Professor Benedetta Audia is the Principal of International Development LLC, a firm that advises private sector companies on international development and business strategy, while also providing counsel to multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, and government entities. Widely recognized as the foremost expert on United Nations and World Bank procurement and implementation arrangements, Professor Audia brings a holistic understanding of the complex legal, operational, and institutional architecture of the international development system. Her expertise includes due diligence, investigations, fund disbursement, project design, and dispute resolution.

Prior to founding International Development LLC, Professor Audia was a Partner at DLA Piper, where she led the firm’s international development practice. Before that, she spent nearly two decades at the United Nations, where she was instrumental in designing the legal frameworks for thousands of multimillion-dollar projects across developing countries. Her role frequently involved leading negotiations with senior government officials to operationalize large-scale, cross-sectoral initiatives.

Earlier in her career, Professor Audia worked in mergers and acquisitions at Gianni, Origoni, Grippo, Cappelli & Partners, advising on a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions. In December 2024, she was appointed Legal Advisor to the Permanent Representative of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to the United Nations.

Her authoritative command of procurement and grant disbursement mechanisms, including vendor sanctions, bid protests, contract awards, and regulatory frameworks, has positioned her as a trusted advisor in complex disputes and international arbitrations spanning sectors such as infrastructure, health, procurement, and the environment.

Professor Audia has trained thousands of United Nations/World Bank personnel, government officials, and non-state actors on procurement systems, implementation frameworks, and the operational dimensions of international development. A prolific speaker and writer, she regularly addresses themes at the intersection of law, technology, and development, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and public procurement.

She currently serves as Professor of Procurement in International Development at George Washington University, Professor of Contracting in International Development at Fordham University, and Professor of Fashion Law and Art Law at LUISS Guido Carli University. She is also the co-author of three recent books on blockchain and the law, pandemic response, and fashion law. Professor Audia was recognized for her innovative leadership by Corporate Counsel through the Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards.

In addition to her professional and academic roles, Professor Audia serves on the Board of Directors of both the New York City Opera and Global Citizen, where she contributes her strategic insight and commitment to advancing the arts, global equity, and sustainable development.

David Rush, Senior Advisor and Counsel to International Development LLC, brings over 20 years of experience in both private and public sectors. He joins the firm after 14 years with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Most recently, he served as Acting Mission Director for USAID/Somalia. Previously, he served as USAID’s Foreign Service Deputy General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel for Africa. Earlier, he spent a decade at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in New York representing sovereigns and major institutional clients in complex litigations, arbitrations, and internal investigations.

David draws on deep expertise to coordinate with foreign government ministries, UN agencies, bilateral and multilateral donors, foreign business leaders, and international financial institutions, including the World Bank and African Development Bank. He advises Fortune 500 companies and other clients to form strategic partnerships with these institutions and design engagements that align with country frameworks and host government priorities. As part of his practice, he guides firms to ensure they meet procurement and due diligence requirements. He has spent over a decade unlocking public-private partnerships that advance international development.

As Acting Mission Director for USAID/Somalia, David managed a $500 million humanitarian and development portfolio in one of the world’s most complex operational environments. He partnered with UN agencies, international financial institutions, bilateral donors, and Somali authorities to harmonize activities and prevent aid diversion in conflict-affected regions. In his role as Foreign Service Deputy General Counsel, he guided USAID senior leadership on the legal dimensions of high-stakes engagements, including U.S. budget support and sovereign loan guarantees to Ukraine, humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and the safe evacuation of personnel from Sudan. Throughout his foreign service career, David lived and worked in Zambia, Malawi, Ukraine, Moldova, Kenya, and Somalia.

While at Cleary Gottlieb, David managed complex commercial disputes and arbitrations and led internal investigations for major financial institutions. He holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an M.A. and a B.A. degree from the University of Chicago. David is admitted to the New York Bar, the U.S. Supreme Court, and several other federal courts.

Clinton White, Senior Advisor to International Development LLC, brings more than 25 years of experience in international development, U.S. foreign policy, and national security. He helps the firm’s clients conceptualize projects across sectors and identify practical solutions in a proactive manner. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Mr. White attained the rank of Career Minister and served as Counselor of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Agency’s highest-ranking career Foreign Service Officer.

As USAID Counselor, Mr. White provided leadership across a national-security agency with a portfolio exceeding $38 billion spanning some 90 countries. He led Agency initiatives on localization, set the strategic agenda for mission directors overseas, and was responsible for USAID’s civil service and Foreign Service National workforce worldwide.

Before serving as Counselor, Mr. White was USAID’s Regional Representative for the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, based in Barbados, leading mission portfolios across the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, Barbados, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas. There he advanced climate-finance and resilience initiatives, including work with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre that helped mobilize roughly $95 million — $66.9 million of it from the Green Climate Fund — to strengthen regional water systems. Earlier, he served as Senior Development Advisor for USAID/Libya and as Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Management, overseeing financial, technology, and business operations across more than 80 countries, and as a Controller and Regional Controller directing financial-management operations in overseas missions.

Mr. White joined USAID as a Foreign Service Officer in 2002 and has served tours across Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, and Washington, with extensive experience in Ghana, Senegal, and Egypt. He is also the founder of Counselor Global Solutions, a strategic advisory and global business consultancy. He holds a B.S. in Business (Marketing) and an M.B.A. from the University of West Florida, and has pursued studies in organizational development and leadership and in public financial management at Duke University.