Legal Council

Gilles Doucet is an independent space security consultant with expertise in satellite technologies, military space applications, space regulatory frameworks and international space security cooperation.

Mr Doucet recently retired from the Canadian Department of National Defence after 35 years as a DRDC scientist, where he held numerous positions researching and assessing space capabilities relevant to military applications. He headed multidisciplinary scientific teams providing expertise to the Canadian Armed Forces for operations and threats, DND for policy and Global Affairs Canada for technology exports and international engagement.

Mr Doucet’s experience also includes a diplomatic role, serving as Counsellor for Defence R&D at the Canadian Embassy in Paris, France from 2008 to 2010. Mr Doucet holds Bachelor & Masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering (Ottawa, 1981 & 1993) and a Graduate Certificate of Air and Space Law (McGill, 2017).

Dr. Roy Balleste is Professor of Law and Law Library Director at St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami Gardens, Florida, USA. He completed his doctorate degree (J.S.D.) in Intercultural Human Rights (analyzing internet governance policy, including its history, actors, and institutions).

Professor Balleste teaches internet governance policy and cybersecurity policy. He has concentrated his scholarship and advocacy in the areas of internet governance, suborbital flights, cybersecurity, human rights, and the relationship between technology, public policy, regulations, and advocacy priorities.

Professor Balleste is a member of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ Noncommercial Users Stakeholder Group (ICANN-NCSG) and the Noncommercial Users Constituency (NCUC) of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO). He served as a member of ICANN NCUC’s Executive Committee as the Representative for North America from December 2013 to December 2015.

Professor Balleste is also a member of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) and the Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet).

Balleste served one tour in the US. Navy and one tour in the U.S. Army.

In 2015, Roman and Littlefield published two of his books: ‘Internet Governance: Origins, Current Issues, and Future Possibilities’, and ‘Cybersecurity: Human Rights in the Age of Cyberveillance’ (co-edited with Dr. Joanna Kulesza).

Dr. Kaul is a Partner at Dua Associates, Advocates& Solicitors, in New Delhi, India. She holds an LLM from the Institute of Air & Space Law, Faculty of Law, McGill University, Canada; a Doctorate from University of Poona and a Bachelors in Law degree from the University of Delhi in India.

Dr. Kaul has published papers, participated in various national and international conferences on law of outer space. She is regularly consulted on issues related to application of international aviation and space law regimes to India’s domestic legal regime, including national security aspects.

Dr. Kaul’s legal practice focuses in the areas of aviation law and regulations, space enabled business regulations in India, including e-commerce and company law including joint ventures, M&A and related arbitration.

Dr. Kaul serves in pro-bono capacity on the Board of Trustees of Community Aid& Sponsorship Programme, a NGO which promotes education of under-privileged children and as Chairperson of The Elisabeth Gauba School, New Delhi. She has also served as Member, Delhi State Commission for Women.

Dr. Kaul has been the recipient of the Nicholas Matessco Matte Prize 2004, Faculty of Law, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, The Charles Wallace Trust Award 1990, U.K., the Icchalkaranji Prize 1973, University of Poona and Sir Purshottambhau Wad Prize 1973, University of Poona.

Mr. Trachtman is managing shareholder at the Law Offices of Jerry H.Trachtman, P.A. in Melbourne, Florida.

Upon receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at Penn State University, he accepted a position at the Kennedy Space Center as an Apollo spacecraft operations engineer responsible for the prelaunch test and checkout of the Apollo spacecraft instrumentation and telemetry systems. He later served as lead engineer responsible for the Apollo spacecraft integration and prelaunch testing of the lunar orbital science experiments which flew on Apollo 15 – 17.

After Apollo he worked on our first space station, the Skylab program, as Skylab earth resources experiments project integrity engineer.

Mr. Trachtman received his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Florida College of Law in 1976. His practice emphasizes aviation and space related matters, and he is one of 42 lawyers recognized by the Florida Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Aviation Law.

He is currently serving as chair of the Florida Bar Aviation Law Certification Committee, and serves on the Penn State University College of Engineering’s Industrial and Professional Advisory Council, a select group of representatives from industry, government agencies, academia, and the profession who advise the College of Engineering on academic issues and on current trends and future directions.

He is an instrument rated pilot and flies his Piper Meridian for business and pleasure.

Dr. Wang holds a doctoral degree in Law and Economics. He is an Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of the Academy of Air, Space Policy and Law, Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT); Legal Counsellor in Space Law, CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Project Center(2016-), Space Security Consultant of United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) (2015), Academy Senior Fellow of Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), U.K. (2014); Visiting Scholar, National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law, Mississippi University, U.S..(2011-2012); Space Policy Expert representing China, APSCO Joint Small Multi-Mission Satellite Constellation Project (2016).

