Catalina Echeverri Gallego

Catalina Echeverri Gallego has nearly a decade of experience in international arbitration, and currently focuses her practice on acting as counsel in international commercial arbitration and investment treaty arbitration concerning a wide range of industries, including energy, infrastructure and telecommunications.

She has successfully advised clients in high-profile cases during negotiations, arbitration, and post-arbitration proceedings. Her practice has been mainly focused on Latin America, representing clients in complex disputes involving multiple jurisdictions, and the application of public and private international law, domestic laws and regulations, and various procedural rules. Ms. Echeverri Gallego has also acted as sole arbitrator.

Prior to joining Dechert's Paris office, Ms. Echeverri Gallego worked in the firm’s Washington D.C office and was an associate in the dispute resolution and investment protection team at a top-tier law firm in Colombia. Ms. Echeverri Gallego’s experience also includes working in London at a social purpose company dedicated to applying behavioral science to policymaking, and in Barcelona for an American company that operates an online marketplace for lodging.

Ms. Echeverri Gallego is a native Spanish speaker, who is fluent in English and has conversational knowledge of French. She has studied and/or worked in France, England, the United States, Spain, Germany, and Colombia.

Member of the Court of Arbitration of the Centro Internacional de Arbitraje AmCham Perú

Member of the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence in Dispute Resolution of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR

Delegate of the Global ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR (2024-2027 mandate)

Representative for France of Asociación Latinoamericana de Arbitraje – ALARB (Latin American Association of Arbitration) Next Generation (2024-2026)

Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR)

Asociación Latinomericana de Arbitraje (ALARB)

Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje (CEIA)

Comité Colombiano de Arbitraje

Commission ICC Colombia

Member of the list of arbitrators of the Chambre Arbitrale Internationale de Paris (CAIP)

Member of the list of arbitrators of the Lima Chamber of Commerce

Member of the list of arbitrators of the Medellin Chamber of Commerce

Member of the list of international arbitrators of the Court of Arbitration of the Centro Internacional de Arbitraje AmCham Perú

The Protection of the Economic Balance of the Contract: General Principles for Addressing ‘Changes of Circumstances’ in Investment Disputes, in ALARB Journal on the “Contractualization of Investment Arbitration” (ALARB, forthcoming 2025)

The State Contract and Investment Arbitration in the book Controversies in Government Contracting (Universidad de los Andes de Colombia, forthcoming 2025)

Latin American Panorama, in Journal of International Arbitration / Les Cahiers de l’Arbitrage (2024)

Relationship between domestic and international law, in Handbook of International Law (Universidad de los Andes de Colombia) (2023)

Telecoms Arbitration in Latin America, in Global Arbitration Review Guide to Telecoms Arbitration (Global Arbitration Review) (2022)

International Investment Arbitration in the Latin-American Electricity Sector, in Latin America: Energy & Natural Resources Disputes (Kluwer) (2021)

Group Arbitration in International E-Commerce Contracts, in 40 Under 40 in International Arbitration (Dykinson) (2021)

Representing a South American State in an UNCITRAL investment arbitration commenced by a British company, concerning the exploitation of a silver mine that interfered with the rights of indigenous communities living in the project area.

Representing a South American State-owned enterprise in an ICSID arbitration against a South American State concerning the construction of a power transmission line.

Representing a Central American State in an ICSID arbitration commence by a Colombian company concerning the construction of a power transmission line.

Representing South American State in ICSID annulment proceedings concerning an award that solved a dispute regarding a participation contract for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Amazon region.

Representing Caribbean State in an ICC commercial arbitration commenced by a Spanish company, concerning a concession contract for the construction and operation of a wind farm, as well as the negotiation of a power purchase agreement with a state-owned entity.

Representing a Caribbean state entity in an UNCITRAL commercial arbitration commenced by a Spanish company concerning the rehabilitation of the country’s electricity transmission networks and force majeure allegations in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Representing a Central American State in an UNCITRAL investment arbitration commenced by an Israeli company operating in the electricity distribution sector concerning criminal tax fraud claims brought by the country’s tax administration.

Representing a South American State in an ICSID arbitration commenced by a Swiss company concerning a concession for the operation of a maritime port and the application of the country’s antitrust regulations.

Representing a South American State in two ICSID arbitrations commenced by a Mexican and a Spanish Company, concerning a concession contract in the telecommunications industry, a decision of the Constitutional Court of the State and a decision of a domestic arbitral tribunal.

Representing the port authority of a South American State in a commercial arbitration against a Chinese company in a dispute related to a concession contract for the renovation and operation of a maritime port.

Representing a South American State in an UNCITRAL investment arbitration commenced by a Spanish company, concerning the concession for the operation of the country’s three international airports.

Representing a South American State in ICSID annulment proceedings concerning an award that solved a dispute regarding 11 mining concessions.