Rebecca Gerome

Associate - Washington, D.C.

Rebecca Gerome
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Rebecca Gerome represents sovereign States before the International Court of Justice and arbitral tribunals. Her work includes representing, among others, The Gambia in its dispute against Myanmar concerning the genocide against the Rohingya, and Ecuador in its dispute against Chevron regarding a $9.5 billion judgment issued by an Ecuadorian court for pollution and human health damages in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Recently, she was a member of the Foley Hoag team that successfully defended Mauritius against UK investors who sought to build a luxury development in Le Morne, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site to commemorate resistance against slavery.

 

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Education:

  • New York University, J.D., 2015
  • Sciences Po - Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, M.A. in International Affairs, 2010
  • Columbia University, B.A., 2009

Languages:

English, French, Spanish

Representative Experience

International Litigation and Arbitration

  • Counsel to the Gambia in lawsuit before the International Court of Justice seeking to hold Myanmar accountable under international law for genocide against the Rohingya, securing unanimous provisional measures order against Myanmar.
  • Counsel to Ecuador in the damages phase of an UNCITRAL Rules arbitration regarding a $9.5 billion judgment issued by an Ecuadorian court against Chevron for pollution and human health damages in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
  • Counsel to Mauritius in an ICSID arbitration brought by UK investors concerning the designation of the Le Morne area as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, securing an award in favor of Mauritius.
  • Counsel to Mauritius in an ad hoc arbitration pursuant to UNCITRAL rules brought by two Indian companies relating to the termination of a land development agreement.
  • Counsel to Uganda before the International Court of Justice in the reparations phase of a case brought by the Democratic Republic of the Congo relating to armed activities on its territory.
  • Counsel to the State of Qatar in a proceeding before the International Court of Justice arising from breaches of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by the UAE.
  • Counsel to the State of Qatar in arbitration proceedings initiated against Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE under the auspices of the Universal Postal Union.
  • Counsel to Venezuela in an ICSID arbitration under the Spain – Venezuela bilateral investment treaty arising from alleged investments in the agriculture industry in Venezuela.
  • Counsel to Venezuela in an annulment proceeding at ICSID under bilateral investment treaties with Luxembourg and Portugal in connection with an alleged expropriation of investments in the steel industry.
  • Advising an African country on public international law and maritime and land boundaries. 
  • Advising a Middle Eastern country on maritime boundaries.

Litigation Before United States Courts

  • Defended Orange in a federal jury trial in San Francisco. A unanimous jury cleared the company of a $60 million trade secret misappropriation claim as well as hacking claims brought by a defunct startup.
  • Represented several foreign sovereigns in tort and contracts litigation and enforcement of arbitral awards in federal district court in the District of Columbia. 

Pro Bono

  • Representing asylum seekers in immigration court.
  • Volunteered with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative representing detained immigrants in rural Georgia.

Professional Experience

  • IANSA Women’s Network (international NGO): successfully lobbied diplomats at Arms Trade Treaty negotiations at the UN to include provisions on gender-based violence in the treaty, 2010-2012.
  • U.S. State Department, Office of War Crimes Issues, 2009.
  • "Preventing Gender-based Violence Through Arms Control: Tools and Guidelines to Implement the Arms Trade Treaty and UN Programme of Action," a publication of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (April 2016)
  • “Limit Arms Exports to Prevent Violence Against Women,” NATO Review (June 2011)

Foley Hoag Alerts & Updates

Honors

  • Ford Foundation Public Interest Fellow (2014)
  • First Place, “Women on Transatlantic Security” Writing Competition (2011)

Involvement

  • Chair of the ASIL Nonproliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament Interest Group 
  • Co-coach, NYU Law International Criminal Court Moot Competition team (2014-2015)
  • Lecturer and facilitator on disarmament, the international arms trade, and international law, conference for women’s rights activists from Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Libya, in Erbil, Iraq (September 2016)
  • Panelist, “Tools and Guidelines to Implement the Arms Trade Treaty and UN Program of Action,” side event at the UN Biennial Meeting of States on small arms, United Nations, New York (June 2016)
  • Panelist, “Breaking Barriers to Achieve Security, Justice and Peace: The Successful Campaign to Include Gender-Based Violence in the Arms Trade Treaty,” Women PeaceMakers Conference, Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, San Diego (September 2012)
  • Panelist, “The Impact of UK Arms Trade and Policies on Women’s Rights,” side event at the UN Human Rights Council, UK Universal Periodic Review, United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland (May 2012)
  • Speaker, “Direct and Indirect Impacts of Gun Violence on Women,” Women’s Perspectives on Individual Disarmament, Istanbul, Turkey (December 2011)
  • Lecturer and facilitator on arms control, disarmament, and international law, Bamako, Mali (June 2011)
  • Panelist, “Making the Invisible Visible: The Impact of Small Arms on Women and Girls in Colombia,” side events at UN Biennial Meeting of States on Small Arms, New York (June 2010) and the UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York (March 2010)
  • Panelist, “Disarming Domestic Violence”, Encuentro Latinoamericano por el Desarme, Medellin, Foro sobre el Desarme, Bogota, Colombia (September 2009) and 18th International Conference on Safe Communities, Cali, Colombia (August 2009)
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Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • New York