Governance, Risk and Compliance

Governance, Risk and Compliance Services

Led by legal experts. Trusted internationally.

At GBPG, we bring a deep understanding of international legal frameworks, including treaties and global governance instruments that shape national and cross-border obligations. We advise governments on aligning domestic legal and regulatory systems with these frameworks, ensuring coherence between international commitments and internal laws. We have direct experience in 40 countries and across Europe, Latin America, MENA, Asia and the Pacific.

Our work spans the full institutional landscape—engaging public bodies, regulators, private sector actors, and other stakeholders—to ensure that global governance directives are translated into practical, operational outcomes. We focus on how these frameworks affect implementation on the ground, supporting clients to navigate complexity and deliver solutions that are both legally sound and practically effective.

We have the expertise of seasoned international legal experts and the best legal talent from around the world. Our diverse advisory team brings extensive experience that demonstrates the excellence required for effective international advisory services. We are committed to delivering advisory services that meet the highest standards of professionalism and expertise worldwide.

Legal Excellency. Strategic risk management.

We deliver advisory services that combine efficiency, strategic risk management, and practical outcomes. Our approach is built on the foundation of our multicultural and diverse legal expertise.

Our Approach

By combining the expertise of our multicultural legal team, we deliver an efficient and practical approach to legal matters.
This capability draws on specialist knowledge in:

International institutions and regulations

Procurement law and compliance

Sustainable Development Goals Integration

Strategic Litigation Planning

Internal Investigations

Dispute Resolution Systems

Comprehensive Risk Management

We prioritize efficiency through our risk management approach to avoid lengthy legal processes.
Such approach is not only financially prudent but also grounded in today’s rapidly changing global business environment where adaptability is essential.
As a result, our methodology supports effective legal consultancy, helps mitigate future risks and ensures maximum value for money.

Our Services

Legal Planning

We develop comprehensive legal strategies, documentation, and organizational structure for international organizations and their future legal transactions. Our planning ensures long-term legal stability and operational efficiency.

Policy Development and International Law Best Practices

We develop comprehensive policies that meet the best practices under international law. Our team ensures your policies are legally sound and aligned with your institutional goals.

Capacity Building and Training

We offer tailored training programs designed to upskill your workforce and embed legal excellence throughout your organization. Our training focuses on practical, real-world applications that enhance your team’s legal capabilities.

International Dispute Resolution Strategy and Management

In ever changing landscape of disputes, we provide a wide range of services including advice regarding mediation and negotiation planning, and strategic dispute planning and management.

Procurement, Contracting, Compliance & Governance Services

We support the design, review, and strengthening of procurement systems and compliance frameworks, ensuring transparency, accountability, and alignment with international best practice.

International Advisory & Institutional Support Services

We provide legal and regulatory advisory support to international organisations, government departments, and state-owned enterprises (SOEs), helping them navigate complex legal frameworks and governance requirements across jurisdictions.

Our Experts

Adam Shayne

Chief Legal Advisor

Adam Shayne

Adam is a leading authority in international development law, with nearly three decades of senior legal leadership at the World Bank. He served as Chief Counsel across multiple regions, including Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East, leading legal strategy and risk oversight for some of the institution’s most complex and high‑value operations. His work included directing the legal architecture underpinning World Bank assistance programmes to Ukraine during the war with Russia, with an aggregate development impact exceeding US$50 billion. Operating at the core of institutional decision‑making, Adam also advised the World Bank’s Boards of Executive Directors and Governors and played a senior role in shaping governance, accountability, and the integrity of development programmes.

JOSÉ ANGELO ESTRELLA FARIA

Legal Expert

JOSÉ ANGELO ESTRELLA FARIA

Angelo is a distinguished Brazilian legal expert specializing in procurement reform, contract law, and international trade, with more than two decades of experience advising governments, multilateral organizations, and international institutions. He has held leadership and advisory roles with UNCITRAL and UNIDROIT, where he contributed to the drafting and harmonization of global legislative frameworks aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, and compliance in public procurement and commercial law. Angelo’s work focuses on building legal systems that promote efficiency, foster fair competition, and align domestic procurement regimes with international best practices and treaty obligations. He has supported numerous governments in modernizing their legal frameworks, drafting procurement legislation, and designing dispute resolution mechanisms to ensure effective contract implementation. Widely recognized for his thought leadership and pragmatic approach, Angelo is frequently invited to speak at global legal forums and continues to shape the evolution of procurement law and policy worldwide.

