Edward Kehoe > King & Spalding LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

King & Spalding LLP is a global leader in international arbitration with its Latin America-focused teams primarily located in the key strategic centres of New York, Miami and Houston – the practice having outgrown its original hydrocarbons focus in the latter office. The group has an outstanding record in investment and commercial arbitration, along with arbitration-related litigation before the courts. It has represented clients in some of the biggest, longest running and highest profile cases to involve parties from Latin America. This includes its ongoing pre-eminence in energy sector cases. Clients include some of the largest multinationals and investors with interests in Latin America, and the practice continues to represent Chevron in the long-running investment treaty arbitration against the Republic of Ecuador (seated in the Hague), concerning alleged environmental harm caused by historical oilfield operations. Made up of ‘world-class lawyers’, the practice group includes Argentine-born Roberto Aguirre Luzi, who has an exclusive focus Latin America disputes and co-heads the Latin America international arbitration group. Houston and Miami-based Craig Miles and senior arbitration specialist Doak Bishop, who are also both widely acclaimed for their Latin America arbitration expertise; as is Wade Coriell, who divides his time between Houston and Singapore and was recently appointed as the new global head of international arbitration. The immensely experienced Harry Burnett relocated to the firm’s new Miami office in mid-2022; a trilingual practitioner (English, Spanish & Portuguese), he is a ‘true Latin  American specialist’ and widely recognised as a leader in Latin America-related mandates. New York’s Edward Kehoe is another key practitioner, along with newly promoted partner Fernando Rodriguez-Cortina and Chicago-based Javier Rubinstein. New York and Washington DC-based Érica Franzetti and New York’s Samaa Haridi (‘an extremely hard-working and sharp lawyer’) also impress. All named individuals are based in Houston unless stated otherwise.

A ‘market-leading international arbitration practice’, King & Spalding LLP impresses sources with its strong capability in both investor-state and commercial cases. Arguably best known for its dominant position in energy and natural resources disputes, it also demonstrates adept handling of matters in the manufacturing, construction, transport and telecoms spheres, among others. New York managing partner Edward Kehoe and Houston-based Doak Bishop are widely considered references in the market and they continue to represent Chevron in a high-profile investment treaty arbitration against the Republic of Ecuador, seated in The Hague, arising out of a $9.5bn Ecuadorian court judgment against Chevron for alleged environmental harm caused by historical oilfield operations. Houston-based Wade Coriell and Atlanta-based Elizabeth Silbert—who were recently appointed global head and deputy head of international arbitration respectively—are also co-leading the Chevron file. Other senior names include New York-based Samaa Haridi, who is an experienced counsel and arbitrator; Harry Burnett, who sits in Miami and focuses on Latin America-related work; Craig Miles, who splits his time between Houston and Miami and specializes in energy and infrastructure disputes; and Chicago’s Javier Rubinstein, who offers experience in English and Spanish-domiciled work. Aloysius Llamzon, based in Washington DC, is a key up-and-coming name.