Jonathan is an Associate Professor in Law. His primary area of research interest is international economic governance, with a particular interest in investment treaties. Much of his research is inter-disciplinary, drawing on perspectives from the disciplines of economics and political science.
Prior to joining UNSW Law Jonathan lived in Myanmar, where he worked as an advisor to the Myanmar Government on investment governance. For several years he also worked for the Australian Attorney General's Department, as a member of the team that successfully defended a multi-billion dollar challenge to Australia's tobacco plain packaging laws brought under an investment treaty.
Jonathan holds the degrees of DPhil, MPhil and BCL from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes scholar, and the degrees of LLB and BEc (Soc Sci) from the University of Sydney, where he graduated with the University Medal in Political Economy and the Convocation Medal.
Jonathan worked part-time from 2019 to 2021 and again in 2024.
My Grants
2022-2025 ‘China’s Belt and Road Initiative: A New Model of Economic Governance?’ (with Heng Wang, Kun Fan and Ross Buckley) Australian Research Council Discovery Project ($283,250)
2012-2013 Economic and Social Research Council (UK) Post-doctoral Fellowship (£80,000)
My Qualifications
DPhil, University of Oxford
MPhil (Dist), University of Oxford
BCL (Dist), University of Oxford
LLB (Hons I), University of Sydney
BEc (Hons I and Medal), University of Sydney
My Research Supervision
Supervision keywords
Areas of supervision
Jonathan is an experienced supervisor, having supervised 8 PhD candidates to successful completion. He has a special interest in methodology in legal and inter-disciplinary research, having led the development of the two research training courses that are now compulsory for all PhD candidates in the Faculty of Law & Justice.
Jonathan is available to supervise students interested in pursuing research projects on international economic governance. For candidates considering research in the field of international investment law specifically, his advice is to consider a project that explores some aspect of the relationship between the investment treaty regime and domestic regimes of investment governance.
Jonathan welcomes contact from prospective PhD candidates. Please reach out by email! That said, before contacting any potential supervisor, please make sure you have given some initial thought to your project and that you have read and engaged with your potential supervisor's recent scholarship. That is the best way to get an initial sense of whether the supervisor would be a good fit for you.
Currently supervising
Xiaolei Han, ' Culture Matters? A Cultural Understanding of China-led Cross-Border Commercial and Investment Dispute Resolution Institutions'
Mohammed Abdur Razzak, 'International Law And The Changing Dynamics Of The Human Rights Due Diligence In The Global Apparel Supply Chain: Implications For Bangladesh'
Ali Salmande, 'The Role of Domestic Courts in Promoting ASEAN Regional Integration: A Study of Indonesian Courts' Decisions on ASEAN Law Instruments'
Completions
Bruno Pegorari, 'Indigenous Peoples and International Law on Remedies: Emancipatory Possibilities through International Adjudication' (PhD conferred 2025)
Millicent McCreath, 'Safeguarding the Interests of the International Community in the Protection of the Marine Environment under National Jurisdiction' (PhD conferred 2025)
Elisabeth Perham, ‘Modes of External Constitutional Advising in Constitution-Making Processes' (PhD conferred 2024)
Lukas Schaugg, 'A Soft Competition Among Arbitral Institutions The institutional oligopoly of mixed arbitration' (External supervisor of PhD at York University, Canada, conferred 2024)
Zhenyu Xiao, 'The Evolution of the Settlement of Investor-State Disputes in China' (PhD conferred 2023)
Justin Jos Poonjatt, 'Using Legal Waivers in Operational-Level Grievance Mechanisms and their impact on Access to Remedies in Business and Human Rights' (PhD conferred 2023)
Dan Xie, 'Transnational Due Process and Article V(1)(b) of the New York Convention: Grounding Interpretation and Application of the Due Process Defence in the Public International Law Framework for Treaty Interpretation' (PhD conferred 2022)
Sophie Burbidge, 'Regulating Stored Value Facilities in Australia: Review and a Proposal for Reform' (PhD conferred 2019)
My Teaching
International Investment Law and Policy (LAWS3070)
International Investment Law (LAWS8079/JURD7479)
Law in the Global Context (LAWS2270/JURD7270)
Principles of International Law (LAWS8180)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1149-6983