Leila Saad is the Executive Director of PILnet and is based in the organization’s New York office. She served as Deputy Director from 2019 through 2021. Prior to joining PILnet, she was a non-profit consultant for many years, working with organizations in the New York and Washington, D.C., areas. Previously, she worked at the JEHT Foundation, where she helped run the International Justice grantmaking portfolio to challenge U.S. exceptionalism to international law and legal mechanisms. She is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, where she studied international political economy. 

Isabel Chang is the Senior Program Officer of PILnet’s Hong Kong office. Isabel manages the Hong Kong Pro Bono Clearinghouse and other programs aimed at improving access to pro bono legal services for NGOs and social enterprises and the communities they work with.

Prior to joining PILnet, Isabel worked at various non-profit organizations in research and communication, project management, and community outreach. With the passion to serve the marginalized communities, previously she worked at Mission for Migrant Workers assisting migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong. Isabel graduated with an LLM in Human Rights from the University of Hong Kong

Jonathan Davis is the Assistant Director of PILnet’s office in Hong Kong. He began his legal career in the corporate immigration sector, where he spent over a decade working as a US and Irish immigration lawyer in New York, London, Dublin and Hong Kong. Jonathan’s human rights experience includes a bonded labor abolition project in South Asia with the International Justice Mission, and more recently, a year at Justice Centre Hong Kong providing legal support to refugees and asylum seekers. In addition to a JD degree, Jonathan has an LL.M. from the School of Oriental and African Studies and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Rights Law from the National Law School of India. He is qualified to practice in Hong Kong, California, Ireland and England & Wales.

Judit Geller is a Senior Legal Officer  based in PILnet’s Budapest office. Judit is an experienced human rights lawyer who has been leading strategic litigation and legal advocacy challenging human rights abuses and discrimination of Roma in Europe. Prior joining to PILnet, Judit worked as a senior lawyer for the European Roma Rights Centre and represented victims of discrimination at domestic courts, at the European Court of Human Rights and UN Treaty bodies, focusing on advancing equality and access to justice for women and children. Judit holds a Master Degree in Law, an LLM in Children’s Rights, and a BA in Public Administration and is admitted to the Budapest Bar of Hungary.

Sarah Gibbs is the Development & Program Officer based in the New York office. Prior to joining PILnet, she earned her MS at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs where she consulted with multiple international nonprofits while studying peacebuilding and international development. Prior to her time at NYU, Sarah served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Georgia where she worked on multiple projects focused on youth civic engagement and gender equality. She has seven years of administrative experience in a small law firm and holds a BA in English and Psychology.

Toby Greenfield joined PILnet in 2018 and now serves as the Director for Development and Communications based in the New York office. She is involved in creating and implementing PILnet’s development and communication strategy and responsible for managing the development process for foundation and government grants. Prior to joining PILnet, Toby worked for the SUNY Center for International Development as a Communications Coordinator and for the UN’s International Organization for Migration as a Communications Fellow. Previously, she spent 16 years in the private sector working in strategy and planning for television networks. Toby has a Master’s in Public Administration, concentrating in Nonprofit Management and Global Policy, from Rockefeller College, part of University at Albany, and a Bachelor’s of Science from Syracuse University.

Candice Johnson is the Communications and Technology Manager based out of the New York office. In this role, she works as part of the Development and Communications team to develop PILnet’s internal and external communications as well as manages all of PILnet’s digital platforms. Prior to joining PILnet, Candice worked at Odyssey Impact as a Project Manager where she managed and developed their online multimedia resource and worked to broaden their faith-based network. Previously, she worked as Marketing Manager at Liaoyuan International High School in Shanghai, China. Candice received her M.S. in Global Affairs from New York University with a specialization in International Relations.

Mavis Lam is the Program and Administration Assistant of PILnet’s Hong Kong office. She provides support to the Hong Kong Pro Bono Clearinghouse, helping to connect pro bono lawyers with NGOs and social enterprises working on diverse social issues. She also plans and coordinates logistics for workshops for NGOs and law firms.

Prior to joining PILnet, Mavis worked as a program officer at several non-profit organizations, including a social service center and a human rights organization, where she was involved in project management, resource coordination, and database management. With the passion to promote social change, previously she initiated a project to address the problems of consumerism and poverty in Hong Kong. Mavis graduated with B.A. in Japanese Studies from the University of Hong Kong.

Madeeha Majid is a Project Officer (Forced Displacement) based in India. Madeeha has engaged on a broad range of legal issues and worked with international organizations and NGOs, including the United Nations International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (Syria), Kofi Annan Foundation (Geneva), UNDP, Global Rights Compliance (The Hague), and the ICRC (New Delhi Delegation). She has also provided pro bono legal support to refugee led organizations and been involved in advocacy matters. Madeeha graduated cum laude from Leiden University (2020) with an Advanced LL.M. in Public International Law, where she also participated at the Kalshoven-Gieskes Forum on International Humanitarian Law. Previously, Madeeha completed a 5 years integrated law training (with distinction) from the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, India (2019).

Julia Mayerhofer is currently the Director of PILnet’s Asia office.  She joined the team in July 2018 and oversees all operations and programs of PILnet in Asia. Previously she was with the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) for seven years and led the Network as Executive Director/Secretary General from 2015-2018. Prior to her work with APRRN, Julia worked with a refugee community center in Hong Kong where she supported fundraising, project development, and also community outreach. Julia is an Austrian national and has a B.A. in Educational Sciences and a M.A. degree in Development Studies. In addition she has participated in various trainings related to human rights/refugee rights and remains a strong interest in this area.

