Elena Blanco

Elena Blanco is an Associate Professor of International Economic Law at the Bristol Law School, University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), where she is part of the Faculty of Business and Law (FBL - Law). Her academic work bridges public and private international law, with a critical focus on the socio-legal challenges of neoliberal globalization.

Her research centers on distributional justice, access to natural resources, environmental and climate justice, and litigation against corporate actors. She investigates the colonial roots of contemporary global economic systems and develops legal strategies for a post-capitalist, sustainable future. Key themes include extra-territorial litigation, commoning, resistance to injustice, and cooperative legal models.

Her teaching covers International Commercial Disputes, Trade and Natural Resources Law, Environmental Law and Climate Change, and International Investment Law. She actively supervises dissertations and higher research degrees and welcomes collaboration with researchers and community organizations.

Elena Blanco is involved in several research collaborations, including the Asian Network on Trade, Investment and Sustainability (ANTIS), the Environmental Law Unit (UWE), the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, Repair Acts, and The Future of the Commons. These reflect her commitment to sustainability, legal innovation, and global justice.

She holds law degrees from three countries: a Licenciatura and MA from Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain), and an LLM from London. She has professional experience in international arbitration, litigation, and as a consultant in Spanish law.

Her expertise includes:

• International Arbitration
• Environmental Justice
• Litigation against Multinational Companies
• Private International Law
• International Investment Law
• Globalisation and International Economic Law
• Trade, Investment and Sustainable Resource Use
• Spanish Law

Elena prioritizes local engagement and community collaboration. Outside academia, she enjoys traveling, sunny places, the sea, dogs, wild beaches, and abstract art.