Reed Smith LLP is an established force in investment and commercial arbitration, acting for a range of international companies and multilatinas. On the investment arbitration front, the team primarily acts for claimants, notably a number of investors in claims against Venezuela and Peru. The firm’s growing presence in Miami has also afforded it with a growing number of engagements in arbitrations seated in the city. The team features a substantial list of practitioners who are dual qualified in the US and a Latin American jurisdiction. Replete with a sizeable Brazil desk, the group has a focus on energy and natural resources, life sciences and shipping, among other sectors. The wider department has experienced considerable growth over recent years with a series of senior lateral recruits, resulting in a new generation of capable arbitral specialists. Moreover, Houston’s William Russell was promoted to partner in January 2024, this following the promotion of fellow-Houston based practitioner Arturo Muñoz Holguin in 2023. Francisco Rodriguez is vice-chair of the firm’s international arbitration practice in the US, and has a major focus on Latin America. Houston based Francisco Rivero is head of the Latin America department and former co-head of the global international arbitration group. Sandra Millor is another key practitioner, along with Edward Mullins and Brazil specialist Felipe Berer. Gilberto Guerrero-Rocca provides further Latin America arbitration expertise at counsel level. Dual qualified (Panama/New York), Rebeca Mosquera is an impressive associate in New York. A doyen of Latin America arbitration, José Astigarraga is leaving in 2024 to become an arbitrator and mediator, while Cristina Cárdenas left the firm in 2023. Named individuals are based in Miami unless stated otherwise.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Reed Smith is an outstanding law firm with proved expertise and practice in several areas and industries. I had the opportunity to count on their legal services in the arbitration of complex cases, negotiations and consultancy. Reed Smith's skills were essential to the success sought by the company.’
‘The Reed Smith partner in charge of the company's cases is Jose Astigarraga and he provides the services personally, duly and timely. After several years counting on his services, the company developed a relationship of trust in the services provided by Reed Smith and Jose Astigarraga, especially in terms of quality and technique. It should be pointed out that, being a Brazilian company brings certain particularities due to the natural differences to US law, but Jose Astigarraga and his team have proved to be familiar with Brazilian law and the market, which demonstrates the care and diligence of the law firm to handle the cases in the most adequate way as could be expected.'