Wordstone Dispute Resolution

Managing partners: Eduardo Silva Romero, José-Manuel García Represa

Number of partners: 4

Number of other fee-earners: 14

Offices: Paris (head office), Washington, D.C.

Desks: London, Bogotá

Languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Turkish, Romanian, German, Catalan, Turkmen and Iranian Farsi

Wordstone is a specialist international arbitration law firm based in Paris, with offices in Washington, D.C. and desks in London and Bogotá.

The firm boasts a multicultural, multilingual and multi-jurisdictional team, led by partners Eduardo Silva-Romero, José Manuel García Represa, Catalina Echeverri Gallego and David Bigge.

Recognized as global leaders in the field, our team of 20 lawyers and paralegals represents sovereign States and State-owned enterprises, investors and businesses of every size, in treaty and contract-based arbitrations, as well as related litigation around the world.

We are active in the major industry sectors, including construction & engineering, conventional and renewable power, natural resources (oil, gas & mining), telecoms, software development, real estate, financial services and pharmaceutical/life sciences.

We are involved in some of the largest and most high-stake multi-jurisdictional investment and commercial disputes in the world.

Through our unique independent structure, we are able to foster inclusivity, flexibility, efficiency and collaboration, allowing us to challenge expectations and apply original thinking to all matters.

Commercial Arbitration

Ourexpertiseincommercial arbitrationencompassesthe representationofprivate individuals,businessesofall sizes,and States/State-ownedentities.

Comprising a team that includes the former Deputy Secretary General of the ICC and current member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, our lawyers possess a comprehensive understanding of all facets of ICC arbitration proceedings, just as they are familiar with the practices of all major institutions. Our team brings forth decades of collective experience in representing clients in widely recognized commercial arbitration venues.

Investment Arbitration

Weactandhaveactedin numerousinvestment arbitrations,including dozensofICSIDarbitrations, representingboth States/Stateentitiesand investors.

We fully grasp the policy and political dimensions that are often at play in a dispute involving State interests. Our investment treaty practice, which includes the former Chief of Investment Arbitration for the U.S. Department of State, is widely recognized in the market, with our lawyers having achieved success in numerous historic cases.

We have assisted numerous clients in addressing emerging international investment disputes through skillful negotiation, strategic public relations, and political initiatives. By invoking the relevant framework of treaty rights and remedies, our clients frequently manage to safeguard foreign investments and reputations successfully, navigating controversy without the need for litigation or arbitration.

We advise investors and States on the interplay of arbitration and EU Law, particularly in the investment treaty context. Our lawyers understand the complex issues that arise under intra-EU BITS and from the EU’s new competence in investment matters.

Arbitration-Related Litigation

Our experience in representing clients before national courts and ad hoc committees in annulment cases is unprecedented.

We successfully secured the annulment of two arbitration awards, namely ICSID Case ADHOC/15/1 and PCA Case No. 2017-10, against the Republic of Poland through the Paris Court of Appeal. This annulment was based on the grounds that the awards were inconsistent with European law, aligning with the principles established in the Achmea judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Notably, this marked the first instance throughout the world in which annulment was obtained following the Achmea case.

We also advise our clients on award enforcement or on resisting enforcement of awards.

