shirt movement in Bangkok and has been involved in a number of international criminal defence mandates. ‘Our firm not only practices law, but engages with history,’ he says. ‘Our significant pro bono practice is presently supporting three incredibly gifted leaders of the new Africa, including Bobi Wine, Tundu Lissu and Maurice Kamto.’

Expert in high-profile cases involving cross-border issues, dispute resolution and governance, with great achievements in international litigation and criminal defence, Amsterdam is a dual UK-Canadian qualified lawyer with four decades of experience.

Indeed, the former British Ambassador to Russia, Andrew Wood, says that ‘the word that best describes Bob is courage, both moral and actual. He raises questions that are not always welcome, and that is often the proper business of a lawyer.’

‘We have been brought in to some of the most significant trials of the 21st century,’ says Amsterdam of his storied career. ‘From Yukos in Russia to our recent work in India and the UAE, we often go where others fear to tread.’

‘Our unique practice methodology often finds us working in tandem with some of the world’s greatest law firms.’