Member Guidance

Welcome to the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers (GAIL). As a member, you have joined a community of practitioners across countries and continents who are seeking to learn from each other.

GAIL supports members to develop in their professional lives across areas of impact law.

Our members are legal leaders using the practice of law to have a positive impact on people and the planet, and to accelerate the just transition. They are shaping the market as they structure transactions, advise clients and deliver impact.

Use this guide to discover the benefits and how to make the most of your membership.

This guide covers:

  • Getting started
  • Setting up and managing your GAIL membership account for Corporate Members and Individual Members
  • Adding Key Contacts to the GAIL Member Directory
  • Searching the Member Directory
  • Joining the member forum
  • Accessing Insights and sharing member content
  • Participating in member elections

If you have any questions, contact us.

getting
started

Access your member account

Login here or by clicking the person icon at the top right of gailnet.org.

Navigating your account

Once logged in, go to your Account Dashboard.

From there you can view your recent orders, manage your billing address, and edit your password and account details.

Former members

If you were previously a member of esela, your profile has been transferred to GAIL. To log in using your previous account you will need to reset your password.

If your membership has lapsed, navigate to ‘My Membership‘ to renew your membership.

Law firms and organisations are corporate members of GAIL.

First, navigate to your Account Dashboard and edit your Corporate Profile. You will be asked for company information, including your logo, countries of operation, contact information and areas of specialism.

In the About tab, enter an overview of your organisation. This will be profiled in GAIL’s Corporate Member Directory. You can enable draft mode to hide a profile that is part completed, but remember to disable draft mode when your profile is completed – this will allow it to appear in GAIL’s Corporate Member Directory.

Next, add Key Contacts to your account. Key Contacts are the lawyer personal profiles shown on the GAIL Member Directory. Each Key Contact will have access to a GAIL account. They are also the designated voting members of GAIL, which means they are able to vote in the elections for GAIL’s regional and global board and can nominate themselves (or other GAIL members) for positions on GAIL’s board(s).

Corporate members are able to add between 0 – 16 Key Contacts depending on your membership level. You will be asked for a profile photo for each Key Contact, as well as contact information, with space to include their areas of specialism. You can choose whether the corporate account holder would like to manage (edit and update) the Key Contacts associated with your corporate profile, or whether the Key Contacts themselves would like to manage (edit and update) their own Key Contact profiles and the information that will appear about them in the GAIL Member Directory.

Allow your key contacts to edit their own profiles, by sending a registration link or sending an email inviting them to manage their profile through the Add Member page.


GAIL is a democratic organisation. Each voting membership must be held by an individual lawyer. Votes will be called to elect members of the GAIL Regional Boards at the time of elections. Each individual member receives one vote.

Each corporate member is able to assign its votes to lawyers working at their firm or organisation. Where corporate members have multiple offices, they may wish to consider the geographic spread when allocating their voting memberships, and to allocate membership to lawyers across different impact specialisms, teams and levels of seniority.

Manage your profile

  • Go to the Account Dashboard
  • Edit your Corporate Profile – enter information about your law firm or organisation in the General Information, Contact Information and About tabs
  • Add Key Contacts – add individual profiles to represent your organisation

First, navigate to your Account Dashboard.

Update your profile using the My Profile or edit your profile links. You will be asked for a profile photo and contact information, with space to include your areas of specialism. This information will form your personal profile on the GAIL Member Directory. It is also how you will register your voting membership of GAIL.

Enable draft mode to hide your profile if it is part completed.


GAIL is a democratic organisation. Each voting membership must be held by an individual lawyer. Votes will be called to elect members of the GAIL Regional Boards at the time of elections. Each individual member receives one vote.

Manage your profile

  • Go to the Account Dashboard
  • Update your profile using the My Profile link to add an individual profile which will appear on the website

Connect with fellow GAIL members through our member forum, Mighty Networks. Use this platform to communicate directly and privately with other members.

How to join?

If you are already a GAIL member, go to your Account Dashboard to access the private invitation link to the member forum. Click request to join and we will activate your forum account soon.

