Ank Santens > White & Case LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

‘A top international arbitration firm‘, White & Case LLP‘s extensive international network ensures that it is involved in headline-grabbing cases worldwide, with its US partners routinely teaming up with practitioners in key global arbitration centers, including London, Paris and Geneva. The firm’s comprehensive practice breadth is another significant differentiator and clients praise its ‘expertise and experience in all types of arbitration cases before the most renowned international arbitration institutions‘. A leader in investor-state arbitration — for both sovereigns and corporates — the group also houses a top-notch commercial arbitration practice. In Washington DC, global group head Abby Cohen Smutny impresses with her ‘deep knowledge of public international law and international investment law‘; she represented Israel Chemicals, as co-counsel, in its UNCITRAL Rules investment treaty arbitration against Ethiopia, under the Netherlands-Ethiopia BIT. Other go-to arbitration specialists in Washington DC include Carolyn Lamm, who heads the practice for the Americas, and Jonathan Hamilton, who has a formidable record in Latin America-related work. In New York, Paul Friedland is a prominent name for high-stakes commercial and investment disputes; he teamed up with New York-based Americas disputes head Ank Santens to represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia an ICSID arbitration brought by Samsung Engineering under the Korea-Saudi BIT. Among the firm’s ‘strong bench of up-and-coming younger lawyers‘ are New York-based Damien Nyer, who is noted for his experience in matters involving sovereigns, and Brody Greenwald, who transferred to Los Angeles in 2020 to expand the firms international arbitration capabilities in California.

White & Case LLP leverages its extensive client relationships and networks across Latin America to provide high-level investment and commercial arbitration support across the region. With more than three-decades’ experience in the Latin American market the ‘committed’ international arbitration team ‘works hand-in-hand’ with clients, doing so ‘with the greatest rigour’; as a result, it has built significant scale in the region. This has enabled the practice to take on a broad range of arbitration disputes across multiple sectors, with particular strength in energy, natural resources, financial services, technology and transportation matters. The ‘deeply impressive and knowledgeable‘ Jonathan Hamilton   in Washington DC fronts the firm’s Latin American arbitration practice, with the highly respected global head of international arbitration Abby Cohen Smutny providing further senior leadership input. ‘Excellent professionals’ Ank Santens   and Rafael Llano  (based in New York and Mexico City, respectively), are praised for their ‘deep knowledge’ and are among the many senior names on a deep roster of talent. Silvia Marchili, who divides her time between Houston and Miami, focuses on complex investment and commercial claims, while Washington DC-based Francisco Jijón  handles ICSID and UNCITRAL-governed matters and also handles commercial arbitration and litigation in various forums and arbitrations before US courts. Jorge Mattamouros  in Houston is best known for his work in Brazil’s oil and gas sector. The practice has expanded its senior ranks with the promotion of Lucas De Ferrari  (in Paris) and Sven Volkmer (in New York) to the partnership; and that of Mariele Coulet Díaz  to counsel in Mexico City. A strong pipeline of counsel and associate-level talent includes rising star Michelle Grando  and Alejandro Martínez de Hoz  in Washington DC; Estefania San Juan  in Miami; and Madrid-based Ignacio Madalena  (primarily on Spain-LatAm related matters). Since research concluded, San Juan has been raised to the partnership, effective October 2022.