Property Rights Alliance (PRA), an affiliate of the Tholos Foundation, stands as an advocacy organization dedicated to the protection of innovation, intellectual property rights, and physical property rights around the world.  PRA’s efforts to protect property rights are all-encompassing and include issues such as:

• Federal and state law for “takings” and the use of eminent domain
• Federal government land and building ownership
• U.S. environmental policy and its effect on private property ownership
• Piracy and counterfeiting of intellectual property in domestic and international arenas
• Property law and land ownership in developing countries in order to foster economic growth and democracy
• Strong intellectual and physical property safeguards for all trade agreements with the United States

On the international stage, PRA works closely with the famed property rights champion and President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD) in Lima, Peru, Hernando de Soto. With great help from the ILD and de Soto, PRA is proud to offer the Hernando de Soto Fellowship. Each year, the fellow produces the upcoming edition of the International Property Rights Index (IPRI).

The International Property Rights Index (IPRI) is the flagship publication of PRA. The IPRI scores the underlining institutions of a strong property rights regime: the legal and political environment, physical property rights, and intellectual property rights. It is the world’s only index entirely dedicated to the measurement of intellectual and physical property rights.

The latest edition of the IPRI, released in 2024, covers 129 countries, 98 percent of world Gross Domestic Product, and 93 percent of the world’s population. It was produced by the Hernando De Soto Fellow Prof. Sary Levy-Carciente in partnership with PRA in Washington D.C. and more than 130 international organizations from more than 70 countries.

A tool for policymakers, business communities, and civic activists the IPRI highlights the essential role property rights play in creating a prosperous economy and just society. In addition, the 2022 index examines the robust relationship between property rights and other economic and social indicators of well-being including – gender equality, entrepreneurship, research and development, human development, civic activism, and ecological performance.

In 2019 PRA proudly released its first edition of the International Trade Barrier Index (TBI) publication authored by Philip Thompson.  The Index evaluates countries on their use of the three most direct barriers to trade: tariffs, non-tariff measures, services restrictions, and a facilitation component covers the border measures that allow a trade to occur.  

PRA staff:

Lorenzo Montanari – Executive Director 

Lorenzo Montanari, Executive Director of the Property Rights Alliance (PRA), an advocacy group/think tank based in Washington, DC USA, affiliated to the Tholos Foundation, is committed to protecting physical, legal, and intellectual property rights worldwide.

On the international stage, PRA works closely with famed property rights champion and President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD) in Lima, Peru Hernando de Soto, and over 100 think tanks worldwide.

At Property Rights Alliance, Lorenzo is in charge of publishing the International Property Rights Index, an international comparative study focused on intellectual and physical property rights. From 2014 to 2018 he was the Private Chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Federalism & International Relations Task Force. Previously, he worked for a public affairs firm and at the international department of the GSPM/George Washington University in Washington, DC, and as a political analyst and electoral observer in Latin America.

Lorenzo holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Bologna and an MA in Political Management from George Washington University. He collaborates with The Daily Caller and Forbes.

Philip Thompson – Policy Analyst for Intellectual Property and International Trade

Philip Thompson is a Policy Analyst at PRA specializing in international intellectual property legislation and trade policy. In addition, Philip also supports the International Property Rights Index, an annual publication of PRA.

Before joining PRA, Philip coordinated youth community development programs in the U.S. and the Caribbean for five years, he also interned at the American Legislative Exchange Council’s foreign affairs task force and at the Cato Institute’s trade policy center.

Philip holds a BA in International Conflict and Resolution and an MA in International Commerce and Policy, both from George Mason University.

Global Fellows Network:

Dr. Christopher Lingle – International Senior Fellow (Global)

Christopher Lingle is a Visiting Fellow at AIER, Visiting Professor of Economics in the Escuela de Negocios at Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala.

Christopher Lingle earned a doctorate in economics from the University of Georgia in 1977. Since then, he has been employed at universities in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the USA. Currently, he is Visiting Professor of Economics in the Escuela de Negocios at Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala (since 1998), Adjunct Scholar at the Centre for Independent Studies (Sydney), Research Scholar at the Centre for Civil Society (New Delhi), International Political Economic Advisor for the Asian Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDA – Kathmandu), Member of the Academic Advisory Council of the Globalization Institute (Brussels) & Senior Fellow, Advocata (Colombo, Sri Lanka). Dr. Lingle’s research interests are in the areas of Political Economy and International Economics with a focus on emerging market economies and public policy reform in East and Central Europe, East Asia, Latin America, and Southern Africa. His work has appeared as chapters in books, the international media, and scholarly journals, including the American Economic Review, Foreign Affairs, Journal for Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Kyklos, and Pacific Review. His book on the political economy of Singapore’s development was entitled, Singapore’s Authoritarian Capitalism: Asian Values, Free Market Illusions, and Political Dependency (1996). He is widely credited with anticipating the turmoil in the East Asian economies that began in 1997 (The Rise and Decline of the ‘Asian Century’: False Starts on the Road to the ‘Global Millennium’, May 1997).

