V V G B Advocaten-Avocats

International and EU trade law

Associate

Dr. Akhil Raina has been involved in international economic law (IEL) practice, research, and academia since 2013. He is a qualified lawyer in India. As an Associate at VVGB Advocaten, Akhil represents sovereign governments in WTO and FTA disputes. He has experience with litigating all three types of trade remedies (anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and safeguards) at the state-to-state level. Akhil also represents governments and multinational companies in trade remedy investigations in Europe and Asia. He has experience in sectors such as industrial, consumer, and high-tech products. Akhil also assists VVGB Advocaten in representing clients before EU courts. Additionally, Akhil advises domestic authorities on a wide range of legal and policy issues relating to their investigations. He also provides advise to governments on regulation and trade policy, arbitration, and public international law.

Currently, Akhil is co-counsel for China in China – AD/CVD on Wine (Australia). Previously, Akhil was co-counsel for the European Union (EU) in the bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) dispute, SACU – Safeguard Measure on Bone-in Chicken Cuts. Akhil’s experience in representing clients in EU trade remedy investigations cover cases such as: E-Bikes, Silicon metal, Optical fibre cables (OFC), Corrosion resistant steels (CRS), Ceramic tiles, Stainless Steel Cold Rolled (SSCR), Steel safeguard, and Fatty Acid. Other jurisdictions in which Akhil has worked on trade remedies include India (Fatty Alcohol, Saccharin, Fiberboards), Philippines (High Density Polyethylene safeguard), and the United States of America (Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells).

Akhil continues to be involved in academia, having previously taught trade law and the graduate and postgraduate levels in India and Belgium. Akhil’s work has been published in the Cambridge International Law Journal, the Journal of World Trade, the Global Trade and Customs Journal, and the Indian Journal of International Economic Law. He regularly coaches/mentors university students for the ELSA / John H. Jackson moot court competition, and has been a mentor with the legal NGO, TradeLab.

Previously, Akhil worked with law firms and government institutions in New Delhi; and with the WTO and a legal organization in Geneva. He also previously advised two government ministries on economic law matters. Akhil holds bachelor's degrees in science and law from National Law University, Jodhpur (India), and a master's degree in international economic law and policy (IELPO LL.M.) from Universidad de Barcelona (Spain). He received his LL.M. degree as an ELSA Scholar. In 2022, he received his PhD in international law from KU Leuven (Belgium), as a Marie Curie Fellow. His dissertation, on compliance with WTO rulings, was unanimously passed by the doctoral jury, without changes (best possible outcome).

English, Hindi, Kashmiri and Dutch (basic)

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PhD in International Law, KU Leuven, Belgium  (2022) LL.M. in International Economic Law and Policy, University of Barcelona (IELPO), Spain  (2017) LL.B & B.Sc., National University Jodhpur, India  (2016)