His experience covers complex and politically sensitive trade disputes including matters, and appearances before panels, involving the GATT 1994 and the Anti-Dumping, Safeguards, SCM, SPS and TBT Agreements, as well as equivalent FTA provisions and the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Recent disputes include EU – AD Duties on Fatty Acid (Indonesia), Chinese Taipei – Offshore Wind Installations (EU), EU – Palm Oil (Indonesia) and EU – Safeguard Measures on Steel (Turkey).
Jason also regularly advises governments and private clients on the compatibility of domestic legislation and practice with WTO law, as well as on a variety of trade policy and regulatory issues including government procurement, EU and UK sanctions, international labour law, and global ESG-related compliance.
Before joining Van Bael & Bellis, Jason worked as a Dispute Settlement Lawyer in both the Legal Affairs and Rules Divisions of the World Trade Organization in Geneva. There, he advised WTO panelists on complex factual and legal issues, contributed to the drafting of panel reports, and assisted in the management of procedural and organisational aspects of multiple State-to-State disputes and WTO committees.
Representative matters
- Acting for Indonesia in EU – Palm Oil (Indonesia), the first major challenge to the European Green Deal brought before the WTO.
- Acting for Türkiye in EU – Safeguard Measures on Steel (Turkey), including designing an ad hoc appeal arbitration mechanism.
- Representing Indonesia in its challenge to EU Anti-Dumping duties in EU – AD Duties on Fatty Acids (Indonesia).
- Advising multiple UK government departments, including the Department for Business and Trade, Defra, the Trade Remedies Authority and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, on complex trade and regulatory matters, including risk-based assessments of potential disputes.
Professional
- Admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa, 2022
Academic
- Master of Laws (International Trade Law), University of Cape Town, 2017
- Bachelor of Laws, Rhodes University, 2015 (Dean’s list for Academic Merit)
- Bachelor of Arts (Legal Theory and Philosophy), Rhodes University, 2013
- Winner, SIEL /Cambridge University Press Global Essay Competition, 2015
Publications
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- “‘Plurilateral Agreements’ & ‘Spaghetti Bowl’,” in K. Nadakavukaren Schefer and T. Cottier (eds.), Elgar Encyclopedia of International Economic Law, Edward Elgar (2024)
- An Argument for More Plurilateral Agreements and Their Value for Developing Countries: Stemming the Tide of Preferential Trade Agreements, Post-Doha,” University of Cape Town (2017)
- The Legitimate Regulatory Distinction Test: Incomplete and Inadequate for the Particular Purposes of the TBT Agreement,” World Trade Review (2016)
Speaking engagements
- “The Legitimate Regulatory Distinction Test”, SIEL 2016 Johannesburg Global Conference, Society of International Economic Law, Johannesburg, 2016
