Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
References
Accomplishments
NGO & Pro Bono Work
Software
Work Availability
Languages
Timeline
Hi, I’m

BELINDA OPOKU AGYEMANG

International Trade And Legal Professional
Accra

Summary

International trade and legal professional with a strong record in trade law, intellectual property, international investment law, dispute settlement, and policy development. Experienced in multilateral negotiations, high-level policy advisory, and cross-border trade facilitation, with work spanning the AfCFTA Secretariat, Legal Aid Commission, NGOs, and the private sector. Recognized for advancing regional integration, SME competitiveness, and innovation ecosystems through legal and policy expertise.

Overview

9
years of professional experience
4
Certifications
2
Languages

Work History

Africa Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat

Trade & Intellectual Property Rights Intern
07.2024 - 08.2025

Job overview

  • Developed comprehensive matrices synthesizing State Party comments, Secretariat responses, and corresponding provisions, which became core reference tools during technical negotiations.
  • Actively supported the 5th–8th Committee on Intellectual Property Meetings, contributing to negotiations and drafting reports formally adopted as Secretariat legal records.
  • Analyzed and compiled data on IPR frameworks at national, regional, and international levels of AU Member States, producing comparative datasets on treaties, registrations, publications, oppositions, and filings by nationals, residents, non-residents, regional offices, and international regimes.
  • Produced country-level IP policy analyses that informed negotiation positions.
  • Prepared high-level institutional documents including terms of reference, work plans, memoranda, agendas, briefing notes, letters, official reports, and presentations, strengthening Secretariat capacity and ensuring alignment with AU standards.
  • Assisted in drafting concept notes, speeches, and talking points for senior officials, supporting high-level engagements with AfCFTA and AU stakeholders and partners.

Soho Law Consult

Legal Associate
01.2023 - 06.2024

Job overview

  • Supported arbitration and ADR cases involving commercial and investment disputes.
  • Conducted legal research and analysis on AfCFTA, WTO, and Ghanaian trade law, preparing client advisories.
  • Assisted senior lawyers in preparing case files, correspondence, legal briefs for clients.
  • Produced enforceable cross-border contracts that safeguarded SME interests and complied with international trade standards.
  • Provided timely legal research that informed case strategy and arbitration proceedings.

Kotakyi Company Limited

Product Development Manager
01.2023 - 11.2023

Job overview

  • Spearheaded successful 50% product diversification initiatives that increased company competitiveness in West African markets.
  • Coordinated cross-border market research and trade data analysis.
  • Strengthened cross-border compliance processes by aligning supplier contracts with ECOWAS standards.
  • Enhanced company’s export potential through evidence-based trade data analysis and market entry strategies.

Legal Aid Commission, Ghana

Legal Officer(National Service)
09.2021 - 11.2022

Job overview

  • Drafted about 200 pleadings, motions, contracts, and legal opinions for clients, ensuring compliance with Ghanaian law and enforceability in court.
  • Supported mediation, arbitration, and negotiation processes to resolve disputes outside the courts, reducing backlog and cost for clients.
  • Conducted client consultations, legal counseling, and advisory sessions on rights enforcement and remedies available under Ghanaian and international law.
  • Designed and delivered legal education and awareness programs on access to justice, ADR, and human rights protection and remedies.
  • Partnered with civil society and development agencies (GIZ, LRC) to advocate for reforms improving access to justice.

Judina Chambers

Legal Associate( Trainee)
01.2017 - 01.2020

Job overview

  • Conducted comprehensive legal research and drafted court pleadings, contracts, and advisory opinions.
  • Supported litigation teams in trial preparation, case analysis, and evidence compilation.
  • Contributed to the successful drafting and review of shareholder agreements, partnership deeds, and commercial contracts, ensuring legal soundness and enforceability.
  • Delivered research and analysis that supported effective litigation strategies in company law and commercial disputes.
  • Strengthened client advisory processes by producing accurate compliance notes on business registration and corporate governance.
  • Drafted legal correspondence and advisory letters, addressing client queries and legal concerns.

Education

University of Ghana
Accra

M.D. from International Law
05.2001

University Overview

Central University
Accra, Ghana

LL.B from Law
07-2021

University Overview

Skills

International Trade Law

Certification

Fellow, Association of Young Arbitrators (AYA) | Member, Young ICCA

References

References
Available upon request.

Accomplishments

Accomplishments
  • Selected to support draft Annexes negotiations on Patents, Copyright, Utility Models, Plant Varieties Protection, Geographical Indication, Industrial Designs, and Traditional Knowledge /Traditional Cultural Expressions & Genetic Resources under the AfCFTA IP Protocol.
  • Contributed to Africa-wide IP landscape report and research.
  • Played a central role in developing negotiation matrices summarizing state party positions vs. secretariat responses.
  • Drafted and supported landmark rights-based cases involving vulnerable groups in Legal Aid.
  • Currently developing scholarly articles on intellectual property within the AfCFTA IP ecosystem, focusing on harmonization, enforcement, and the role of the AfCFTA IP Office.



NGO & Pro Bono Work

NGO & Pro Bono Work


  • Spearheaded human rights-based campaigns on gender-based violence, children’s right to education, and menstrual health, including initiatives providing sanitary pads to young girls in schools.
  • Drafted and supported landmark rights-based cases involving vulnerable groups in Legal Aid .

Software

Legal Research & Case Management: LexisNexis, Westlaw, Relativity, Contract Express

Data Analysis & Visualization: Excel (Advanced), Power BI, Tableau, Stata, Python

Machine Learning for Legal Analytics, NLP for Legal Texts, Smart Contracts (Blockchain)

MS Office Suite, Google Workspace, Asana, MS Teams

Availability
See my work availability
Not Available
Available
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Languages

English
Advanced (C1)
French
Elementary (A2)

Timeline

Trade & Intellectual Property Rights Intern
Africa Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat
07.2024 - 08.2025
Legal Associate
Soho Law Consult
01.2023 - 06.2024
Product Development Manager
Kotakyi Company Limited
01.2023 - 11.2023
Legal Officer(National Service)
Legal Aid Commission, Ghana
09.2021 - 11.2022
Legal Associate( Trainee)
Judina Chambers
01.2017 - 01.2020
University of Ghana
M.D. from International Law
05.2001
Central University
LL.B from Law

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BELINDA OPOKU AGYEMANGInternational Trade And Legal Professional