DLA Piper LLP (US)’s international arbitration practice impresses with its ability to ‘greatly capitalize on its international presence’, as evidenced by a recent case list that has seen the team act alongside lawyers in Canada, Colombia and Mexico. The group additionally stands out for its extensive experience in Latin American markets, with a focus on infrastructure, energy and natural resources disputes. Global department co-chair Kate Brown de Vejar splits her practice between New York and Mexico City, where she represents corporations, sovereign states and state-owned enterprises in commercial and investor-state disputes. Also in New York, Kiera Gans is building a strong reputation for investment treaty arbitration.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team is very responsive and flexible. The team is also very broad; it can bring in any expertise you need at short notice. Lawyers are smart, think out-of-the-box and present solutions that I have not seen others do.’
‘James Berger is our main contact. We are big fans of his work. He is always in control in difficult situations. He is a very good strategic advisor and also a very good litigator.’
‘It seems like an excellent team working cooperatively and carefully to clarify the truth.’
‘Exceptional knowledge of the subject, attention to detail and very realistic vision with regards to the timeline and the budget.’
‘James Berger and his team delivered an incredible performance and — dare I say it — under the budget! Great team work, available seven days a week with a non-nonsense approach.’
‘This is a team which was able to greatly capitalize on its international presence with people with different skills, languages and perspectives. I found it refreshing to have a lot of diversity with many team members being women.’
‘I worked with several members of the team and I found the culture very collaborative. Lawyers could leverage their insights from other matters elsewhere in the world to make compelling arguments in the matter I was involved with.’
‘I enjoyed working with Kiera Gans and associate Elena Rizzo. Both were very accessible, good communicators and helped manage a very trying matter with uncertain facts. They worked closely with us on various elements of the case and were true partners in helping the client shape the appropriate narrative.’
Key clients
- Goldgroup Resources
- Government of the Republic of Lithuania
- Gebre LLC
- Cube Infrastructure Managers
- Olin Holdings
- Rusoro Mining
- De Well Container Shipping
- Acorda Therapeutics
- Moussy Salem
- Third Eye Capital
Work highlights
- Successfully represented Rusoro Mining in efforts to enforce an arbitration award against Venezuela arising out of the expropriation of Rusoro’s gold mining assets.
- Successfully represented the Republic of Lithuania in an investment treaty case brought by a Russian fund concerning the nationalization of Bankas Snoras.
- Represented GoldGroup Resources in submitting a claim to arbitration, under the sunset clauses of the USMCA and NAFTA Chapter 11, against Mexico.
Lawyers
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.
Kate Brown de Vejar