Dr. Wang has served as a Chinese delegate, Legal Consultant of the United Nation Committee on the Peaceful use of Outer Space(UNCOPUOS)(2012-), Inter-governmental Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC)(2014-), as well as a Chinese expert in the Long-term Sustainability for Outer Space Activities Working Group of UNCOPUOS(2012-), has been representing China for international space rules and policies negotiation and drafting.

Dr. Wang’s researches focus on international and national space law, international space politics. Dr. Wang’s expertise includes legal and political analysis on space security issues, inter alia, arms control in outer space and space debris mitigation and remediation; space natural resources use and exploration; China space legislation.

Rafael Moro-Aguilar is a lawyer specializing in the regulation of space activities. Mr. Moro-Aguilar worked in 1996-97 at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA), based in Vienna, Austria, where he assisted in servicing the official sessions of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). He participated in the Space Generation Forum of the UNISPACE III Conference, in Vienna in 1999. He currently works as the head of legal affairs for Orbspace Engineering, a European aerospace consulting firm, as well as being an adjunct professor at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, where he resides.

Mr. Moro-Aguilar has published a number of papers, book chapters, and reports on various space law issues, and he often delivers lectures and presentations on these topics. He also advises the Spanish Government on international space law issues, having been a member of the delegation of Spain to the Legal Subcommittee of COPUOS since 2002. In addition, in 2013 he was interviewed by the Spanish media on the topic of how to protect the Apollo lunar landing sites under international space law.

Mr. Moro-Aguilar is an active member of the Spanish Centre for Space Law, the International Institute of Space Law (where he serves as Co-Editor of the annual IISL Proceedings), and the Space Law Committee of the International Law Association.

He received his J.D. from Madrid’s Autonoma University and his LL.M. from the University of Michigan. He is also a graduate of the International Space University (SSP ‘96).

Dr. Dale Stephens CSM is a Captain in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve who spent over 20 years as a permanent officer in the Navy before taking up his appointment at Adelaide Law School.

He has occupied numerous staff officer appointments throughout his career in the Australian Defence Force, including Fleet Legal Officer, Command Legal Officer (Naval Training Command), Chief Legal Officer Strategic Operations Command, Director of Operational and International Law, Deputy Director of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Military Law (a joint venture with Melbourne University Law School), Director Navy Legal and Director of the Military Law Centre.

He has deployed twice to East Timor (INTERFET & UNTAET) and twice to Iraq (Baghdad) in senior legal officer positions and has provided extensive advice to Government at the strategic level.

In the early 2000’s Professor Stephens was part of the Australian delegation to UNESCO negotiating the Underwater Cultural Heritage Convention. In the mid 2000’s he taught at the U.S. Naval War College located in Newport, Rhode Island as a faculty member of the International Law Department. In 2010 was seconded to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet as a senior advisor on Afghanistan. In more recent years he has taught National Security Law as well as a number of military law subjects at the ANU College of Law.

Dr Stephens is Director of The University of Adelaide Research Unit on Military Law and Ethics (RUMLAE) and co-editor of the RUMLAE eJournal. He is currently Head of the combined SA/NT Navy Legal Reserve Panel, Director of the Adelaide Military Law Program and a member of the Ploughshares/McGill University/George Washington University ‘Space Security Index’ Consortium.

Mr. Mohamed Amara is an Algerian lawyer currently holding the position of General Counsel for the United Arab Emirates Space Agency. Mohamed has been practicing in the GCC region for over 25 years. Before joining the UAE Space Agency, Mohamed also worked for the Abu Dhabi National Oil & Gas Group of companies (ADNOC) where he advised the Group on all legal matters related to the oil & gas, including the drafting of national legislation. Mohamed holds a Master’s Degree in Public law and Economics from the University of Alexandria in Egypt. Mohamed is also a registered Arbitrator in the UAE and has served as Chair and Sole Arbitrator in various cases ranging from construction, real estates, contract interpretation and oil & gas disputes. Currently, Mohamed is engaged in advising the UAE Space Agency on its preparation of the legal framework for the regulation of the space sector in particular the space activities draft law and regulations, and takes part in its delegation to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space .Mohamed is a member of the International Institute of Space Law.

Mr. Al (aka Alfred/Alfredo) Anzaldúa is a retired U.S. State Department diplomat and 30 plus-year veteran of space advocacy. His undergraduate educational background is in Science (pre-Med curriculum) and International Studies, followed by a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies. As a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, he carried out diplomatic and science-related work, primarily in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Washington D.C. Al is Vice-Chair and International Relations Coordinator for the National Space Society (NSS) International Committee, an NSS Policy Committee member, and Officer and Board member of the Tucson L5 Space Society. He has authored a series of articles on space-development issues in the Space Review, the Reflector, Ad Astra, and other publications, including the 5^th volume of the Aerospace Technology Working Group Book published by the Secure World Foundation, et al. As a member of the NSS Policy Committee, Al was the lead author on two NSS policy papers on orbital debris. Al also has given frequent presentations and exhibitions on space-related subjects dating back to 1985. Married with children and grandchildren, he lives in Tucson, Arizona, but spends much of his time in Sauzal, near Ensenada, Mexico.