Representing State or State-owned entities

• Representing the Republic of Ecuador in several investment arbitrations with foreign oil & gas, mining and telecommunications companies, including ICSID cases against Perenco, Burlington, Occidental, and Chevron.
• Representing the Republic of Ecuador and some of its State-owned entities in several commercial arbitrations, including against a Latin American State-owned company in an ICC arbitration arising out of a major copper mining project, in four PCA arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Rules arising from the alleged breach of a transitory contract for exploration and production of petroleum crude, and an ad hoc arbitration concerning the development and implementation of ERP software.
• Representing the Czech Republic in four investment arbitrations under the UNCITRAL and ICSID Rules, and in two annulment proceedings, concerning disputes pertaining to the real estate, telecommunications, gaming, and aeronautics sectors, respectively.
• Representing the Republic of Poland in two parallel UNCITRAL arbitrations under the Energy Charter Treaty and a BIT, as well as in two annulment proceedings before French courts concerning disputes pertaining to the mining, food and hospitality sectors, respectively.
• Representing the Republic of Georgia in two investment disputes related to the Georgian banking and telecommunications’ sectors.
• Representing the Arab Republic of Egypt against 13 Kuwaiti claimants (ICSID Case No. ARB/18/31) in an investment arbitration (and annulment proceedings) related to a desert land development project for urban and agricultural purposes.
• Representing the Republic of Panama in an investment arbitration commenced by Orla Mining Ltd (ICSID Case No. ARB/24/27) concerning a gold and copper mining project.
• Representing the Argentine Republic against AES (ICSID Case No. ARB/02/17) in a dispute relating to regulatory changes to the electricity generation sector during the crisis of the early 2000s.
• Representing the Republic of Guatemala in several investment disputes under the ICSID and UNCITRAL Rules in the energy sector, including against Iberdrola, IC Power and Grupo Energía Bogotá and Transportadora de Energía de Centroamérica.
• Representing the Ministry of Public Works of an Eastern European State in an ICC arbitration arising from the construction of a bridge and associated rail infrastructure.
• Representing a national gas distribution company from an Eastern European country against a Russian supplier in an ICC arbitration arising from the suspension of gas deliveries.
• Representing a municipality against a Spanish consortium in two ICC arbitrations arising from the construction of a tramway line in Latin America.

Representing companies and investors

• Representing the Greek company AVAX S.A. in the annulment proceedings of the award in ICSID Case No. ARB/16/29, AVAX S.A. v. the Republic of Lebanon.
• Representing the Italian members of a joint venture in ICSID Case No. ARB/17/8, Rizzani De Eccher S.p.A., Obrascón Huarte Lain S.A. and Trévi S.p.A. v. the State of Kuwait (arbitration and annulment proceedings) , concerning the construction of an expressway.
• Representing a BVI telecommunications company and South Sudanese telecommunications company against an African State in an ICC arbitration arising from the implementation of a mobile phone network license.
• Representing the Spanish subsidiary of an American company against a Spanish electricity utility company in an ICC arbitration related to an industrial incident in a nuclear power plant in Europe (and related root cause analysis).
• Representing an Algeria-based joint venture of three major French, Spanish, Algerian oil & gas companies against a Lebanese construction company in an ICC arbitration arising from alleged delays and cost overruns during the construction of gas facilities.
• Representing a European construction company in ICSID Case No. ARB/18/17 Autopista del Norte S.A.C. v. the Republic of Peru, arising from the breach of a concession contract for the construction of a highway.
• Advising a leading French construction company in a possible ICC arbitration and an ICC emergency procedure against a Colombian company concerning the construction of a port in Colombia.
• Representing a French pharmaceutical company against a Swiss pharmaceutical company in four ICC arbitrations arising from license and distribution agreements.
• Representing a leading container shipping company in various disputes, including (i) against a Moroccan port company in an ICC arbitration arising from a joint venture set up for the exploitation of a container terminal, and (ii) against an international bank in Latin America in an arbitration involving liquidation of a trust account.
• Representing a French company against Finnish, Hungarian, and Chinese companies in an ICC arbitration arising from the development of a high-tech cellular phone.
• Representing an Italian company against a Central American State-owned company in an ICC arbitration arising from a contract for cruise services.
• Representing a Spanish company in the renewable energy sector in a highly complex, multi-jurisdictional dispute concerning the construction and operation of a solar photovoltaic power plant in the Middle East.

France - Head office

Paris 80, rue Jouffroy d'Abbans, 75017 Paris, France

U.S.– Office

1320 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA

UK Desk

London

Latin America Desk

Bogotá

Visit our website: www.wordstone.com