Garth Meintjes was the executive director of PILnet from 2015 through 2021 and now serves as a Senior Consultant based in the organization’s New York office. Prior to joining PILnet, Garth served as the executive director of ISLP for nearly five years. In this role, he led the integration of the organization’s operations in the United States and Europe. Previously, Garth was chief operating officer at the International Legal Foundation, where he oversaw the expansion of their programs in Afghanistan and Nepal. Before this, he led the JEHT Foundation’s international justice program, which focused on challenging U.S. exceptionalism to international justice, particularly in its national security policies. Garth has a B.A. from the University of Stellenbosch, an LL.B. from the University of Cape Town, and LL.M. and JSD degrees from the University of Notre Dame.

Anastassiya Miller is a Senior Legal Officer, based out of the New York office. She is a Kazakh human rights lawyer with more than 10 years of experience in the human rights field, focusing on strategic litigation nationally and internationally. Anastassiya is a human rights trainer and specialist in the area of public control of closed facilities (pre-detention centers, prisons, mental hospitals, etc.).In 2015, she held an internship in Germany at the Institutfür Ostrecht, conducting research on various human rights issues in post-Soviet countries and drafting conclusions for the court. She graduated with an LL.M. degree in international human rights law from the University of Notre Dame in 2018.

Michelle Ng is the Incubation Manager of PILnet’s Hong Kong office. She coordinates the Law for Change Competitions for law students in Hong Kong, aiming at stimulating students’ interest in public interest law and raising awareness about the role of law as a tool for change. Michelle graduated with BSocSc in Policy Studies and Administration from the City University of Hong Kong, LLB from the University of London, and MSocSc in Criminology from the University of Hong Kong. Prior to joining PILnet, she worked for Mother’s Choice and Universities in Hong Kong, and has started some projects related to refugees.

Andrej Nosko is PILnet’s Director for Europe. Prior to joining PILnet, Andrej was head of a division at an international foundation overseeing portfolios on policy research, innovation, democracy, governance, anti-corruption, and law enforcement. There he also spearheaded design, innovation and uptake of new technologies in research and communication. Andrej also worked for European Commission on law enforcement and internal security. Nosko received his PhD (Summa Cum Laude) in political science from Central European University in Budapest.

Currently working on establishing PILnet’s Environment and Climate Justice program and increasing awareness of civil society to opportunities that Environmental, Social, and (Corporate) Governance (ESG) offers.

Giulia Patane is a Senior Legal Officer at PILnet’s Hong Kong office. Giulia is leading PILnet’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) Project across five jurisdictions in the region (Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Hong Kong). She holds an Integrated Master Degree in Law, a Specialization Degree in Law and a Master of Art in Human Rights. After working for a civil and criminal law firm and assisting the Public Prosecutor Office in Italy, Giulia moved to Asia in 2012 to design and implement NGOs and academic projects predominantly investigating Access to Justice for victims of trafficking in the South East Asian territory.

Raisa Shumeyko is the Finance Manager in PILnet’s New York office. As a Finance Manager, Raisa is responsible for a range of programs involving business and fiscal affairs of the organization. She works closely with the Budapest and Hong Kong offices to maintain grant reporting, allocations, and financial transactions. Prior to joining PILnet, Raisa worked extensively in the nonprofit sector providing accounting and consulting experience.  As a senior accountant at the Cathedral School and Greenwich House, she had managed financial aspects of operations ranging from bookkeeping functions to preparing the 990 form and Board reports. Raisa holds a BA in Accounting from National College of Finance in Moscow, Russia.

Jasmine Simperingham is currently the Global Project Coordinator (Forced Displacement) based in Geneva. She is working with the global legal community to use the power of law to protect and find solutions for refugees and others forcibly displaced. Jasmine joined the team in September 2020, coming to PILnet with over 15 years of international experience in the refugee protection, human rights and justice sectors. This includes more than 8 years experience with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as well as experience in the legal and justice sectors working for government authorities in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Jasmine holds a Master of Laws, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws, specializing in international human rights and international criminal law.

Qian Wu is the Finance Manager of PILnet Asia. Since 2012, Qian has been responsible for the financial functions of the office, including budgeting, accounting, and reporting. She has more than a decade of experience with nonprofit groups, including an organization that promotes the rule of law in China, a British charity assisting children and young adults with life-shortening conditions, and a Chinese policy bank focusing on agricultural development in China. She received her B.A. in economics from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and her masters in finance and accounting management from the University of Reading (U.K.).

Edwin Rekosh is the founder of PILnet, was its president and CEO until 2015, and continues to serve the organization as a senior advisor. He is currently a co-founder & managing partner of Rights CoLab, a platform for experts in the fields of civil society, technology, business and finance who collaborate to build new ways of organizing civic engagement and leveraging markets to improve the impact, resilience, and sustainability of human rights initiatives.

The original inspiration for PILnet, which Rekosh established as a program of Columbia Law School in August 1997, came from his work assisting the development of human rights groups in Romania and then elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe during the early 1990s as they sought to engage with their countries’ newly emerging constitutional orders. Rekosh lived for a cumulative total of 10 years in Romania and Hungary and has assisted civil society organizations and law schools to develop public interest legal programs in China and over 30 other countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. He has also been a leader in the global growth of pro bono practice.