Legal Vice Presidency

Manager: Sheila Braka Musiime, Deputy General Counsel for Operations

The Operations team advises and supports the World Bank’s regional operational units on legal and policy matters related to financing and country engagement. Its staff cover all aspects of World Bank lending and technical assistance to client countries and non-sovereign recipients, and works alongside other Legal teams on specific technical areas. The Operations unit is divided into regional practice groups, led by Chief Counsels, to align with the World Bank’s Regional Vice Presidency teams.

Manager: J. Clifford Frazier, Deputy General Counsel for Finance

The Finance team advises the finance departments of the World Bank and supports the mobilization of the external financing necessary to fund Bank operations. It is comprised of two practice groups:

• The Corporate Finance Practice Group manages the legal aspects of the World Bank’s market-facing financial transactions, including bond issuance, risk management transactions, liquid asset investments, and pension and benefit plan investments, as well as structuring innovative finance mechanisms and new financial products and services.
• The Development Finance Practice Group, handles the legal, governance, and policy aspects of the International Development Association (IDA), trust funds, and  financial intermediary funds, including resource mobilization activities such as IDA replenishments.

Manager: David Sullivan, Deputy General Counsel for Institutional Administration

The Institutional Administration unit advises on corporate and institutional matters across the World Bank Group, including, among other issues, disputes, governance, human resources, intellectual property, investigations, litigation, privileges and immunities, procurement, real estate, and sanctions. The work of the unit ranges from advising more than 140 country offices on day-to-day legal matters to developing organization-wide policies that address emerging issues, such as those arising from artificial intelligence.

Manager: Victor Mosoti, Deputy General Counsel for Environmental and Social Risk Management 

The Environmental and Social (E&S) Risk Management unit provides advice on all aspects of E&S risk management, including the interpretation and application of E&S policies; on climate law and policy - including emissions reduction crediting approaches; broader aspects of environmental and natural resources law and governance; as well as all work in relation to the Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs) and the corporate Grievance Redress Service. The team coordinates across the World Bank Group on E&S policies and other cross-cutting issues, as well as in the handling of complaints to the IAMs. The team also advises on international law and on the application of the Bank’s policies to projects in disputed areas and on international waterways.

Manager: Kirsten Burghardt Propst, Chief Counsel for Operations Policy

The Operations Policy team advises on operational policy matters, strategy, and partnerships. Topics covered as part of the policy work include operational procurement, access to information, fragility, conflict and violence, fiduciary matters, lending instruments and contractual arrangements, and country engagement. The team also advises on World Bank Group strategy, legal risk management, and on questions of interpretation of World Bank Articles of Agreement. The team negotiates new World Bank Group Memoranda of Understanding and structures innovative partnership arrangements with Mutilateral Development Banks and other organizations.

Manager: David Satola, Chief Counsel for Legal Advisory Services & Knowledge

The Legal Advisory and Knowledge unit provides specialized legal advice on a range of issues, including gender, data, cyber-security, a variety of infrastructure areas such as mining, telecommunications, legal reforms, and rule of law generally to client countries both in the context of World Bank Group operations and stand-alone advisory and knowledge projects. In doing so, the unit works in close collaboration across the World Bank Group as well as with external partners. It is the focal point for the Legal Vice Presidency’s Law, Justice and Development Week, the Global Forum for Law, Justice and Development and is also the home of the Legal Resource Center and the World Bank’s Law Library.

Additional Resources

Law Justice and Development Week 2025

Global Forum on Law, Justice and Development

Africa Mining Legistlation Atlas

Combatting Cybercrime