René Irra > Cuatrecasas > Mexico City, Mexico > Lawyer Profile

Cuatrecasas’ prominence in Latin America-related international arbitration field stems from its commitment and track record in Spain, coupled with its growing presence in Latin America itself. Unlike many other international firms, it has a sizeable team of international arbitration specialists based in Latin America. With a steady influx of investment and commercial arbitration engagements, the team is best known for energy, infrastructure and construction cases. It has represented parties in a series of headline infrastructure disputes. Madrid partner Alfonso Iglesia leads the international arbitration group and is hugely experienced in Latin America-related arbitrations, including those involving Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Panama, Ecuador and Dominican Republic; he has acted in a series of recent ICSID and ICC cases. Santiago partner Cristián Conejero is a senior figure in the team and is noted for construction arbitrations. Alberto Zuleta is another experienced arbitration expert in Bogota along with René Irra in Mexico City and Domingo Rivarola in Lima. Madrid partners Alberto Fortún and Manuel Franco are also active in Latin America cases, both noted for construction, infrastructure and energy disputes. Raised to the partnership in April 2022, Uruguay-qualified Juan Manuel Rey (in the Santiago office), is also noted.

Bolstering its international arbitration offering across Latin America, Cuatrecasas’ burgeoning practice in Mexico is led by René Irra, whose ‘leadership in the market is unquestioned’. Irra has been particularly active in the construction, infrastructure and energy fields in recent years, and is well-versed in acting as party counsel, arbitrator and as an expert on Mexican law in proceedings outside Mexico. Moreover, the practice bench was further strengthened with the promotion of experienced senior associate Miguel Ángel Ortiz to the partnership in April 2023. The department collaborates closely with the firm’s offices throughout Latin America (and the Iberian peninsula) on relevant cross-border cases, with clients -particularly those across the energy and projects segments- look to the firm as a one-stop-shop for transactional matters and any subsequent disputes. Key support is provided by intermediate associate Iván Esquivel.