Arnold & Porter

Firmly at the forefront of investor-state arbitration in Latin America, Arnold & Porter is best known for advising sovereign states – generally in complex, large-scale and high-value arbitration proceedings – where it’s outstanding (global) track record now reaches to 52 positive results out of 53 final (and potentially final) awards and decisions. This unmatched standing is maintained by a team over 60-strong across offices in Washington DC, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and London. Clients benefit from the presence of former government officials and an array of practitioners (many of whom are native or fluent Spanish speakers) that handle both common and civil law systems. Key partners in the team include outstanding Washington DC partner Paolo Di Rosa who founded the firm’s practice and led it for 17 years; a native Spanish speaker with strong connections to a range of Latin American sovereign states, he remains primarily focused on Latin America along with Europe and Asia. Frequently working alongside Di Rosa, London based Patricio Grané Labat has a major emphasis on representing Latin American sovereigns; with a sterling record in the region – including cases under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and bilateral investment treaties – 2025 saw him secure a sixth consecutive victory on behalf of Costa Rica. Also a prominent figure in investor-state and commercial arbitrations, New York’s Mélida Hodgson has represented Venezuela, Panama and Peru (among others) in both UNCITRAL treaty arbitrations and ICSID cases. Primarily a transactional specialist, Raul Herrera also participates in international arbitral matters and has a notable record, particularly on behalf of the Dominican Republic in DR-CAFTA cases. Up-and-coming London partner Alvaro Nistal specialises in investor-state and public international law cases involving Latin America.