Laura Knöpfel
Areas of work at the SHRI
The Head of Legal guarantees the relevant, effective, high-quality and original legal work of the SHRI. This notably includes the implementation of the mandates the Institution accepts, the drafting of its reports to various stakeholders and of its legal interventions, and the updating of the information portal.
Education and experience
Laura Knöpfel (she/her) is a lawyer and legal anthropologist. She holds a PhD from King’s College London in responsibility in global value chains and undertook research at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá and the European University Institute in Florence. She has been a lecturer in environmental law at the University of Bern since 2024.
In addition to her academic activities, Laura has worked as a freelance consultant specialising in climate litigation and private international law, human rights protection in foreign direct investment and strategic legal actions against public participation (SLAPPs).
Languages: German, English, Spanish, French