If you are not already a GAIL member, head to gailnet.org/join to become a member first.

Member led

GAIL is member led, and so is our community forum. We hope you will use the platform to connect, collaborate, and find inspiration from lawyers who are using their careers to have a positive impact on people and the planet. 

Insights pages include resources, news and thought leadership created by and for the community. They also include recordings of past GAIL events.

Using GAIL’s Resources

Search for content by region, country or topic. Insights are intended tap into the knowledge of lawyers working across the spectrum of impact disciplines.

Previous event recordings and materials are available either as member only content, or as open access content. If you are already a GAIL member, please log in to your GAIL account to gain access to all content (including member-only content). If you are not already a GAIL member, head to gailnet.org/join to become a member first, in order to access all content.

Sharing your Insights

If you are a GAIL member or partner and want to share news or an opportunity with the community, get in touch.

We invite you to share articles, events, news, videos, reports and policy.

GAIL will hold elections for positions on our Regional Boards in December.

Find out more about the current members of GAIL’s Regional Boards below, and through our Regions homepages.

To ensure you are registered as a GAIL voting member, add yourself as a Key Contact in the member Account Dashboard.

gail elections

Call for Nominations

  • The call for nominations will be announced to our members in advance of the vote

Call for Votes

  • Members will be invited to vote for candidates in their voting region

Elections to the Board of Directors

  • Regional Board members elected in December will be eligible to stand for available roles on GAIL’s global Board of Directors during the following year

Michael Ryland

President

Director, Centre for Social Finance Law

Michael Ryland is the principal and founding director of the Centre for Social Finance Law.

Michael has over 35 years of broad ranging experience in corporate finance, investment funds and commercial law, including 20 years as a partner at global law firms Ashurst and Herbert Smith Freehills.  He has worked in Australia, Japan and Indonesia, and has spent two years as a full time Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC).
Michael has particular experience in the law relating to social investment, working with a range of for-purpose and for-profit clients on social impact projects, both domestic and cross-border.  This has included work on social investment fund structures, social impact bonds and other financial instruments, social infrastructure projects, social and affordable housing, disability services and accommodation, and community initiatives and projects.

Melissa Manzo

Vice President

General Counsel, AgDevCo

Melissa heads up AgDevCo’s legal team and has a background in international debt financing. Melissa and her team advise on the structuring and documentation of AgDevCo’s investments, on regulatory, compliance and governance matters applicable to AgDevCo in the UK and in its countries of operation in sub-Saharan Africa, and on the development of AgDevCo’s policies and procedures. Melissa sits on AgDevCo’s Executive Committee and is the Chair of AgDevCo’s Technical Assistance Committee. Prior to joining AgDevCo, Melissa worked at the international law firm Allen & Overy LLP for 12 years, where she advised on cross-border banking and restructuring transactions. Whilst at Allen & Overy, Melissa founded and managed its microfinance and social investment group and worked on a number of pro bono matters. She has also spent time on secondment to the emerging markets desk at Citigroup. Melissa has a BA in Oriental Studies from Oxford University and a postgraduate diploma in law from BPP Law School.

Emiliano Giovine

Board Secretary

Partner, RP Legal & Tax

Emiliano is the head of the Impact & Sustainability team at RP Legal & Tax.

He mainly deals with nonprofit entities, social enterprises, socially oriented corporate vehicles, NGOs and international organizations. He advises these entities in the phases of incorporation, reorganizations, extraordinary transactions and adjustments required by the Third Sector Code.

He also provides support on ESG matters to leading national and international companies. More specifically, he deals with the adoption and implementation of sustainability models, corporate policies and ethical codes, the acquisition of the Benefit Corporation status and the B Corp certification, as well as ESG/human rights due diligence, non-financial reporting and impact measurement.

Emiliano has ten years of experience in the impact economy sector. In particular, he has been involved for years in several international cooperation projects and policy making activities, led by NGOs and by the United Nations, focused on the integration of migrants and refugees through entrepreneurial initiatives. He is also tutor of the “Human Rights and Migration Law Clinic” legal training program at the Faculty of Law of the University of Turin. He cooperates with Tiresia – Politecnico di Milano on legal issues related to social business and social innovation.

