Who We Are
AAI is committed to delivering best-in-class legal advocacy training around the world. Our goal is to equip advocates with the skills they need to operate at the highest level, regardless of where they are in their career.
Layla Dean-Verity
Barrister | Director
Called to the English Bar in 2018, Layla Dean-Verity is the founder and director of Advocacy Advisory International and a barrister with almost 30 years’ experience in both the legal and non-profit sectors, conducting commercial civil mediation and international arbitration. She has extensive experience working with partners at a governmental level, directing strategic meetings, and conducting conflict resolution.
Professional History
Member of the Inner Temple
Director, Advocacy Advisory International (2024 to present)
Barrister, Chambers of Layla Dean-Verity (2024 to present)
Barrister, Erimus Chambers (2019 to 2024)
Barrister, Drystone Chambers (2019)
Called to the Bar (2018)
Visiting Lecturer, University of Westminster (2017 to 2019)
Legal Advisor, Shahid Afridi Foundation (2013 to 2016)
Founder and CEO, Basic Human Rights (2009 to 2016)
Director of Business Development, Khan Solicitors (1997 to 2012)
Qualifications
BBA Business Administration and Management, Univeristy of Bradford
MBA, Business Administration and Management, University of Bradford
Accredited Civil & Commercial Mediator, Mediation, ADR Group
LLM, Transnational & International Organised Criminal Law, BPP Law School
Reza A. B. Choudhury
Associate, Advocacy Trainer
Reza Choudhury is a barrister with two decades’ experience.
Called to the English Bar in 2003, Reza practices in all aspects of commercial and civil litigation. He has experience of trial and appellate work, as well as applications and injunctive relief. He regularly appears at all levels of the Court and Tribunal hierarchy at all locations.
Reza’s work also focuses on data protection & privacy (EU, UK, and Global), and information security and cybercrime. Reza has experience of negotiating and drafting complex commercial contracts as well as appearing before courts in such disputes. Reza’s GDPR work is varied and appears in Tribunal/Courts in data disputes.
In addition to his advisory and litigation work, Reza undertakes mediation and arbitration work in all of the above dispute areas. He is an accredited civil and commercial Mediator and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), UK. He undertakes cross jurisdictional work in Europe, Middle East, South East Asia, and Africa.
Reza delivers in-house training to companies, education providers, and NGOs. He is an advocacy, ethics, diversity & inclusion trainer for the Bar and an international advocacy trainer. He sits as a part time Chair of Education Appeal Panel. He is Chair of a local authority Standards Advisory Committee dealing with code of conduct matters for elected public representatives and ethics/standards in public life.
Assel Utepova
Legal Expert, Kazakhstan
Assel Utepova is a highly respected legal professional with an impressive career spanning judicial roles and academia. As a current Judge at the Almaty Specialised Interdistrict Juvenile Court, Assel handles complex family law cases, including divorce, child custody, and property disputes. With over a decade of judicial experience, she previously served as a Judge at the Auezov District Court, where she managed a wide array of civil cases, demonstrating her deep expertise in dispute resolution.
Assel’s legal background is complemented by her international qualifications, including a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP Law University in London. She holds an LLM from the Institute of Justice, Kazakhstan, and is a certified international civil-commerce mediator, awarded by ADR-ODR International, London.
Her career is further enriched by her experience as a legal expert for Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court and a lawyer at KOR Oil Company, where she honed her skills in contract drafting, negotiations, and procurement. In addition to her legal practice, Assel has also contributed to legal education as a tutor, shaping the next generation of legal professionals.
Sibah Farooq
Legal Expert, Pakistan
Sibah Farooq is a distinguished international lawyer with over two decades of experience in legal advisory and cross-jurisdictional dispute resolution. In 2014, she founded one of Islamabad’s first women-led law firms, through which she advises a wide range of domestic and international clients.
Recognized as a leading international legal consultant, Sibah has worked with prominent global institutions including UKAID, UNHCR, ICRC, and UNAIDS on developmental legal projects. She has also collaborated with international organizations and Pakistan’s Ministry of Law and Justice on drafting legislation for the domestic implementation of international treaties.
Her commitment to public service includes a four-year tenure in a quasi-judicial capacity at the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat of Pakistan, where she adjudicated over 2,000 cases of governmental maladministration, including matters directly remanded by the President of Pakistan.
Sibah is nationally acknowledged as a public interest litigator and a tireless human rights advocate. Early in her career, she worked alongside the late Asma Jahangir on the landmark Samia Sarwar case, which brought global attention to the issue of honour killings in Pakistan. She later filed a pioneering petition before the Lahore High Court advocating for anti-bullying legislation in educational institutions. Most recently, she has filed a High Court petition for animal rights, seeking nationwide legislation to ban the captivity and abuse of animals.
In recognition of her contributions, the University of Leeds named her an Outstanding Alumni and a Trailblazing Lawyer and Human Rights Advocate in Pakistan. In April 2024, Sibah was honoured at the national exhibition “100 Years of Women in Law in Pakistan” at Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore, where her achievements were featured among the country’s most impactful legal professionals.