Her research focuses on (domestic and international) human rights and international commercial law with a particular emphasis on international commercial contracts. She has published extensively in both her research interests and regularly advises public and private clients in both areas. Recently she has started to find more and more synergies between her two research areas and has developed an expertise in business and human rights. Petra regularly holds visiting positions abroad and has taught, inter alia, at Northwestern Law School, Chicago, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, University of Melbourne, and the Chinese University of Political Science and Law, Beijing.