Kate Brown de Vejar
DLA Piper MexicoDLA Piper LLP (US) continues to expand its presence in international arbitration and has a strong weighting towards Latin America cases. Kate Brown de Vejar is co-chair of the firm’s global international arbitration group and is based in Mexico City, where prominent arbitration partner Gabriela Álvarez-Ávila – who previously spent seven years as senior counsel at ICSID – is also located. The firm also has strong teams in Brazil and Peru, particularly for energy and infrastructure cases, is present in Chile, and has a growing team in Colombia. The firm has increased its presence in investor-state disputes, including the enforcement of arbitration awards against Latin American states. João Marçal Martins and Carlos Núñez co-head the Latin America international arbitration practice from Sao Paulo (through Campos Mello Advogados in cooperation with DLA Piper) and Lima respectively. Former Bogotá-based practice director Ricardo Alarcón is now a counsel in the México office following the departure of the Colombian office from the DLA network in June 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The experience and knowledge of the damages, insurance and dispute resolution area of the DLA firm is exceptional. In all processes, advice and consultations, they demonstrate extensive knowledge in commercial, civil and administrative matters.’
‘The team is very engaging and responsive. They are always clear to us about the legal principles, status of proceedings and so on.’
‘Engaging and responsive, giving us tireless support, particularly from João Marçal Martins.’
Key clients
- Rusoro Mining
- Kenon Holdings
- GoldGroup Resources
- Consorcio Huachipa (Construções e Comércio Camargo Corrêa as a member of Consorcio Huachipa)
- Concesionaria Interoceánica Sur – Tramo 2 (Odebrecht Group)
- Empresa de Transformación Agraria
Work highlights
- Advised Rusoro Mining on securing the enforcement of an arbitration award against Venezuela arising out of their expropriation of Rusoro’s gold mining assets.
- Advised Kenon Holdings on enforcing an arbitration award against Peru arising out of Peru’s breach of its obligations under the Peru-Singapore Free Trade Agreement in relation to Kenon Holdings and IC Power energy sector investments in Peru.
- Advised GoldGroup Resources on a NAFTA claim versus Mexico, alleging a breach of the rarely-used 'denial of justice' standard.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Kate Brown de Vejar, Michael Ostrove