Ivana Stankovic

Ms. Stankovic has a superb grasp of the foreign investment landscape in Serbia and the wider Southeast European region. As Legal Advisor to the Minister for International Economic Relations, she drafted the Serbian Law on Foreign Investments, including the implementation of bylaws governing state grants and investment incentives and the establishment of Free Zones. 

She participated in the negotiation and drafting of bilateral investment protection treaties (BITs) and contributed to the legal aspects of Serbia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA).

Her draftsmanship of the bilateral investment treaty framework and the broader investment protection legislation under which such disputes arise gives her an unmatched command of both the legal instruments and their policy context.  This is of particular advantage to sovereign clients, whom she advises on treaty obligations, claim management, and dispute prevention. 

Her investor-state arbitration experience includes acting in Delhaize v. Republic of Serbia (ICSID, 2026), one of the first ICSID proceedings brought against Serbia under a bilateral investment treaty.  

Ms. Stankovic has been at the centre of some of the most significant infrastructure transactions between France and Serbia.  As Vice-Ambassador at the Embassy of Serbia and before Head of the Economic Mission and later in Paris, she facilitated and supported the negotiation, regulatory alignment, and institutional coordination of landmark projects including the Belgrade Metro, the Suez wastewater treatment programme, the concession of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Vinci construction and other infrastructure projects.

She also contributed to the drafting of Serbia's Public-Private Partnership Law and served as a Delegate to the International Transport Forum (ITF), where she engaged in international transport policy, cross-border infrastructure connectivity, and regulatory cooperation with European and international partners.

She advises international companies and investors on all aspects of market entry into Serbia and the broader Southeast European region: structuring investments, identifying and securing available state incentives, negotiating with government and regulatory counterparts, and managing compliance with applicable investment frameworks.

Her sectoral knowledge spans telecommunication sector, transport and logistics, energy, waste management, agribusiness, food and wine, pharmaceuticals  and international trade.  She is notable for her insight and knowledge of the telecoms and space sector, having served as President of the Assembly of International Organization for Satellite Communications EUTELSAT IGO (2019–2025), an intergovernmental organisation governing satellite communications across 49 states.

Clients benefit from her precise understanding and insight into the regulatory and incentive frameworks and investment landscape of the region, including the competition law framework and merger control proceedings for Serbia.  Ms. Stankovic’s achievements include drafting the Law on Protection of Competition, establishing Serbia's independent Competition Authority as Head of the Competition Protection Division at the Ministry of Trade, and leading merger control enforcement as Deputy Head at the Commission for Protection of Competition.

Ms. Stankovic's distinguished career in Serbian public service spans over fifteen years.  She served as Vice-Ambassador of Serbia to France (2021–2024), Consul at the Embassy of Serbia in France (2019–2021), Head of the Economic Mission at the Embassy of Serbia in Paris (2010–2014 and 2015–2017), Diplomatic Counsellor to the Prime Minister of Serbia (2014), and National Political Coordinator and Representative of Serbia to the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) (2017–2019).

Ms. Stankovic is a published author on international business and competition law, with contributions to several monographs produced by the Institute of International and Comparative Law in Belgrade. She lectured in International Business Law and Serbian Business Law at BK University of Management, Belgrade. She also serves as Honorary Representative of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia in France.