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.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘A market-leading international arbitration practice (for both commercial and investor-state arbitration).’
‘We highlight Samaa Haridi, who is extremely hard-working and a team player, and Harry Burnett, who possesses strong knowledge of Latin America.’
‘A strong capacity for thinking outside of the box and finding creative solutions to legal issues, while maintaining precise attention to detail of the contractual provisions and applicable law.’
‘This team has a strong understanding of arbitration and litigation practice, fields teams fluent in multiple languages, and understands our industry very well. It also has a deep bench should it need to draw on expertise such as tax, white-collar, and the like. The King & Spalding team is a trusted advisor.’
‘Javier Rubinstein is a highly experienced partner. He is fluent in English and Spanish. Javier displays excellent judgment and provides practical, strategic advice.’
‘The best and most diverse international arbitration practice in the market. K&S has a unique combination of industry expertise, massive experience in all regions, lawyers qualified in key jurisdictions and fluent in local languages. The team is incredibly responsive, very flexible in fee agreements and super collaborative.’
‘Harry Burnett, Erica Franzetti, Craig Miles, Fernando Rodriguez-Cortina, and Samaa Haridi are absolute stars in the field.’
‘The entire KS team has the desire to understand the client and its business as well as possible in order to provide excellent advice. Moreover, the team's experience and way of formulating the claims to resolve the situation during a dispute were outstanding.’
Key clients
- Petersen Energía
- Refinería de Cartagena
- WeBuild
- Republic of Turkey
- Multiple renewable energy clients
- Quanta Services
- Chevron Corporation
- Lima Expresa and VINCI
- Sanitek
- Westmoreland Coal Company
- Odyssey Marine Exploration
- The Williams Companies
- FCL Ambiente
- Amerra Capital Management
- WOM
Work highlights
- Represented Petersen Energia in a long-running breach-of-contract dispute against Argentina, which involves arbitration and litigation.
- Secured a $1.9bn award for Refinería de Cartagena (Reficar) in an ICC arbitration against the contractor relating to delays and cost overruns involving a refinery in Colombia.
- Represented Webuild in a long-running ICSID arbitration against Argentina concerning the construction and maintenance of a 60km toll road and bridge.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading lawyers
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
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.
Wade Coriell, Elizabeth Silbert