Our People

Experience Meets Insight.

At Veridian, our strength lies in the calibre and experience of our people. We are a compact, highly selective team of senior professionals who combine deep legal expertise with practical geopolitical insight, commercial acumen and extensive government and regulatory experience.

Rather than pursuing scale, we have deliberately built a lean and focused practice where every team member brings substantial senior-level experience from international law firms, government service, diplomatic circles, or high-level policy roles. This ensures that clients receive consistently exceptional, partner-led advice grounded in real-world understanding of how policy, regulation and commerce intersect across borders.

Our core team is supported by a trusted network of senior advisors and local experts in key jurisdictions, allowing us to deliver seamless, on-the-ground insight without compromising the personal attention and strategic continuity that define our approach.

We are united by a shared commitment to excellence, discretion, integrity and delivering tangible results for a select group of clients operating in complex global environments.

Core Partners

James Harrington

Founding Partner

James Harrington is the founder of Veridian Strategic Counsel and leads the firm’s government relations and legislative advocacy practice. With over 25 years’ experience at the intersection of law, policy and international affairs, he previously served as a senior advisor in the UK Government and held partnership roles in leading international law firms in London and Brussels. James advises boards and senior executives on strategic engagement with policymakers in the UK, Australia, Southeast Asia and other key markets. He is recognized for his ability to navigate sensitive political interfaces and deliver effective advocacy outcomes while maintaining the highest standards of discretion.

Representative Matters

Advising a FTSE‑listed multinational group on high-level government relations and legislative engagement strategy across the UK, Australia and Southeast Asia.
Acting as strategic counsel to a major international infrastructure investor on sensitive policy discussions and stakeholder engagement with UK government departments.
Advising a global technology group on legislative advocacy and regulatory interface matters in connection with new market entry in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Elena Voss

Partner

Dr. Elena Voss heads Veridian Strategic Counsel’s geopolitical advisory and political risk practice. A former diplomat with postings in Asia and the Middle East, Elena holds a doctorate in international relations and has advised multinational corporations and sovereign entities on political risk, regulatory forecasting and crisis management. Before joining Veridian, she worked with a prominent geopolitical consultancy in London and served in policy roles within multilateral organizations. Elena brings rigorous analytical insight and practical on-the-ground experience to help clients anticipate and respond to geopolitical shifts affecting their investments and operations.

Representative Matters

Advising a multinational industrial group on geopolitical risk assessment and mitigation strategy across key markets in Asia and the Middle East.
Acting as principal geopolitical adviser to a sovereign wealth fund on regulatory forecasting and political risk due diligence for cross-border investments.

Michael Chen

Partner

Michael Chen leads the firm's global commodity trading compliance and overseas investment practices. Qualified in England & Wales and with significant experience in Malaysia and Australia, Michael has advised major trading houses, resource companies and institutional investors on sanctions compliance, trade finance, foreign investment screening and cross-border regulatory approvals. His background includes senior in-house roles at a leading commodity trading group and partnership at an international law firm specializing in regulatory and transactional work. Michael is known for translating complex regulatory landscapes into clear, commercially viable strategies that support clients’ long-term objectives.

Representative Matters

Advising major global commodity trading houses on sanctions compliance and risk mitigation across multiple international jurisdictions.
Advising resource-focused companies on foreign investment screening and regulatory approval processes in Malaysia and Australia.
Acting as lead compliance counsel on complex cross-border trade finance structures and transactional documentation for international trading operations.