International and Commercial Law Department Faculty

Athanassios Pantazopoulos
Director of LL.M Program

Dr., Ludwig-Maxmilianis-Universität München, Germany
LL.M., Ludwig-Maxmilianis-Universität München, Germany
LLB, University of Athens Law School, Greece

Dr. Athanassios Pantazopoulos, LL.M. is an instructor of law at UNYP. He received his law degree from the University of Athens, and his LL.M and Ph.D. in International and European Law from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich, Germany. He is an active attorney, admitted in Athens, Munich and the Czech Republic. As an attorney, he specializes in European and international law. Dr. Athanassios Pantazopoulos has a very good command of the English, German and Czech languages.

William A. COHN

J.D., the University of California, USA
B.A., Stanford University, USA

Mr Cohn is an attorney and constitutional law scholar, has practiced and taught law since 1993, working with clients, judges, international organizations, bar associations and scholars, lecturing and publishing extensively on issues of international jurisprudence. Bill has served on the UNYP faculty since 2002, teaching law, ethics and critical thinking in its undergraduate and graduate programs. He has also taught at Stanford University, lectured at Charles and Anglo-American Universities and taught U.S. law students studying in Prague. Bill was voted the outstanding faculty member by the 2007 UNYP graduating class. In 2010, he has been nominated for the Lorenzo Natali Prize by the European Commission in recognition of contribution to rule of law, human rights and democracy, and appeared as amicus curiae before the International Criminal Court in The Hague in a case of first impression under international law.
Mr. Cohn received his law degree from the University of California and his B.A. degree from Stanford University. He practiced law for a decade in California, where he was honored by the State Bar for his work and the law firm he founded was selected as a sponsor firm of the Bar Association of San Francisco. A member of the State Bar of California, he is admitted for practice in U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals. Bill has worked on Capitol Hill, for a U.S. federal district court judge, and at the United Nations. He was invited by the Board of the J. William Fulbright Commission to assist the Commission in developing its agenda and program on the Rule of Law.

Anna Higgs

L.L.M, Georgetown University, USA

Anna Higgs teaches Career Development and law classes at UNYP. She received her law degree and an advanced law degree (LL.M in Taxation) from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. In addition to teaching, Anna also is a co-owner of D.I.K. Consulting, a business and management consulting firm. Anna worked for many years at Price Waterhouse, both in Prague and in the US, as a senior manager and in other positions in the tax and legal departments. In addition, she has also worked as a law clerk and a senior attorney for over six years in Washington D.C.. Anna also works as a trainer of workshops, seminars and conference.

Massimiliano Pastore

M.A., Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
M.J., Università degli Studi di Foggia, Italy

Massimiliano Pastore is an attorney and a comparative law teacher.  He received his law degree from the University of Bari in Italy and a MA degree from the Freie Universitaet of Berlin. He has practiced law since 2003 and has been advising investors on several high profile transactions (private equity, acquisitions, mergers, real estate development, leveraged buyouts) as head of the Italian desk of a Prague boutique law firm specialising on corporate and tax law.  He is a dual qualified attorney admitted to practice in Italy and the Czech Republic.  He has been lecturing on comparative business law at the Anglo-American University in Prague since 2007, focusing on contract and tort law.

Pietro Andrea Podda

Ph.D., Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
MRes., Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Master Degree in Political Sciences, LUISS University, Italy

Pietro was born in Sardinia, Italy and educated in Rome. He studied Political Sciences and specialized, at a Master level, in EU and International Affairs. He was an active member of the group advising the Erasmus Program. After a further post - Master course on EU law he started working in the banking sector as a financial analyst and later, as an investment consultant.

Radim Polcak