Silvia Marchili > White & Case LLP > Houston, United States > Lawyer Profile

Highlighted for its ‘very deep bench and industry knowledge’ White & Case LLP has a very sizeable Latin America-focused international arbitration team (totalling some 100 professionals) that handes an impressive mix of commercial, construction and investment arbitration engagements. The team is also noted for its expertise in enforcement proceedings, while its catalogue of recent cases includes appointments in the energy, resources, financial services, technology and transportation sectors. Indeed, the energy sector – particularly renewables – has been a notably active area for the practice, while in sovereign matters, it has acted for clients in a series of  investment arbitrations against Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Peru (among other jurisdictions). The team maintains members across it Washington DC, New York, Miami, Houston Mexico City, London and Madrid offices. Rafael Llano Oddone leads the international arbitration group in Mexico City, while Ecuadorian Francisco Jijón has impressed in a series of ICSID and UNCITRAL arbitrations involving Latin American parties. Houston and Miami-based Silvia Marchili is building a name for herself in investor-state arbitrations; and New York’s Jorge Mattamouros has a focus on Portuguese-speaking markets, especially Brazil’s oil and gas sector. Miami’s Estefanía San Juan was elected to the partnership in January 2023, with Ignacio Madalena becoming a local partner in Madrid the same month. Michelle Grando impresses at counsel level, as does Mexico City’s Marièle Coulet-Diaz. All named individuals are based in Washington DC unless stated otherwise. Since publication, former practice co-head Jonathan Hamilton has left the firm – effective as of March 2024 – as has Alejandro Martínez de Hoz, as of April 2024.

White & Case LLP’s Miami office houses one of the most complete Latin America practices. From white-collar crime and investigations to international arbitration, banking and finance, and projects and energy, it has a huge and highly developed team with a major focus on the Latin America region. On the projects front, the team in Miami includes head of Latin America Carlos Viana, a leader in project finance, along with IDB Invest relationship partner Sean Goldstein, and up-and-coming yunger partner Anna Andreeva. The group have a fine background in energy projects and have carved-out a growing portion of infrastructure financings over recent years, with mandates including a series of project financings in Chile, along with metro projects in Brazil. Solar projects and 4G road refinancings have also featured in the team’s caseload. Another key member of the team, Christian Hansen has particular expertise and an extensive record in the aviation finance segment in Latin America. More broadly, the Miami team is also recognised for acquisition finance, sustainability-linked financings and debt restructurings. It has a flourishing white-collar crime and investigations practice led by Michael Garcia and Maria Beguiristain, which has a major presence in FCPA violations, internal investigations and M&A due diligence; the team is increasingly active in relation to gaming, crypto and online platforms. In international arbitration, a group which includes Silvia Marchili (who divides her time between Houston and Miami), has a strong presence in commercial, construction and investor-state arbitration; the Miami team forms part of the firm’s broader, market-leading Latin America arbitration practice, which has an outstanding record in energy and LNG-related arbitrations. Arbitration specialist Estefanía San Juan was elected to the partnership in January 2023.