Juan Sebastián Arias

Practice Areas

Dispute Resolution (Arbitration and Litigation)

Career

Partner at PPU, expert in Dispute Resolution, international arbitration, national arbitration, and litigation before national courts. Admitted to practice in Colombia and the State of New York. Juan Sebastián is an arbitrator at the Arbitration and Conciliation Center of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce (“CCB”). His professional practice focuses on representing clients in national arbitration, international arbitration, and litigation before national courts. He has participated in international commercial arbitrations under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”), the CCB, the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, the London Court of International Arbitration (“LCIA”), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (“ICDR”), and in investment arbitrations under the ICSID and UNCITRAL rules. He has extensive experience in national arbitrations administered under the CCB rules. He is recognized by Who’s Who Legal and Global Arbitration Review as a Future Leader in Arbitration in Colombia and by Legal 500 as Next Generation Partner in Litigation and Arbitration. In 2024, he was chosen as Rising Star of the Year in Arbitration.

Professional Memberships

Member of the New York Bar Association

Personal

Juan Sebastián has a Law Degree from Universidad del Rosario (2007). He also has a Master I Degree in International Private Law from Université Panthéon – Assa París II (2006), another in Arbitration and International Trade from Université de Versailles Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines (2010) and an LL.M. from Columbia University (2016).

Languages Spoken

Spanish, English and French

Work Highlights

Counsel to Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Buenaventura S.A. in an arbitration dispute initiated by OPP Graneles S.A., related to the performance of a lease and port operation agreement under which SPRBUN leased a pier at the port terminal for OPP Graneles to develop its commercial activity of operating solid bulks.

Counsel to Gecelca 3 S.A.S. E.S.P., a Colombian state-owned company controlled by the Colombian Ministry of Finance, in a setting aside proceeding against an international arbitration award initiated by the Chinese Consortium CUC-DTC. This decision is part of the so-called “Gecelca saga” to which the Colombian arbitration community has paid close attention and that has been discussed in different academic fora.

Counsel to UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones and Colombia Móvil S.A. E.S.P., commercially known as Tigo, one of the most important telecommunication actors in Colombia, in a judicial claim initiated by Comcel S.A., the largest telecommunication actor in Colombia also owned by Carlos Slim, against the Colombian Telecommunications Agency. The claim involves a previous decision of the Colombian Telecommunications Agency to impose higher off-net calls tariffs to Comcel, due to its dominant position in the market.