Amir Sokolowski, LLB, MPhil
Partnerships, Climate Change and Protected Areas Advisor
Amir Sokolowski, BA (Hons), LLB, MPhil (Oxon) joined Legal Atlas to as the chief partnerships officer in 2015, and acted as a Senior Legal Analytics Officer on climate change and protected areas legislation. As a member of our advisory group, Amir acts as a point of contact for partners in the UK and Israel, as well as providing advice on the development of topics related to his areas of expertise.
Amir’s experience over the last decade includes NGO and government work as well as grassroots field work ranging from research to implementation, in various aspects of social policy. Amir’s last degree, an M.Phil at the University of Oxford, dealt with the effect of culture on environmental policy, leading quite naturally to legal mapping of the field and Legal Atlas. Amir helps bring together the many organisations comprising and sharing information with Legal Atlas, helping expand the network while maintaining a common vision.
Amir’s experience over the last decade includes NGO and government work as well as grassroots field work ranging from research to implementation, in various aspects of social policy. Amir’s last degree, an M.Phil at the University of Oxford, dealt with the effect of culture on environmental policy, leading quite naturally to legal mapping of the field and Legal Atlas. Amir helps bring together the many organisations comprising and sharing information with Legal Atlas, helping expand the network while maintaining a common vision.
Anurag Sahay, Commissioner of Income Tax
Government of India
Advisor Topic(s): Access to Information, Anti-Corruption
Anurag is an Indian Revenue Service Officer with over two decades of work experience. As a senior public servant with the Government of India, Anurag has handled assignments relating to corporate tax assessments, tax investigation and enforcement, as well as tax administration and taxpayer’s services.
Over the years, Anurag has developed a keen interest in the area of transparency and accountability in public affairs. Having worked as the Chief Compliance Officer of the largest defense public sector enterprise in India, he strongly believes that the right kind of policy interventions and implementation can usher in integrity and transparency in public organizations.
Anurag holds a Master Degree in Political Science & Business Law. He is an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi International Anti Corruption Academy, Vienna & Institute of International Studies, The Hague. Presently, Anurag is a Hubert H Humphrey Fellow at the University of Washington working on transparency, accountability and regulatory compliance.
Government of India
Advisor Topic(s): Access to Information, Anti-Corruption
Anurag is an Indian Revenue Service Officer with over two decades of work experience. As a senior public servant with the Government of India, Anurag has handled assignments relating to corporate tax assessments, tax investigation and enforcement, as well as tax administration and taxpayer’s services.
Over the years, Anurag has developed a keen interest in the area of transparency and accountability in public affairs. Having worked as the Chief Compliance Officer of the largest defense public sector enterprise in India, he strongly believes that the right kind of policy interventions and implementation can usher in integrity and transparency in public organizations.
Anurag holds a Master Degree in Political Science & Business Law. He is an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi International Anti Corruption Academy, Vienna & Institute of International Studies, The Hague. Presently, Anurag is a Hubert H Humphrey Fellow at the University of Washington working on transparency, accountability and regulatory compliance.
Pat Finnegan, Special Agent, USDAFS (Retired)
Advisor Topic(s): Environmental Crime
Pat is a recently retired USDA Forest Service criminal investigator and former biologist with a passion for conservation and protection of wild flora and fauna and the ecosystems they encompass. During his career, he developed a unique blend of knowledge and experience that includes wildlife management with an emphasis on threatened ecosystems; and techniques that encompass a diverse skillset focused on the investigation of natural resource crime.
As a Law Enforcement professional, Pat investigated an array of violations that included illegal outfitting, wildlife poaching, timber theft, illegal mining, crimes of violence, drug manufacturing, smuggling, unlawful firearm possession, property theft, vandalism, arson, fraud and financial crimes. To resolve investigations, Pat prepared reports, developed and executed search warrants, seized, analyzed and presented evidence, developed and managed confidential informants, directed and implemented covert surveillance and undercover operations, participated in interagency task force operations, testified effectively in Federal and State court proceedings and deployed technical investigative equipment.
Pat participated as a technical specialist with a USDA Forest Service International Program initiative; whereby, he travelled throughout Peru over a two year period (2010-2011) to collaborate with biologists, enforcement personnel, prosecution attorneys and other natural resource management professionals to develop training opportunities that would improve natural resource crime investigation and prosecution capacities in Peru.
Although retired from Federal service, Pat continues work to provide advice and consultation where his expertise may facilitate the prevention or prosecution of natural resource crime. You can follow Pat on LinkedIn or reach him at [email protected].
Advisor Topic(s): Environmental Crime
Pat is a recently retired USDA Forest Service criminal investigator and former biologist with a passion for conservation and protection of wild flora and fauna and the ecosystems they encompass. During his career, he developed a unique blend of knowledge and experience that includes wildlife management with an emphasis on threatened ecosystems; and techniques that encompass a diverse skillset focused on the investigation of natural resource crime.