In the past years, Emiliano was a consultant of the United Nations at UNEP and a Legal Officer at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. He holds a master’s degree in Environmental Law and management from Cà Foscari University of Venice and is currently a PhD candidate in Public International law at Utrecht University.

Since 2019 he has been board member and legal coordinator of the NGO “ResQ Onlus – People Saving People”.

Jessica Blumenthal

Director, ENS

NanaAma Botchway

Africa Representative

Managing Partner, N. Dowuona and Company

Luke Fletcher

Emeritus Director

Partner, Bates Wells

Paola Fonseca

Latin America Representative

General Counsel, University for Peace

Guillermo Tejeiro Gutiérrez

Latin America Representative

Director, Head of Sustainability and ESG for Latin America , Citi

Frances Holliday

United Kingdom Representative

General Counsel, LeapFrog Investments

María Peña

Head of Legal, Risk & Compliance, Symbiotics SA

Tze-Wei Ng

Asia Pacific Representative

Associate, Stephenson Harwood

Alissa Pelatan

Alissa Pelatan

Europe Representative

Founder & Partner, AMP Avocats

Gina Pereira

North America Representative

Founder, Dāna Stewardship Advisory,

Karyn Polak

North America Representative

Founder and Chief Activator, Systems Entrepreneur, Shift the Prism Advisory

Roberto Randazzo

Emeritus Director

Head of ESG and Impact, Legance

Vivien Teu

Asia Pacific Representative

Partner and Head of Asset Management & ESG, Dentons Hong Kong LLP

Naomi Sander

United Kingdom Representative

Senior Legal Counsel & ESG-Impact Lead, Asset Green

Sotaro Hotta

Chair, Asia Pacific

Associate, Nishimura & Asahi

Japan

Sotaro is currently a corporate lawyer specializing in cross-border M&A and finance at Nishimura & Asahi in London, UK. With the firm’s headquarters in Tokyo, he primarily provides legal services to Japanese clients. His expertise spans a wide range of corporate law, including: (a) social impact business, (b) impact finance, (c) asset management, (d) fund business, including offshore funds, (e) financial regulatory matters, (f) real estate finance and securitization, (g) global securities offerings, and (h) general corporate matters. Sotaro’s strengths lie in his detailed analysis of complex issues and his ability to promptly deliver optimal solutions. He has a strong interest in social impact business, particularly from a financial law perspective, and is passionate about sharing the knowledge and insights of impact law in the UK with countries across Asia.

Dr. Ammara Farooq Malik

Founding Principal Attorney, AFMalik Law- Attorneys & International Development Consultants

Pakistan

Amal Farooq Malik

Editorial Board Member & Global Youth Council Member, Seplaa Group Inc/ Seplaa Global Impact Network

Pakistan

Pratik Bakshi

Counsel, BTG Advaya

India

Jon Cheung

Partner, Prolegis Lawyers

Australia

Giana Lin

Partner, Fuguan Law

China

Michael Ryland

Director, Centre for Social Finance Law

Australia

Brian Tang

Founding Executive Director, LITE Lab at Hong Kong University

Hong Kong

Tze-Wei Ng

Associate, Stephenson Harwood

Hong Kong

Takahisa Watanabe

Senior Associate, Nishimura & Asahi

Japan

Vivien Teu

Partner and Head of Asset Management & ESG, Dentons Hong Kong LLP

Hong Kong

Dan Fuochi

Chair

Partner, Impulsius

Switzerland

Dan is an experienced attorney with a demonstrated history of working with non-profit organizations. An entrepreneur at heart, he advises social businesses and NGOs addressing today’s social, cultural and environmental issues. Most notably, he acts as general counsel to the Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation, an organization led and financed by the Multilateral Development Banks and headquartered in Geneva. 

Alongside his practice, Dan founded a non-profit aimed at providing legal and administrative support to the elderly and persons with disability in Geneva. 

