With a career spanning the globe, David Isenegger is among The University of Alberta Faculty of Law's most distinguished graduates. After graduating, he went on to article at a private firm in Calgary, where he developed his expertise in energy law.
Isenegger currently calls London home - working as the Group Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Centrica.
Q: Your work in the energy industry has led you to positions in various international cities. Did you know in law school that you wanted to pursue energy law and practice internationally? What motivated you to make these areas your specialty?
A: No! I didn't take any energy related courses in law school and had no idea what kind or practice I wanted. I articled in Calgary and energy sort of chose me. I focused on international relations during my undergrad degree and took all of the international law courses available in law school. It never occurred to me that I could practice overseas.
Q: Only a few years after being called to the bar, you spent two years as a Team Leader with the United Nations (UN) Security Council in Geneva working to resolve energy sector claims against Iraq arising from the first Gulf War. Can you share any details on the nature of that work and how you got involved with the UN?
A: During my time at UAlberta Law, I took several courses with the late Professor Leslie C. Green, a world renowned international lawyer. In 1995, my UN boss met Green at a conference and asked him if he knew any energy lawyers, and Green gave him my name. Six months later, I was behind a desk in Geneva. My first job was working on Kuwait's claim for the cost of capping the burning wells blown up by the retreating Iraqi army. I then organized the program to decide $65 billion worth of other claims for damage to infrastructure and petroleum reservoirs.
Q: What advice do you have for junior lawyers in Alberta who want to take the oil and gas knowledge they've learned in Canada to positions internationally?
A: Go! Express an interest in international work to colleagues and alumni. Contact US and UK firms with an international presence and ask for an introductory meeting if you are travelling through Houston, London, Singapore or Hong Kong. I would also recommend taking the time to qualify in a second jurisdiction (England, New York, California or Texas). Finally, look for opportunities with Canadian companies with an international presence.