Course team
Dr Anna Antoniou
Dr Anna Antoniou is an international expert in Maritime and Commercial Law. She holds an LLM in Maritime Law and a PhD in International Trade Finance from the University of Southampton and is a visiting professor in Business Law at the University of Navarra, Spain.
In 2021 she was appointed National Special Rapporteur at the International Academy of Comparative Law, representing the United Kingdom. Her work, Soft Law in International Trade Finance, was published by Brill in 2024.
Anna is a member of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association, the Society of Legal Scholars and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is a member of the International Chamber of Commerce, sitting as part of the Commission for Commercial Law and Practice (Working Group on the Digitalisation of Commercial Practice) and the Global Banking Commission.
Anna has published over 40 articles in her specialism, both in the UK and abroad, including in the United States with the Institute of International Banking Law and Practice. She is also a reviewer for UKRI’s Economic and Social Research Council.
At the University of Brighton, Anna is Academic Subject lead for Law (Portfolio Development), Senior Lecturer in Business Law and part of the REF leadership team for business.
Dr Adaeze Okoye
Adaeze holds a PhD in Law from the University of Hull and is a qualified barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. She is an honorary member of the honourable society of the Inner Temple, one of the four Inns of Court in London.
She was an academic fellow (2015–2018) and an associate academic fellow (2018–2023) at the same inn. A senior fellow of the Advance HE (SFHEA), Adaeze promotes student-centred learning and research-informed teaching approaches to higher education.
She is a member of the Society of Legal Scholars (SLS) and has been appointed to join the SLS equality, diversity, and inclusion committee. She has authored the influential monograph, Legal Approaches and Corporate Social Responsibility, as well as many journal articles and book chapters. Her research focuses on corporate law, corporate governance, business and human rights.
Adaeze is on the editorial advisory board of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) open access book series, Reimagining Law and Justice. She is also an associate editor of the Journal of Corporate Law Studies. Adaeze co-leads the University of Brighton law subject group.
Dr Victor Ediagbonya
Dr Victor Ediagbonya is an internationally recognised expert in fintech and financial inclusion, financial regulation and comparative corporate governance in the Global South. He is a Senior Lecturer in Law and Postgraduate Course Lead.
Victor’s research focuses on the intersection between regulation and financial inclusion in developing and emerging economies. He is the author of Corporate Governance in Africa(Routledge, 2025) and has published widely in several peer-reviewed journals, including ‘The role of fintech in driving financial inclusion in developing and emerging markets: issues, challenges and prospects’ (2023).
Victor is a barrister in England and Wales and a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Before moving into academia, Victor practised as a lawyer and consultant, advising corporate clients as well as governmental and non‑governmental organisations in both Nigeria and the UK.
Victor is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb).