Estefanía San Juan
Biography
Overview
Estefanía San Juan is a partner in the International Arbitration Practice Group. Ms. San Juan specializes in international dispute resolution and transnational disputes particularly those involving Latin America.
Her experience includes representing clients in high-stakes international investment arbitrations before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and under the UNCITRAL rules, and commercial arbitration and related litigations in various forums. Ms. San Juan routinely assists clients by creating and executing comprehensive legal strategies aimed at preserving international rights while advancing the investor's daily operational activities, including communications with stakeholders and filing local proceedings. She has particular expertise in the energy, mining, and infrastructure sectors.
She was listed in Jus Connect's Power List Most Active Female Arbitration Lawyers in 2023 and 2024 and has also been recognized by Latinvex's among Latin America's 25 up-and-coming legal practitioners in their Rising Stars Legal awards.
Ms. San Juan is a frequent speaker at arbitration conferences both in the United States and in Latin America. Beyond her notable client work, Estefanía sits on the Board of the Miami International Arbitration Society and has sat in the Steering Committees for CPR's Annual Meeting and Miami Arbitration Week.
Ms. San Juan has been at the forefront of the growth of White & Case's international arbitration team in Miami and is active in recruiting, training, and mentoring lawyers from across the firm. Ms. San Juan co-chairs the Firm's Alianza Affinity Network, which promotes cultural awareness of the Latinx American experience, builds community among the Firm's Latinx members and promotes the recruitment, retention and professional development of Latinx employees. She is also a board member of the Hispanic Bar Association of D.C. Foundation and an active member of the Firm's Women's Initiative.
Ms. San Juan is multilingual in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. She has lived, studied, and worked in Colombia, Costa Rica and the United States.
Experience
Experience:
Representing various renewable energy investors in multiple ICSID arbitrations against the Republic of Honduras, including: Fernando Paiz Andrade (ICSID Case No. ARB/23/43) under CAFTA-DR; Inversiones y Desarrollos Energéticos, S.A. (ICSID Case No. ARB/23/40) under the Central America – Panama Free Trade Agreement; Norfund and KLP Norfund Investments AS (ICSID Case No. ARB/23/13) under the Investment Law of Honduras (2011); and Scatec ASA (ICSID Case No. ARB/23/12) under the Investment Law of Honduras (2011). These complex disputes relate to the State's adoption of legislation affecting the legal framework for investments, failure to comply with specific commitments, and coercion to reduce energy prices under threats of expropriation.
Represent a leading infrastructure company in continuing a major investment leveraging investment treaty rights against a Central American State related to State measures affecting the investor's ability to construct and operate a major infrastructure concession.
Representing investors in an investment arbitration against Chile relating to a relating to the State's disruption of a project in the telecommunications sector.
Representing an investor in the mining section in an investment treaty arbitration against the Republic of Colombia.
Representing a global port company in an investment treaty arbitration against a Central American State related to State measures affecting the investor's ability to operate a major seaport concession.
Advising foreign investors conducting business in Colombia on strategies to preserve and leverage their international rights.
Advising various international investors with energy projects in Mexico to preserve their international arbitration rights in the context of Mexico's changes to the legal framework.
Represented a client in an ICC arbitration seated in Miami pursuant to an EPC Contract in connection with a hydroelectric plant in Central America.
Represented a major construction company in its $350 million claim under the US-Ecuador Bilateral Investment Treaty.
Represented a Spanish holding company in its $600 million international arbitration case against a Latin American State involving the power generation sector.
Advised investors and project company related to the Quito airport.
Represented a client in an investment dispute related to a metallurgical facility in Latin America.
Represented an Asian company in a dispute against an State-owned entity relating to port concession in Ecuador and advice in related proceedings in Panama and BVI.
Advised a client in connection with investment issues related to a hydroelectric plant in Panama.
Represented a client in a dispute relating to ports and sovereign wealth funds in Andean country.
Represented investors in a mass claim relating to Argentine Sovereign debt.
ICC, "Pathological and Tiered Arbitration Clauses from the U.S. Perspective," Lima
GoArb "Landing on your First International Arbitrations "Training on Cross-Examination 2024", Lima
Universidad Externado's Jornadas de Arbitraje 2024 "Damages in International Arbitration," Bogota.
Arbitraje Ambiental & Empresarial: Impulsando el Desarrollo Sostenible, Conferencia Internacional de Arbitraje de la ICC en Panamá, 2024
Consideraciones sobre los Contratos de Adquisición en LATAM y sus implicaciones en materia de conflictos, Canal Arbitraje, 2024
M&A Transactions, Investment Protections, and International Disputes, 2022
Globalized Americas: A roundtable on globalization, investment, and Arbitration, University of Miami 2021
Principios regulatorios y estándares mínimos de las inversiones en América Latina, Instituto Peruano de Arbitraje (IPA) 2021
To Arbitrate Or To Litigate, That Is The Question, Association of Corporate Counsel, Miami 2021
Arbitraje en Colombia: La intersección de lo local y lo global, Cámara de Comercio de Bogota, 2020
Women in Arbitration Conference, Instituto Peruano de Arbitraje (IPA), Lima 2020
International Legal Reforms, ACS Houston/South Florida 2020
The Global Debt Crisis and the Rise of Investor-State Dispute Settlement, University of Miami 2020
Investment Arbitration Conference, Instituto Peruano de Arbitraje (IPA), Santiago 2019
Investment Protection in Latin America, The Inter-American Bar Association (IABA), DC Chapter, Washington 2017
Arbitration Procedure in International Commercial Arbitration, American University Washington College of Law, Washington 2016
