Class of 2025
Azzedine Guinto Sadsad (International Tax Law LLM, 2025)
I am thrilled to share that I have completed my Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Tax Law at Queen Mary University of London, graduating with the highest academic honors — a Distinction.
My dissertation, “Between Commitment and Compliance: A Critical Assessment of the Philippines’ Transfer Pricing Documentation Framework under BEPS Action 13,” was also marked with Distinction. It explores the gap between the Philippines’ formal commitment to the OECD’s BEPS Action 13 and its substantive compliance in implementing transfer pricing documentation rules. By comparing the Philippine experience with those of Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand, the research highlights the need for legal, institutional, and technological reforms to turn symbolic compliance into genuine enforcement that safeguards revenues and enhances tax transparency.
I am deeply grateful to my professors Joy Svasti-Salee, Christiana HJI Panayi Vasiliki Koukoulioti and Bernard Schneider—true rockstars in the field of international tax law—for their brilliance, patience, and generosity in sharing their knowledge.
To my cohort mates, thank you for the friendship, collaboration, and for trusting me to serve as your Course Representative. The moments we shared in lectures, assessment seasons, and cohort events made this year truly memorable. I look forward to seeing all of you again this January.
Lastly, I would like to thank the Chevening Awards and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for investing in my potential to make a difference. This life-changing journey has deepened my resolve to contribute to policy reforms that bring us closer to a fair, transparent, and sustainable tax system for the Philippines.
Annabel Coffie (Regulation and Compliance in Finance LLM, 2025)
Exactly a year ago today . I remember asking my friend to take a photo of me so I could send it to my parents. Standing with the Lincoln’s Inn Fields park behind me and the Centre for Commercial Law Studies in front of me, My mum replied, “Now that you’ve settled in, focus and bring home the A’s.”
An obedient child I am because of THAT, I did !
Today, it is an absolute delight to share that I have successfully completed my studies and have confirmed that I will be graduating with a Distinction in my LLM in Regulation and Compliance in Finance from Queen Mary University of London!
I’ll spare you the usual platitudes about how hard the journey was and how hard I fought…(though expect them on graduation day).
I am, however, truly proud of my dissertation, titled: “When Last Resort Becomes First Choice: Regulatory Forbearance, Moral Hazard, and Institutional Fragility in the UK and Ghana Post-COVID.”
It explored regulatory forbearance from a developing-country perspective; one that, as my markers noted, is “oftentimes not seen.” This thesis reflects my enduring interest in the intersection of regulation, governance, and finance.
This achievement was first and foremost a product of God’s grace. All glory be to God!
I am deeply grateful to my parents and family for their unwavering support; I know I couldn’t have done this without them.
A heartfelt thank you to Kamala Dawar, my fantastic supervisor, who guided me and believed in my direction even when I questioned it along the way.
To my mother, Professor Coffie, with all your workload, you still found time to proofread and pull my drafts apart, only to help me rebuild them stronger. I love you so much.
To my mentor Janice Acquaah , gifted to me through the CCLS postgraduate Law mentorship programme a very sincere thank you for going above and beyond for me. I’m happy to say I’ve found a lifelong mentor.
A special thank you to Professor Rosa Lastra; as someone newly pivoting from corporate law into financial law, you made everything about financial regulation easy to assimilate. Your teaching built the foundation for much of what I now understand and love about this field.
Another heartfelt thank you to Professor John Taylor , a steady and infinite source of wisdom and counsel, one that I will continue to run to for counsel! Another gift CCLS gave me.
And finally, to my new friends and faculty members: you made coming to class easy and every day worthwhile.
It was a challenging yet deeply rewarding year and I’m so excited for what’s next in London’s legal and compliance world.
Pritam Dumbré (Comparative and International Dispute Resolution LLM, 2025)
It is with great honour and gratitude that I share the successful culmination of my LLM in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution with a Merit at the dynamic Queen Mary University of London.
I might have imagined that a second master’s would come a little easier, given the experience of having undertaken one before. But this one turned out to be more demanding- more exacting in the best possible way. And for that, I’m truly grateful.
Over the past year, my journey through the QMUL - The London LLM brought together an assortment of subjects that made my learning experience a wholesome one. I studied several modules from the Dispute Resolution cohort, two from the Intellectual Property specialization, and one on Art Disputes and Their Resolution, which I was fortunate to have shared with my batchmates from the Art, Business and Law LL.M. This blend of disciplines helped broaden my horizons. Beyond that, Electives in Structuring Arguments and Avoiding Plagiarism, Critical Thinking and Legal Writing, and Effective Presentation Skills sharpened my approach to research and drafting in ways that extend well beyond the curriculum.
Most of all, I owe thanks to the School of International Arbitration (QMUL), for igniting and nurturing my passion for International Arbitration. A zeal that I now carry forward with deep enthusiasm and conviction.
To my mother, Adv. Arundhati Dumbre, whose wisdom and aspiration inspired me every step of the way- this degree belongs to her as much as it does to me. And to my professors- (brace yourselves for a long list of luminaries) -
Dr. Maria Fanou, Prof Loukas Mistelis FCIArb, Dr. Theodora Christou, Prof Johanna Gibson, Gavin Sutter, Dr. Debbie De Girolamo, Professor Alexander Herman, Professor Emily Gould, Simona Valkova, Dr Thomas Lehmann, Nicholas Lloyd and Professor Florian Koempel- thank you for everything you’ve brought to my academic and professional life. Your influence has been both profound and lasting.
As I look back, I remember this journey with fond memories, and an enduring sense of belonging to this institution that has in many ways shaped who I am. To my fellow graduates and alumni- may we remain bound by the virtue of this institution we now proudly call our Alma Mater.