Dr. Carmelo Ferlito – International Senior Fellow (Southeast Asia)

Dr. Carmelo Ferlito, (Ph.D.) is an economist, a policy analyst, and a manager based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. He currently is the Director of the Center for Market Education and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), in Kuala Lumpur. He is also a Research Advisor for Provalindo Nusa in Jakarta, Indonesia. Carmelo Ferlito earned a Master’s in Economics (2003) and a Ph.D. in Economic History (2007) from the University of Verona in Italy. Between 2013 and 2019 he taught Microeconomic Theory and Policy and History of Economic Thought at INTI International College Subang (Subang Jaya) and the Universiti Kuala Lumpur-MFI (Bangi). Dr. Ferlito is the author of five books and more than thirty scientific papers. He has applied his theoretical analysis to policy studies, in particular to the Malaysian property market and housing policies and to the issues of financial literacy, cost of living, and agricultural policies. His opinions have been reported by several Malaysian and international media, such as The Financial Times, The Edge, The Star, The Malaysian Reserve, Free Malaysia Today, BFM 89.9, The Jakarta Post, and The Business Recorder.

Pieter Cleppe – International Fellow, Brussels (Belgium) 

Pieter Cleppe is a Brussels-based Policy Analyst, dealing with EU affairs, Brexit, and the Eurozone. He is also the Director of “Brussels Liberty Network”, a monthly gathering of those supporting free-market policies in Brussels. He’s a columnist for The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator and a frequent commentator in international media. Between 2008 and 2020, he has headed the Brussels office of the British EU affairs think tank “Open Europe”. Before that, he practiced law in Belgium, worked as a Belgian government cabinet adviser, and also co-founded Itinera Institute, a Belgian think tank. He holds a law degree from the Catholic University of Leuven (2004) and an LL.M in law and economics from the universities of Hamburg, Bologna, and Vienna (2005).

Dr. Anne C Pickering, International Fellow (Australia)

Anne Pickering is a lawyer and a legal scholar with international experience in policy, law reform, governance, and education. Her research focuses on law reform in the areas of land tenure, property rights, and development. She is interested in interdisciplinary research initiatives that address contemporary challenges in these areas, including those related to climate change and resilience. As a former practising lawyer, Anne remains interested in legal ethics. She holds a doctorate from the T C Beirne School of Law of the University of Queensland. Anne is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the United Kingdom. In 2023, she received the FLB Executive Dean’s Learning and Teaching Innovation and Impact grant at the Australian Catholic University. In 2008, she was the recipient of the Hernando de Soto Fellowship, awarded for undertaking research and analysis and preparing the International Property Rights Index 2009 (IPRI). She has presented and written articles and book chapters and has been a panel judge of the LAWASIA International Moot Competition.

Bienvenido “Nonoy” Oplas, Jr., International Fellow (The Philippines)

Nonoy is the President of Minimal Government Thinkers (MGT), a free-market think tank and NGO in the Philippines. He has a weekly column in BusinessWorld, “My Cup of Liberty” from April 2015 to present, and BusinessWorld is the Philippines’ premier business newspaper. He would occasionally be in local TV and radio interviews on various issues.  He has worked with the PRA for more than a decade now and MGT is among the regular signatories of PRA signature campaigns. He finished AB Economics then Diploma in Development Economics from the University of the Philippines School of Economics. He also published two books, Health Choices and Responsibilities (2011) published by Central Books Supply (Manila), and Liberalism, Rule of Law and Civil Society (2014) published by Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Philippines Office.

Chrysa K. Kazakou – International Fellow (Greece)

Chrysa Kazakou is an EU-qualified lawyer with a B.A. in Law and an M.A. in International Legal Studies. She also holds an M.A. in European and International Business Law from the University of Vienna and Stanford University. Her working experience includes working as a lawyer for both government and private practice, focusing on the protection of intellectual property rights, corporate agreements, and data protection. She is a co-author of the 2021 International Trademark and Patent Index.

Jan Burdinski – International Senior Fellow EU Affairs (Germany)

Jan Burdinski offers a rare blend of industry and policy expertise, built over more than 20 years of experience both in-house at major automotive companies such as General Motors and Hyundai Motor Group and as an independent advisor to international clients. His work has spanned complex regulatory, trade, and innovation issues at the intersection of business and government. As a member of Germany’s Free Democratic Party (FDP), Burdinski is a steadfast advocate of free market principles, championing policies that support free trade, intellectual property rights, and innovation-driven growth, while resisting efforts to stifle progress through excessive regulation or risk aversion. In the automotive sector, he has played a key role in shaping emissions standards for passenger and heavy-duty vehicles, introducing climate-friendly refrigerants for mobile air conditioning systems, advising corporate leadership on the Brexit fallout, and managing plant closures in ways that facilitated new job creation. Burdinski has worked extensively with EU institutions, the German Bundestag, and Länder governments, as well as officials in Turkey and the United Kingdom, positioning himself as a trusted liaison between industry and policymakers across Europe.

Contact & Support Us

For more information, please contact Lorenzo Montanari, Executive Director of Property Rights Alliance. p: 202-785-0266  @: lmontanari@propertyrightsalliance.org