 

He is a board member of the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers as well as the Geneva Cancer Ligue.

 

When he’s not at the office, he can most likely be found hiking with his family, running trails, and climbing mountains in the Alps.

Derin Altan

Counsel, White and Case

Turkey

Alberta Longanesi Cattani

Senior Associate, Ince

David Frydlinger

Partner, Cirio Law Firm

Sweden

Emiliano Giovine

Partner, RP Legal & Tax

Italy

Krzysztof Góźdź

Partner/Co Founder, Impactiv.Law

Poland

Rutherford Hubbard

Manager Legal (Private Equity and Structured Finance) at FMO , The Dutch Development Bank

The Netherlands

Juan Diego Mujica Filippi

Impact Law and Governance Lead, Nativa

Italy

María Peña

Head of Legal, Risk & Compliance, Symbiotics SA

Switzerland

Raluca Radu

General Counsel, The Impact Facility and Co-founder and Board Member at The LISI Foundation

Netherlands

Benoit Spitaels

Founding Partner, Impact Advocaten

Belgium

Anh-Thu Thai

Senior Legal Counsel, Alpiq

Switzerland

Dr. Alexandra von Westernhagen

Partner, EU Sustainability at LiberiusLegal

Belgium

Alissa Pelatan

Alissa Pelatan

Founder & Partner, AMP Avocats

France

Roberto Randazzo

Head of ESG and Impact, Legance

Italy

Ivana Calcagno

Co-Chair GAIL Latin America Board

Founding Partner, You Hub

Uruguay

Latin American lawyer and seasoned Legal Advisor specializing in sustainable finance, impact investments, and B Corps. She holds a Doctorate in Law and Social Sciences from UDELAR (Uruguay) and a Diploma in Sustainable Finance from Finis Terrae University (Chile), with vast experience in the legal structuring of BIC trusts and funds that follow triple-impact models to promote social, environmental, and economic benefits.

 

As the Founding Partner of YOUHUB Legal Impact Consultant, collaborated in drafting and promoting Uruguay’s groundbreaking BIC Law (No. 19,969), which supports businesses and trusts dedicated to collective benefit. She has published extensively on ESG, impact investing, and female leadership, contributing research and co-authoring works for international organizations that guide individuals and organizations in adapting to new, purpose-driven economic models (Researcher for Blab, IDRC, BID, GRI, ANII).

 

Beyond the work in sustainable finance, serves as a mentor and educator, leading initiatives on new economies and consulting for UN Women. Co-founder an active member of GAIL LATAM Regional Board, advocating for sustainable development and economic empowerment across the region.

Lila Alejandra Gasca Enriquez

Co-Chair GAIL Latin America Board

Pro Bono Director – Responsible Business, Hogan Lovells

Mexico

Lila Gasca is the Pro Bono Director at Hogan Lovells México, where she has led impactful initiatives since 2009, aligning the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy with its global policies and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As an impact lawyer, she specializes in advising civil society organizations, microenterprises, and purpose-driven companies on complex legal challenges. Lila has been instrumental in advancing pro bono culture in Mexico and Latin America, co-founding the Pro Bono Mexico Standards to establish a national framework for legal impact work.

In addition to her pro bono expertise, Lila has driven successful programs in community impact, operational sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion, wellbeing and fundraising partnerships. She has also received numerous national and international awards for her contributions to pro bono and CSR initiatives.

A passionate advocate for systemic change, Lila is recognized for her ability to identify legal needs and craft innovative strategies to address social and environmental challenges. Currently, she serves as an advisor to various organizations, including Make a Wish México and the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers, she is Vice President of the Corporate Social Responsibility Commission at the International Chamber of Commerce México, and  Pro bono Council for Trustlaw.

