Edward Guntrip is an Associate Professor in International Law at the University of Sussex (2025-).

Edward researches public international law with a particular focus on international economic law, international human rights law, international dispute settlement and the global commons. His recent publications use a range of theoretical approaches to address how investor-state dispute settlement can accommodate public policy such as human rights and environmental laws. Edward’s work has examined how procedures in investor-state dispute settlement (such as counterclaims) could protect public policy, the role that domestic implementation of international standards may have in protecting public policy and why decision-makers in investor-state dispute settlement may not be receptive to public policy argumentation. His research frequently refers to case studies of investment projects. These case studies highlight the significance of the distinction between public and private sectors and evidence the impact of power imbalances between states, investors and local communities in investment projects. Edward’s future research agenda is expanding to consider how States can regulate the exercise of power when economic activities are undertaken by private actors in extraterritorial settings and in the global commons.

Edward’s current teaching draws from his background as a solicitor specialising in commercial litigation. He teaches modules including contract law, commercial law, international economic disputes, transnational commercial law, international commercial arbitration and international investment law. He uses innovative teaching techniques and assessment modes to replicate the types of scenarios that students will face in legal practice. Edward also convenes the International Economic Law Clinic module where LLM students provide legal research in response to a brief from real-life clients.

Edward convenes the LLM courses and is responsible for the LLM in Law degree. He is the Admissions Co-Lead with a focus on strategy. Edward also leads the cross-Faculty Business and Human Rights Research Cluster which encourages interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research in business and human rights at the University of Sussex.

Edward is currently supervising PhD projects on privatisation and investment in Pakistan, the commercialisation of outer space, the integration of environmental principles relating to atmospheric pollution into international dispute resolution fora and how the State practice of South Asian States accommodates environmental considerations in investment law.

During his time at Sussex, Edward has been the Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the School of Law, Politics, and Sociology and Criminology (2021-2025). His previous academic positions at the University of Sussex include Senior Lecturer in International Law (2019-2025) and Lecturer in Law (2014-2019). Prior to this, he was Lecturer in Commercial Law at the University of East Anglia (2011-2014) and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Brunel University (2008-2011). He has also held visiting research fellowships at Queen Mary, University of London (Centre for Commercial Law Studies) and Ghent University.

Edward completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Western Australia in 2001 graduating with a BSc (Geography) and LLB (Hons). After qualifying as a solicitor in New South Wales and Western Australia, he specialised in commercial litigation with an Australian law firm. In 2005, he completed an LLM in international law at the University of Cambridge before returning to legal practice as a litigation solicitor in London where he acted for both commercial clients and states. After deciding to focus on an academic career, he commenced his PhD in 2008 at Brunel University.