There’s no better time than a pandemic lockdown to start blogging again

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: April 14, 2020

Welcome back, readers! As many of you know, I had the good fortune of passing through Washington DC when the stay-at-home orders began descending down in response to the explosive spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. I waited for a few days to see if I could get back to London or Istanbul to wait it […]

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Departures Podcast with Stephen Walt

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: April 13, 2020

A conversation about how the failure of America’s foreign policy hubris has been a gift to rising powers like China and Russia.

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Why the Pandemic Increases Risk of US-China Conflict

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: April 9, 2020

Americans across the political spectrum are responding positively to Trump’s attacks on China. Here’s why that’s a problem.

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‘I Refuse to Be Repentant’: The Woman Challenging Uganda’s Ruler – The New York Times

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: April 4, 2020

As many readers are aware, our law firm acts on behalf of the opposition politician Bobi Wine, whose pro-democracy movement has suffered greatly at the hands of dictator Yoweri Museveni.

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New Episode of Departures Podcast Featuring David Kilcullen

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: March 30, 2020

In these strange and uncertain times, most of us find ourselves in isolation, self-quarantine, or practicing social distancing by staying home for what appears to be quite an extended period of time. For many of us accustomed to working internationally, the COVID-19 layover has represented, well, an existential shift. But the good news is that […]

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IPU to Investigate Tanzania’s Alleged Violations of Human Rights against Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: February 10, 2020

The following press release was circulated to news media today. Multilateral body accepts application from the former MP, highlights concerns over alleged abuses and proposes that an IPU Committee delegation accompany him upon return to Tanzania LONDON, 10 February 2020 – An application brought by Tundu Lissu, a Tanzanian opposition leader who narrowly survived a […]

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Former Prime Minister of Mongolia Retains Amsterdam & Partners LLP to Defend against Politically Motivated Charges

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: January 22, 2020

The following press release was distributed to media today. LONDON, 22 January 2020 – Chimediin Saikhanbileg, who served as Prime Minister of the Government of Mongolia from 2014-2016, has retained Amsterdam & Partners LLP as international defence counsel in response to a series of fabricated criminal charges aimed at weakening democratic opposition in the country and seizing […]

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Opposition Activist Files Suit against Russia before European Court of Human Rights

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: April 3, 2019

The following press release was distributed to international media on 3 April 2019. LONDON, 3 April 2019 – Vladimir Bessonov, a former member of the Russian State Duma and prominent opposition activist, has filed a complaint before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to denounce a politically motivated judicial process aimed at violating his […]

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Departures Podcast: Interview with Edward Watts, Author of ‘Mortal Republic’

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: January 23, 2019

On our latest episode of the Departures podcast, we are excited to feature the bestselling history author Edward J. Watts, author of “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny.” As the Romans designed it, a representative democracy is designed to ‘move slowly’ and ‘build consensus’ on policies to mitigate societal issues – but if the history […]

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Five Things to Read on Trump’s Syria Withdrawal

By Robert Amsterdam | Published: December 20, 2018

President Donald Trump’s completely unexpected decision to pull 2,000 U.S. troops out of the conflict in Syria – announced this week via Twitter without much visible consultation – has predictably caused a bit of a shitstorm in the natsec community in Washington DC. There seems to be wide-ranging speculations about Trump’s motivations to make this […]

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