THE CORE

Karnig Kerkonian is an international lawyer with 25 years of experience in legal cases involving foreign states, international law, human rights, and sanctions regimes. Mr. Kerkonian has been lead counsel in a number of notable Armenian rights cases in U.S. and international courts, including before the U.N. Human Rights Committee, the European Court of Human Rights, and U.S. federal courts. He is lead counsel in international efforts to secure the integrity of the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem and in matters to seek accountability and protection against the appropriation of Armenian cultural heritage. Mr. Kerkonian holds an A.B. magna cum laude in government from Harvard University, two law degrees—a J.D. from the University of Chicago, where he served on the Law Review, and a post-graduate Diploma in International Law from Cambridge University, England, where he studied under James R. Crawford, former Judge on the International Court of Justice, and an Honorary Doctorate from Artsakh State University.

 Armine Aleksanyan is a seasoned diplomat with over 20 years of experience in international relations. From 2015 to 2022, she served as the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh, where she played a crucial role in shaping the region's foreign policy and international outreach. In most recent years Aleksanyan has held several key diplomatic roles oversees  subsequently representing the interests of Artsakh in the Kingdom of Belgium and the EU, as well as in the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Cyprus.  In addition to her diplomatic career, Aleksanyan is an educator and interpreter, having served as a guest lecturer in Translation Studies and English language courses at Artsakh State University and contributing to organizations like BBC Monitoring etc. Her academic background includes a Master’s degree in Diplomatic Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of London and a diploma in Politics and International Relations from the University of Westminster. She is fluent in Armenian, English, Russian, and has basic proficiency in German. 

Elizabeth Al-Dajani is an appellate lawyer and adjunct law professor. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, class actions, fraud and foreign sovereign immunities litigation. Before starting in private practice, Ms. Al-Dajani served as a judicial law clerk (lawyer) to the judiciary in Illinois at the trial and appellate levels and drafted over 2,000 orders and 100 appeal rulings entered for her designated matters. Her Juris Doctor degree is from the University of Illinois-Chicago, College of Law, where her comment on international intellectual property law in Iraq, post application of the TRIPS Agreement, was published. Ms. Al-Dajani has extensive experience in human rights and property issues in Jerusalem and the West Bank and has actively managed legal teams in coordinated advocacy for personal property rights and indigenous rights as well as civil cases related to genocide profiteering by private businesses and interested parties. She has traveled to numerous areas of conflict 

Irene Victoria Massimino is a lawyer specialized in human rights and international criminal law with over 12 years of experience in international law cases. She holds a Juris Doctor from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina;  an LLM from Indiana University, USA; a MA in Human Rights from the University of London, UK; and currently a  SJD Candidate at Indiana University, USA. Massimino was a former High Criminal Court Rapporteur in  Argentina where several of her draft rulings became leading jurisprudence and were internationally recognized for their contribution to human rights. Massimino is currently a member of international investigative delegations and trial observation missions in Iraq and Colombia. She is also currently an Adjunct Professor in International Law, Comparative Law and Genocide and the Law, USA, and a Member of several national and international non-governmental organizations (IAGS, ASIL, MPSA, LSA, Colombian Caravana-UK Lawyers Group, World Association of Armenian Lawyers). Massimino was the former co-founding President of the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention (LIGP). 

Ani Nazaryan is a transactional and litigation attorney, dedicated to providing strategic legal counsel to businesses and individuals navigating complex transactions. With  extensive experience in corporate governance, contract drafting, cybersecurity and data privacy law, Nazaryan delivers practical and business oriented solutions to each client's unique needs. Nazaryan previously worked at Kerkonian Dajani LLP as an associate attorney, where she honed her skills in consumer fraud matters,  international transactions and foreign sovereign immunities litigation.  Prior to that, she worked as a legal extern for the World Bank, working on big data and anti-corruption measures. She graduated from Southwestern Law School with a J.D. concentration in Technology Law and Entrepreneurship. As a law student, among other roles, she served as a fellow for the Negotiation Honors Program, president for the Armenian Law Students Association, and peer mentor for first year law students.