Shaheeda Barrie, is an Attorney-at-Law with over 25 years of experience. She is a Barrister-at-Law of England & Wales (Gray’s Inn) and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK. Having served the Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka for over 20 years, where she rose to the rank of Deputy Solicitor General, she has reverted to private practice, presently heading her Law Chambers and functioning as a Legal Counsel.

Shaheeda has a record of academic excellence, holding an LL.B with first Class Honours from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK (LSE), the post-graduate degree of Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) from the University of Oxford, UK and a Masters in International Legal Studies specialising in Business Law (LL.M)(summa cum laude) from the American University, Washington College of Law, USA.

She is the recipient of a studentship form the London School of Economics & Political Science, the Commonwealth Scholarship from the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, UK, and the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship from the Fulbright Commission, USA.

During her tenure in public service, she was appointed as a legal advisor to both the Central Bank and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka and functioned as a member of the Company Law Advisory Commission of Sri Lanka.

As a Legal Consultant to multilateral organisations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and USAID she has and continues to engage in several areas of legal reform including Public Private Partnerships, Restructuring of State Owned Enterprises and the Digital Economy.

At an international level, she has functioned as a Short Term-Consultant at the World Bank, Washington DC, USA.

She is also a lecturer at both undergraduate and post graduate levels and is currently a visiting lecturer, at Sri Lanka Law College.

Her practice and experience spans litigation as well as corporate law with specialisations across sectors such as Financial and Investment Law, Securities Law, Public Private Partnerships, Contract and Commercial Law, Government Procurement and Legal Compliance, Trade Law, Private International Law, Tax Law, Company Law, Human Rights law and Public Law. She has also received training on Internet Law & Policy Issues.