Arbitration is the cornerstone of the dispute resolution practice at ECIJA INTEGRUM, which draws on the wider firm’s international presence to handle proceedings involving jurisdictions throughout Central America and the Caribbean, with particularly strong expertise in the energy and construction sectors. On the litigation front, the team is also well equipped to take on civil, administrative, commercial and family law disputes. Oil and gas sector expert Marcos Palma and the ‘bold, insightful, approachable and committed’ Edson López, who serves as director of arbitration in the region, lead the practice. Senior associate Andrea Miranda and associate María del Pilar Penagos focus on litigation, while associates and arbitration specialists Emanuel Retana, Jesús Buchhalter and Giuseppe Mazzocca provide support from France, Sweden and Venezuela, respectively.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team stand out for the effectiveness of their legal advice and their sensitivity to the sense of urgency required by certain matters, in addition to the ease of having a single point of contact to manage all regional issues. They understood the sense of urgency we felt, they had the knowledge and ability to give us the best legal advice, and they put themselves in our shoes.’
‘Regarding teamwork skills, as an in-house lawyer, I consider it essential to actively participate with the external team assisting me on a specific matter, for example, a dispute. In the case of ECIJA, this relationship started well and has remained so. From the beginning, the approach of the account manager and the person in charge of the specific case was positive, holding regular meetings to review the action plan and involving our multidisciplinary team. Unlike other firms, ECIJA's responses have always been accurate and timely. In colloquial terms, they have put themselves in my shoes facing a demanding corporate team and a demanding legal department.’
‘They stand out for their experience and response times. They respond to any issue within the deadline (or before). The lawyers are professional, ethical, provide excellent service, collaborate effectively, and are available 24/7. I would say it's a unique firm.’
‘Edson López is a lawyer with exceptional emotional intelligence. One of his most notable qualities is his ability to perceive and grasp what isn't read or spoken, and because of this, he manages to overwhelm his opponent.'
‘The ECIJA Guatemala lawyers work as a team, in a coordinated manner. They assist clients as quickly as possible, and strive to ensure a pleasant relationship. They know their jobs and their performance is 100%. Compared to other firms, this firm is extremely diligent, and the collaboration among the team is evident. Among the novelties of this firm is that they try to manage everything electronically, with the goal of being environmentally sustainable. In addition, there is a sense of trust, and they try to keep processes simple and less rigorous with the client. I consider their dynamic to be quite innovative compared to others that tend to be bureaucratic.’
‘They know the issues, are involved, and specialise in this area. They also offer an added advantage: client service. ECIJA is recognised regionally and globally, giving it an advantage over law firms that only have national offices. I believe that the arbitration practice of Edson López and Jesús Buchalter has excelled to such an extent that international firms have placed their trust in the efficient work they perform daily.'
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Practice head
Marcos Palma; Edson López