Covington & Burling LLP

Covington & Burling LLP has an established record in investor-state and commercial arbitration in Latin America. The international arbitration team has a major focus on Mexico and Colombia, along with Chile and Peru. It is also seeing further growth in tech and life sciences industry disputes, sectors of strength for the firm itself. The firm’s government affairs and public policy expertise, regulatory experience and ESG knowledge also feeds into its abilities in the arbitration sphere, notably in environmental and social impact cases. The Latin America-focused international arbitration group houses both well-established and newly-minted partners, including a number of fluent and native Spanish and Portuguese speakers, and practitioners that are nationals of Latin American states. 'Extraordinary leader' Miguel López Forastier, co-head of the global practice, is a trilingual practitioner (English, Spanish and Portuguese), who is admitted to practice in Argentina, along with several US bars, and has a formidable record in investment and commercial arbitration. Chair of the Latin America group and based in New York, Nicole Duclos is 'a superstar'; also trilingual and is admitted to practice in Chile and New York, she is active in construction and infrastructure cases across the region. New York-based Erin Thomas is also an established figure in construction and infrastructure arbitrations, while highly rated Clovis Treviño was promoted to partner in October 2023. José Arvelo provides further senior level expertise at of counsel level, while special legal consultant Ricardo Chirinos is licensed to practice in Venezuela and New York. All named individuals are based in Washington DC unless stated otherwise.