José Humberto Frías
Partner
D'Empaire
More informationD'Empaire is focused on investor-state arbitration and is currently involved in significant ICSID and UNCITRAL proceedings, including in relation to nationalisation and measures carried out by the Venezuelan government. The firm also handles both domestic and international commercial arbitration and civil and commercial litigation. José Humberto Frías, who is well versed in commercial and investor-state arbitration, and Pedro Perera, a specialist in civil, commercial, IP and constitutional litigation. Dubraska Galarraga is also a key partner, while Giancarlo Carrazza and Daniel Bustos are the names to note at associate level.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘D'Empaire's lawyers are highly trained and always willing to collaborate on different issues.’
‘José Humberto Frías is an excellent lawyer, with a solid background, and shows great energy when working directly on the issues. Daniel Bustos is also always willing to help and is very technically solid.’
‘Not only do they know Venezuelan law, but they know the political and economic context perfectly, allowing them to give comprehensive advice which considers the commercial perspective of the client. They know how to give creative solutions to complex problems.’
‘D'Empaire stands out for the speed of responses, availability of the partners, quality of advice, the super-trained professionals, and the personal qualities of the team.’
‘The most important thing about the D'Empaire team is the quality of the service they offer and their focus on customer service. The approach is pragmatic and focused on the needs of the client, which allows them to tailor the solutions they offer to the particular situation. Response time and flexibility when negotiating fees and billing are also an important point.’
‘They stand out for the quality of the work. D'Empaire's lawyers provide an excellent service both in relation to legal knowledge and analysis, but also in strategic and commercial matters. It is evident that they approach each case always thinking about what would be the best outcome for the client. The main difference with the competitors is that the service is at the level of leading firms in New York or London. For example, the team is always available to deal with urgent matters, they reply to emails promptly and meet all of their deadlines.'
'The team have a lot of experience in large international arbitrations and can represent clients in those proceedings as they fully understand how they work in practice. José Humberto Frías and Daniel Bustos are names to highlight.’
Key clients
- Smurfit Kappa
- Lufthansa
- Liberty Mutual
- Werthein Group (DirecTV)
- Automotive CMM
- Visa International
- Radio Caracas Television (RCTV)
Work highlights
- Acting for Smurfit Kappa in an ICSID arbitration stemming from the nationalisation of its Venezuelan operation (Carton de Venezuela and subsidiaries).
- Acting for Lufthansa in an UNCITRAL arbitration relating to the measures taken by Venezuela that ultimately led to the suspension of its operations in the country.
- Representing Liberty Mutual in ICSID additional facility and UNCITRAL arbitrations relating to its exit from Venezuela.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Pedro Perera
Partner
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
José Humberto Frías, Pedro Perera