Riley T. Denoon (Cody)
JD, LLM, JSD
Co-Director

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Based in Canada & Europe
Fluent in English & French

RILEY T. DENOON is the co-director of the International Waters Governance Research Initiative (IWGRI) and a Canadian Barrister and Solicitor. He holds a Doctorate (J.S.D.) in public international law, obtained under the supervision of Prof. Stephen McCaffrey, former Special Rapporteur to the International Law Commission on the non-navigational uses of international watercourses. With extensive litigation experience, Riley currently practices independently as a lawyer and consultant, and has worked before various courts and tribunals, including as legal advisor to Chile in the case concerning the Dispute over the Status and Use of the Waters of the Silala (Chile v. Bolivia) before the International Court of Justice.

With over a decade of experience, Riley has worked with the UN, including with UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Unit, as well as with national and provincial governments, NGOs, local stakeholders, and private clients. His current areas of work, publication, and research center on transboundary water law, public international law, Indigenous rights, environmental governance, and international dispute resolution.

He has served as an adjunct professor at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and has taught courses and conducted trainings in international law, water resources law, international dispute resolution, and stakeholder engagement. Notably, he was a co-editor of the Research Handbook on International Water Law (Edward Elgar, 2019).

Riley is a dual Canadian and French national and works in both English and French.

International Waters Governance and the International Waters Governance Research Initiative (IWGRI) provide research, education and capacity building in international water law and governance but do not provide legal advice or legal services.