As a Law Enforcement professional, Pat investigated an array of violations that included illegal outfitting, wildlife poaching, timber theft, illegal mining, crimes of violence, drug manufacturing, smuggling, unlawful firearm possession, property theft, vandalism, arson, fraud and financial crimes. To resolve investigations, Pat prepared reports, developed and executed search warrants, seized, analyzed and presented evidence, developed and managed confidential informants, directed and implemented covert surveillance and undercover operations, participated in interagency task force operations, testified effectively in Federal and State court proceedings and deployed technical investigative equipment.
Pat participated as a technical specialist with a USDA Forest Service International Program initiative; whereby, he travelled throughout Peru over a two year period (2010-2011) to collaborate with biologists, enforcement personnel, prosecution attorneys and other natural resource management professionals to develop training opportunities that would improve natural resource crime investigation and prosecution capacities in Peru.
Although retired from Federal service, Pat continues work to provide advice and consultation where his expertise may facilitate the prevention or prosecution of natural resource crime. You can follow Pat on LinkedIn or reach him at [email protected].
John Sellar
John Sellar, OBE
Advisor Topic(s): Environmental Crime
John M. Sellar OBE FRGS was engaged in law enforcement for almost four decades, initially in the Scottish Police Service and then the United Nations. As a Detective, he investigated murders and other serious crime but also dealt with human rights abuse in Scotland’s maximum security prison. Before transferring to the UN, he was Officer-in-Charge of a police area where royal security and anti-terrorism matters featured significantly.
In 1997, Mr Sellar joined the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), ultimately becoming Chief of Enforcement. During 14 years with CITES he conducted 234 missions to 66 countries, assessing enforcement in the field and designing strategies to tackle wildlife trafficking. He was instrumental in establishing the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime in 2010, a partnership of CITES, INTERPOL, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank and the World Customs Organization. He has lectured extensively worldwide and his book, ‘The UN’s Lone Ranger: Combating International Wildlife Crime’, was published in January 2014.
He formally retired in 2011 but remains active in both a voluntary and consultancy manner and sits on the International Association of Chiefs of Police Environmental Crimes Committee. In June 2013, in recognition of his UN activities, he was appointed by the Queen as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
He was author of the Global Initiative publication, ‘Policing the Trafficking of Wildlife: is there anything to learn from law enforcement responses to drug and firearm trafficking?’, in February 2014.
PUBLICATIONS
Advisor Topic(s): Environmental Crime
John M. Sellar OBE FRGS was engaged in law enforcement for almost four decades, initially in the Scottish Police Service and then the United Nations. As a Detective, he investigated murders and other serious crime but also dealt with human rights abuse in Scotland’s maximum security prison. Before transferring to the UN, he was Officer-in-Charge of a police area where royal security and anti-terrorism matters featured significantly.
In 1997, Mr Sellar joined the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), ultimately becoming Chief of Enforcement. During 14 years with CITES he conducted 234 missions to 66 countries, assessing enforcement in the field and designing strategies to tackle wildlife trafficking. He was instrumental in establishing the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime in 2010, a partnership of CITES, INTERPOL, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank and the World Customs Organization. He has lectured extensively worldwide and his book, ‘The UN’s Lone Ranger: Combating International Wildlife Crime’, was published in January 2014.
He formally retired in 2011 but remains active in both a voluntary and consultancy manner and sits on the International Association of Chiefs of Police Environmental Crimes Committee. In June 2013, in recognition of his UN activities, he was appointed by the Queen as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
He was author of the Global Initiative publication, ‘Policing the Trafficking of Wildlife: is there anything to learn from law enforcement responses to drug and firearm trafficking?’, in February 2014.
PUBLICATIONS
- The UN’s Lone Ranger: Combating International Wildlife Crime, published February 2014, ISBN 978-184995-103-6 http://www.whittlespublishing.com/The_UNs_Lone_Ranger
- International Illicit Trafficking in Wildlife. The Police Chief Magazine. http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=1203&issue_id=62007
- How serious is wildlife crime? The involvement of organized crime. Freedom From Fear magazine. March 2010 http://www.freedomfromfearmagazine.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=230:how-serious-is-wildlife-crime&catid=49:issue-6&Itemid=186
- Focusing on Wildlife Crime. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin July 2013 http://leb.fbi.gov/2013/july/focusing-on-wildlife-crime-part-1 and http://leb.fbi.gov/2013/july/focusing-on-wildlife-crime-part-2
- Ski-Safe: A Manual for all Ski Sports. Cordee 1991. ISBN 187189090X. Published as a manual of the Scottish National Ski Council. Foreword by Chris Bonington CBE.
- Guest contributor to the following: ISBN 978-0-8493-0410-1 ‘Forensic Science in Wildlife Investigations’ and ISBN 1-59315-024-5 ‘Tiger: The Ultimate Guide’
- Opinion-piece author; News24 on-line Internet service, South Africa: http://voices.news24.com/author/john-m-sellar/