 

Alexandro Cea

Legal Advisor in International Affairs, Ministry of Finance

Chile

Bruno Camargo

Partner and Head, Latin America Desk at Liance Legal

Brazil

Agostina Coniglio

Partner, Keidos Impacto Legal

Argentina

Magdalena Enei

Directora fundadora, La Siembra SpA

Chile

Maria Laura Farrapeira

General Counsel, AB Mauri

Argentina

Annalucia Fasson Llosa

Socia Senior del Área Corporativa, Muñiz Olaya Melendez Castro Ono & Herrera abogados

Peru

Paola Fonseca

General Counsel, Viva Idea

Costa Rica

Elisa Medici

Associate – ESG and Impact Investment Coordinator, Brigard Urrutia

Colombia

James E. Ritch

Counsel, Ritch Mueller

Mexico

Daniela Solis

Senior Associate, Ritch Mueller

Mexico

Aline Gonçalves Videira de Souza

Partner, Szazi, Bechara, Storto, Reicher and Figueiredo Lopes Advogados

Brazil

Guillermo Tejeiro Gutiérrez

Director of Sustainability and ESG for LATAM, Citi

Colombia

Elizabeth Lange

Chair, GAIL North America

Attorney, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Elizabeth Lange co-leads the ESG team at Faegre Drinker. Based in Philadelphia, she advises clients on M&A, Governance and B Corp matters.

Lizzie represents public and private clients, including Fortune 50 and startup companies, in mergers and acquisitions, governance, and other corporate and securities matters. Recognized for her involvement in social enterprise and impact finance law, Lizzie has written extensively on legal and regulatory issues relating to social enterprise legal forms.

Leslie Cornell

General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Social Finance

Scott DeWald

Partner, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP

Navine Karim

Founder and President, Global Impact Law, P.C

Karyn Polak

Founder and President, Shift the Prism Advisory

United States

Julie Ryan

Co-Founder and Managing Partner, ImpactGC

Amaris White

Impact Investing Principal, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Amy Willey

Attorney , McDonald Hopkins LLC

Gina Pereira

Founder, Dāna Stewardship Advisory,

Sarah Ellington

Chair GAIL UK Board

Partner, Watson Farley & Williams

Sarah Ellington has significant and varied experience in cross-border disputes and crisis management for governments, governmental agencies and international organisations, as well as multinational corporations, particularly in relation to ESG, technology and fraud.

She helps clients obtain successful outcomes within a number of procedural frameworks including courts, arbitration, mediation, UN complaints (Special Procedure Mandates), OECD complaints to National Contact Points (Specific Instances) and private grievance mechanisms.

Sarah advises clients on risk management and governance issues associated with ESG, business and human rights and sustainability agendas, including emerging regulatory and “soft law” standards and how these interact with contractual, tortious and fiduciary duties.

She focuses on developing practical solutions in conjunction with clients, which businesses are able to implement throughout their operations without undue risk to commercial operations, or unnecessarily increasing litigation risk. This includes developing due diligence procedures and putting in place grievance redress mechanisms.

Sarah works with clients and colleagues across the globe, including across Africa, Asia and Latin America and has served on GAIL’s UK Regional Board and has represented GAIL at multiple events.

 

Nikesh Arya

Senior Associate , Herbert Smith Freehills

United Kingdom

Christina Bartholomew

Lawyer, co-Founder of Stories Evolved, a UK-based ESG Consultancy, Sustainability Teaching Fellow (FHEA)

United Kingdom

Fenella Chambers

Counsel Responsible Business (Pro Bono) Lawyer, Hogan Lovells

United Kingdom

Richard Gerrard

Senior Legal Counsel, AgDevCo

Jonathan Gilmour

Partner, Head of Derivatives & Structured Products, Travers Smith

Matthew Hobbs

Senior Associate, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP

United Kingdom

David Hunter

Consultant, Bates Wells

Dawda Jawara III

Deputy General Counsel, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)

Lucy Johnson

Partner, Trinity International LLP

United Kingdom

Mark Kenderdine-Davies

Chief Legal Officer, British International Investment plc

Melissa Manzo

General Counsel, AgDevCo

United Kingdom

Rhian Thomas-Turner

R&D Lead, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales

United Kingdom

Frances Holliday

General Counsel, LeapFrog Investments

Naomi Sander

Senior Legal Counsel & ESG-Impact Lead, Asset Green

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