Prof. Dr. I.B.R Supancana, and Indonesian space lawyer, obtained his PhD in International Law from Leiden University, the Netherland (1998), before that got his Master of International Law from University of Indonesia (1990) and Bachelor of Law (S.H) in International Law from Padjadajaran University (1983). He has also acted as a Guest Lecturer at several universities, not only in Indonesia but also abroad (among others: Advanced Studies on Air and Space Law, Leiden University, Kobe University). His main areas of expertise are in the field of Aviation and Space Law; Foreign Direct Investment Law; Settlement of Disputes (Arbitration and ADR); Cyber Law; Mining; International Commercial Contract; and Regulatory Reform.

He has acted as an advisor and consultant for various international organizations and donor countries (GIZ, JICA, World Bank, British Embassy, EU Trade, among others) as well as Indonesian Governmental Agencies (among others, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, National Institute of Aeronautics and Space, National Law Reform Body, National Development Planning Board, National Investment Coordination Board, etc.). He often represents the Indonesian government in bilateral and multilateral negotiations (ASEAN Regional Forum, APEC, UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, APSCO, among others).

Brian served as the U.S. Government’s lead lawyer for the international legal aspects of outer space, and has deep experience in the legal dimensions of developing and regulating advanced technologies.

Brian joined Planetary Resources from the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser, where he represented the United States internationally as U.S. Representative to the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (2012-2016), and in numerous negotiations with foreign governments.  Beyond space, Brian has a successful record of engineering multinational collaborations to address global challenges, most recently as co-chair of a high level Task Force of the Arctic Council charged with designing a twenty-first-century governance framework for the Arctic Ocean.  Brian graduated order of the coif from Berkeley Law, where he received the Jurisprudence Award in Patent Law.

At Planetary Resources, Brian oversees the legal, regulatory, and compliance functions for the company, its parent, and Planetary Resources Luxembourg.

Thomas is a PhD candidate in space law at Northumbria University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. His research focuses on the relationship between property rights and sovereignty and the consequences for space mining with a specific focus on asteroid mining. He is also Co-lead of the Space Generation Advisory Council’s Space Law and Policy Project Group and has, among other things, represented SGAC at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. He is also a member of the British Interplanetary Society, the European Centre for Space Law and The Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group. Thomas is also Executive Director of the Centre for a Spacefaring Civilization; a new space law and policy think tank.

Christiane Wherry is the Vice President of Research & Corporate Development at TODAQ Financial, a blockchain technology startup with offices in Canada, Korea and the Middle East where she leads the project to launch the For All Moonkind Moon Registry powered by TODAQ.  She earned an LL.M from the University of Toronto focusing on the laws of innovation and technology, with research topics including the laws of digital assets, blockchain, cybersecurity and IP in the digital environment.

Formerly a Principal at Quantius, Christiane helped build the fintech lender that provides growth capital to IP-rich SMEs where she focused on IP and capital markets in the Asia Pacific region.  She is the founder of Quantius Education Foundation, a registered charity in Canada with mission to grow the size and diversity of the knowledge-based workforce.  Prior to founding both technology startups and non-profits, she worked as an Economist for the Canadian and Ontario governments after receiving a postgraduate degree in Economic Policy from the London School of Economics & Political Science.

Giuliana holds a joint bachelor and master’s degree from the University of Trento in Comparative, European and Transnational Law. During her studies, she was a research intern in the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL – ESA), and she conducted independent researches in the Institut du Droit de l’Espace et des Télécommunications (IDEST) for her final dissertation on militarization, weaponization and the prevention of an arms race in outer space. In September 2018, Giuliana attended the 27th Summer Course in Space Law and Policy organized by ECSL. In February 2019, she joined the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies as a research intern. There, she worked, among the others, on publications on Space Archaeology, and space contribution to the UN SDGs. During the ECSL Young Lawyers’ Symposium 2019, she presented her work on the protection of cultural heritage sites on the Moon. She later contributed to the creation of the first digital registry of items on the Moon, with For All Moonkind.

From September 2019, Giuliana is taking a Master of Space Studies at the International Space University. There, she is carrying out a team project on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, and an individual research project on the collection of genetic data and human genetic engineering in the space realm.

Madison Walker is an Associate at ABH Aerospace, a firm that focuses on aiding space and technology startups.  Madison graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law where she received her Juris Doctorate with a concentration in Air and Space Law. She also volunteers with the National Space Society.  Madison is new to the field of Space Law but is dedicated to its evolution and advancement.