Pierre-Richard Prosper is an American lawyer, prosecutor, and former government official. He was the second U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues from 2001 to 2005. While Prosper was a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles, he served in the Hardcore Gang Division where he processed gang-related murders. He also worked with the US Attorney to prosecute major drug cartels. From 1996-1998, he served as war crimes prosecutor for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. He broke new ground by convincing the Tribunal to recognize rape committed in times of conflict as an act of genocide and a crime against humanity. After September 11, 2001, Ambassador Prosper played a key role in developing policy to confront terrorism. He was also the chief US negotiator and lead diplomat responsible for engaging nations regarding their nationals held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and captured by US forces in combat.

Currently, Prosper holds the position of Partner in the Los Angeles office of Arent Fox LLP, where he has handled several high-profile cases. These include advising and representing the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on matters related to the Petroleum sector; he successfully negotiated the release of an American citizen detained in the Islamic Republic of Iran through repeated travels to Iran and engagement with senior Iranian officials; and he advises and represents the government of Rwanda on a range of matters including international arbitration, litigation, and contract negotiation, among others. [Read more]