Bustamante Fabara's team excels in commercial litigation and arbitration. Of particular note is the firm’s expertise in insurance litigation, an area of specialism for group leader Mariana Villagomez Álvarez, who jointly heads the department alongside José Bustamante and managing partner María Rosa Fabara. The team continues to evolve since the merger between Bustamante & Bustamante and Fabara & Compañía in November 2021, with industries of interest for the team in 2022 including the power and infrastructure sectors. As a group, there is demonstrable expertise in representing clients before courts at all levels, from local civil courts to appellate courts. Other key practitioners include up-and-coming partner Hugo García Larriva, a June 2023 hire from Carmigniani Pérez Abogados); and associate Francisco Dávila Caicedo, who is frequently active in alternative dispute resolution proceedings.

Rodrigo Jijón-Letort, Juan Manuel Marchán and Edgar Ulloa Balladares lead Pérez Bustamante & Ponce's dispute resolution team, which is 'uniquely suited to represent US-based companies and other multinational corporations facing the most complex and significant disputes in Ecuador' and has 'decades of experience handling complex, cross-border litigation and international arbitration'. The group's expertise also include mediation and crisis management, while -bolstered by Marchán’s experience- it's capabilities in the energy and infrastructure sectors are particuarly noteworthy. Jijón-Letort too, is highlighted and can draw on over 40 years' experience in international and domestic litigation and arbitration. At associate level, public law specialist senior José David Ortiz is a key member of the group’s constitutional litigation practice; and fellow senior Maria Teresa Borja is also a noteworthy member of the team. Since publication, Ortiz and the litigation-focused Patricio Quevedo-Vergara have both been raised to the partnership - effective as of January 2024.

Santiago Palacios leads the team at CorralRosales, with practitioners noted as ‘excellent lawyers who are technical, purposeful, agile, and who have great business sensitivity’. The department is equally proficient in litigation and arbitration, handling a range of cases. On the arbitration side, Xavier Rosales is the main figure, and Francisco Rosales is also an experienced arbitrator, often appearing as a consultant in the firm’s complex cases. At the associate level, Mateo Zavala is a strong litigator and is key for these mandates. In addition, the team regularly represents shareholders in relation to asset transfers and liquidation proceedings.

The diverse workload handled by the dispute resolution team at Dentons Paz Horowitz includes public, administrative, constitutional, civil, labour, intellectual property, consumer protection and contract law cases. Senior associate Leyre Suarez and co-founder Jorge Paz Durini head the group, with the latter acting in international investment claims and private arbitration processes. The team sits within a firm which has a global reach, allowing it to leverage expertise in complex and high-profile judicial, commercial and regulatory disputes. The group is particularly active in the aviation, construction, energy, tourism, pharmaceutical and insurance industries, and is also active in public procurement and administrative law matters.

ECIJA GPA's disputes group, which has ‘excellent knowledge and experience in disputes and the applicable laws’, continues to build the arbitration and mediation arm of its practice, fielding experts in international commercial and investment arbitration. The team, which ‘generates confidence‘, works on cases which run the gamut of industries from construction and telecoms to oil and gas. Administrative litigation is a particular area of expertise, in which Blanca Gomez De La Torre is an influential team member; she leads the department alongside Juan Carlos Montenegro and Byron Sotomayor.

Juan Francisco Almeida and Daniela Irigoyen lead Lexvalor Abogados‘ team, which contains ‘young lawyers with a great professional reputation‘. Clients instructing the group mostly stem from the financial services and real estate sectors, turning to the group for assistance in a plethora of litigation, arbitration and mediation processes instigated by and against trusts. Many of the matters handled by the practice are of a commercial or civil nature, arising from contractual and commercial relations. Iván Plascencia at the associate level stands out for his handling of contractual and non-contractual liability cases. Former practice head César Sánchez departed from the firm in September 2022.

Operating out of both Quito and Guayaquil, Noboa, Peña & Torres, Abogados‘ practitioners ‘have a lot of experience in dispute resolution‘ and often work on complex litigation. Its clients stem from the telecoms, oil and gas, energy and infrastructure sectors, among others, and include Banco Pichincha, the largest private bank in Ecuador. With over 30 years’ experience in dispute resolution, experienced civil litigator Gonzalo Noboa Baquerizo leads the team and is well supported by associate Margarita Vélez Casanova, who is valued by clients for her constitutional, administrative, civil and family law and arbitration expertise.

Pino Elizalde Abogados‘ team, which is based in the firm’s main office in Guayaquil, regularly appears before the Contentious Administrative Chamber of the National Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court of Ecuador. Marco (Valentín) Elizalde, who founded the firm in 2017, leads the team and focused his practice in particular on arbitration, labour litigation and civil litigation during 2022. At the associate level, Jorge Cedeño is especially active in insolvency proceedings. Fellow associate Paulette Ocampo left the firm in April 2022. In an important development, since publication the firm has opened a Quito office - effective as of February 2024.

Robalino‘s practice is known for assisting local and multinational companies in domestic and cross-border litigation in large and complex arbitration cases. Managing partner Javier Robalino Orellana is a name to note and heads up the team alongside experienced practitioner Luis Carlos Fernández, who has a high success rate in litigation proceedings. The department's work ranges from high-value arbitrations to assisting clients with day-to-day, complex issues concerning operations in Ecuador, where it acts for household name companies in a range of sectors.

Roberto Bilbao and Daniela Cevallos head Cevallos Casals Balseca & Bilbao Abogados‘ dispute resolution group, which ‘provides an excellent service’ and hosts a ‘well-trained and experienced team', noted for its 'personalised and effective care’. Its broad client roster includes international and multinational businesses with origins in a range of countries such as the US, China, Europe and other Latin American countries. Senior associate Valeria Naranjo is a key name for public procurement-related litigation, and Luis Anibal Garcés Paredes is a go-to practitioner for contractual disputes, a strength of the wider group.

Clients of Flor Bustamante Pizarro Hurtado Abogados benefit from the practitioners' vast experience in national and international arbitration, characterised by practice co-head Roque Bustamante, who is also proficient in constitutional, civil, commercial and administrative litigation. Practice co-head Mario Flor is especially active in the energy and natural resources sectors, areas of focus for the group more widely, including for associate Claudia Garcia Bustamante. Tax controversy disputes are a standout element of the department’s work, in which Juan Carlos Peñafiel excels. Elsewhere, the arrival of Alfonso Becerra in June 2022 has further strengthened the team’s litigation work, particularly in labour cases.

Led by Oscar Vela, Tobar ZVS‘ dispute resolution unit utilises mediation to resolve most of its clients’ disputes. Sector strengths for the group include mining, insurance, food and drink, plant breeding and construction, among others. A key addition to the group in 2022 was Marielena Zary, who is particularly known for her work in insurance disputes and supports René De Sola, who is also extremely active in insurance cases.