Research Topics

Publications

The U4 Blog

Learning & events

About Us

U4 team member

Sophie Lemaître

Senior Adviser

I joined U4 in August 2019, to lead the work on natural resources as well as illicit financial flows (IFF). I'm a lawyer specialised in IFF and natural resources, with a focus on forest governance, extractive industries, and wildlife.

Prior to joining U4, I worked for various organisations and NGOs at the national and international level, including CIRAD, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, and Sherpa.

I did my law PhD at the University of Rennes 1 in France, on corruption, tax evasion/avoidance, and money laundering within the extractive industries. It highlights how certain actors succeed in perpetuating illicit practices, notably by being creative and innovative in manipulating, circumventing or diverting instruments and measures adopted to combat illicit financial flows.

I hold a Master degree in international business law from the University of Toulouse, France, as well as a LL.M. on international and European environmental law from University College London.