CAROLINE NICHOLAS

Lead Procurement Policy Advisor

CAROLINE NICHOLAS

Caroline is internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading authorities in public procurement law and reform. She played a pivotal role in shaping the international legal frameworks that govern public procurement systems, leading the work of UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) to reform its Model Law on Public Procurement. This resulted in the landmark 2011 UNCITRAL Model Law and its accompanying Guide to Enactment, which remain the global benchmark for procurement legislation and reform. With extensive expertise in procurement law, policy, governance and institutional reform, Caroline has advised governments, international organisations and international financial institutions on public procurement reform, legislative development and organisational governance. Her work has supported countries worldwide in strengthening transparent, efficient and accountable procurement systems aligned with international best practice.

Ana Cláudia Ruy Cardia

Legal Expert

Ana Cláudia Ruy Cardia

Ana Cláudia Ruy Cardia brings to GBPG senior management deep legal expertise, applied governance experience, and strong regional insight across Brazil, Latin America, and international contexts. She strengthens GBPG’s ability to deliver high-quality governance and ESG assignments by translating international standards into practical, implementable institutional reforms. Her experience in institutional diagnostics, due diligence, regulatory compliance, impact assessment, and stakeholder engagement enhances the credibility and usability of GBPG’s analytical outputs. At a strategic level, she supports GBPG management in expanding the firm’s Latin American markets, leveraging her regional networks, regulatory knowledge, and cultural understanding to build partnerships, identify opportunities, and position GBPG as a trusted, high-value advisory partner in the region.

Jean-Christophe Barth-Coullaré

Legal Expert

Jean-Christophe Barth-Coullaré

JC is a globally recognised expert at the intersection of public‑private partnerships, commercial mediation, contract management, and governance, with experience across private and non‑profit sectors. As GBPG’s legal expert for Dispute Systems Design and Contract Management, he advises on designing and implementing structured dispute resolution frameworks and robust contract governance for complex multi‑stakeholder environments. Jean‑Christophe holds IMI certification and is accredited by FSM, the French‑German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and CCAMI. His academic background spans banking, economic mediation, law, and executive management; he is a Bankkaufmann, Wirtschaftsmediator, Diplomjurist, and Executive MBA. A practitioner‑scholar, he is Visiting Faculty at Glion Institute and the Université de Genève, and author of Early Stage Governance, and founder of three organisations: the European Champions Alliance, APIA Swiss, and WAPPP.

David Bernstein

Justice Reform, Anticorruption & Public Sector Governance

David Bernstein

David Bernstein is a leading international expert in justice reform, anticorruption, and public sector governance, with more than 30 years of experience advising governments across four continents. A lawyer by training, he combines deep technical expertise with hands-on experience leading complex institutional reform programs in some of the world’s most challenging environments. With over more than two decades at the World Bank, David was a Lead Public Sector Specialist in the Governance Global Practice, where he directed justice reform and anticorruption programs across the Middle East and North Africa, including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and West Bank & Gaza. Before that, he led the Bank’s justice reform and anticorruption engagements throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, helping post-communist states rebuild judicial institutions and strengthen the rule of law. He also served in the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency, driving corruption prevention initiatives across the East Asia Pacific region and advising on institutional policy. David’s expertise is sought at the highest levels of government. He recently served as an International Commissioner on the Selection Commission charged with choosing a new head of Ukraine’s State Customs Service — a key post in Ukraine’s anticorruption reform agenda — and serves on the Board of the Partnership for Transparency Fund, which supports civil society efforts to fight corruption worldwide. David holds a B.A. summa cum laude in economics and political science from the University of Michigan and a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School.

Consultants to the Development World ™