Virna Rizzo
Counsel
Paris, New-York and Djibouti Bars
English, French, Italian, Spanish
v.rizzo@amir-aslani.comExpertise
Virna Rizzo advises on cross-border transactions, strategic compliance matters and the resolution of international disputes involving sovereign States, public-private partnerships and corporate groups exposed to political, regulatory or reputational risk.
Her practice, at the intersection of advisory and contentious work, operates in complex environments where legal, economic and sovereign considerations are closely intertwined.
She advises in particular on mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring and anti-corruption compliance, as well as on complex international investor-State arbitrations involving allegations of corruption, expropriation or breaches of international law.
She assists funds, corporates and institutions in the structuring, defence and execution of international projects in sensitive environments, particularly in regulated sectors such as energy, finance and infrastructure.
Her approach combines rigorous legal analysis with strategic insight, enabling her to operate effectively in multi-jurisdictional contexts and to advise on matters involving significant political and reputational exposure.
Areas of practices
A glimpse into representative matters
International Arbitration & Investor-State Disputes
- Advised a major Latin American metropolitan public authority in complex, multi-layered arbitration and annulment proceedings arising out of a public infrastructure concession dispute exceeding USD 480 million against a multinational concessionaire. The matter involved allegations of systemic corruption in public procurement, breaches of international public policy and complex damages assessment issues. Developed annulment arguments grounded in international public policy before the Paris Court of Appeal and coordinated legal strategy across parallel arbitral proceedings in a politically sensitive context.
- Represented a ministry in an ICC arbitration valued at USD 120 million relating to a cultural concession; secured the full dismissal of all claims, followed by confirmation of the award by the Paris Court of Appeal in annulment proceedings.
Economic Sanctions & Compliance
- Advised a European cross-border industrial group facing asset-freezing measures, customs enforcement actions and banking restrictions arising from exposure to U.S. sanctions. Developed delisting and regulatory defense strategies under EU sanctions regimes, engaged with supervisory authorities (Treasury, customs), and structured legal arguments on proportionality, evidentiary standards and compliance remediation. Coordinated a cross-border strategy to mitigate operational and reputational impact.
- Advised a politically exposed individual in complex designation and delisting proceedings before U.S. (OFAC) and UK authorities. Developed legal arguments addressing designation thresholds, evidentiary requirements and proportionality, and coordinated a cross-border defense strategy to mitigate the effects of asset-freezing measures.
- Led the defense strategy in EU sanctions enforcement proceedings under Regulations (EU) No 833/2014 and 269/2014, involving asset-freezing measures and customs investigations. Conducted in-depth analysis of proportionality, evidentiary thresholds and enforcement practices, and engaged directly with the French Treasury.
- Advised on sanctions exposure in a multi-jurisdictional energy project involving Russian and Middle Eastern counterparties, structuring operational frameworks compliant with EU, OFAC and OFSI sanctions regimes.
Sovereign Projects & Public-Private Partnerships
- Advised sovereign states and public entities on the structuring and negotiation of large-scale public-private partnerships (PPPs), particularly in the water, telecommunications and infrastructure sectors.
- Drafted and negotiated concession and project agreements, provided support on regulatory and institutional alignment, and assisted in negotiations with private investors and international financial institutions.
- Advised across the full project lifecycle, from upstream legal structuring to downstream contractual implementation, in a multi-jurisdictional context.
Published Work
Virna Rizzo provides analysis on the evolving legal frameworks governing economic sovereignty, hybrid threats and strategic opacity. She is a regular contributor to leading publications, including Le Monde du Droit, La Tribune and Option Finance.
