Laura, an associate in the Madrid office, specialises in international commercial and investor-State arbitration. She has experience acting in complex and high-value disputes across a range of sectors, including banking and finance, energy, oil and gas, infrastructure, and retail. Laura has acted in proceedings under a number of arbitration rules, including ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL, and AAA-ICDR.

Her recent experience includes:

• Representing the Republic of Chile in its investment arbitration with a Colombian construction and power distribution company under the Chile-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
• Representing a leading US private equity firm in two parallel ICC arbitrations involving claims of fraud and breach of warranty arising from a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of a Latin American company
• Representing a major European construction company in its investment treaty arbitration with a Latin American State arising from a “megaproject” to expand a strategic maritime infrastructure installation
• Representing an Asia-based investment manager in an AAA arbitration against an US-based asset manager relating to a seed investment
• Representing a European bank in an ICC arbitration involving post-acquisition claims relating to a Spanish credit card business
• Representing a mining and petrochemical company in its investment treaty arbitration against a Latin American State
• Representing Naturgy in its billion-dollar investment treaty claim against Colombia relating to the regulatory framework for the supply of electricity
• Representing a consortium of oil & gas companies in an arbitration against a Latin American State, and in the ensuing settlement negotiations and agreement, arising out of tax liabilities imposed on the consortium in breach of legal and tax stability clauses included in the relevant investment agreements

Laura also maintains an active pro bono practice focused on the defence of human rights. She is representing the owners of a media group against a Latin American State in a claim filed before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights arising from alleged violations of the American Convention on Human Rights in relation to, inter alia, freedom of expression and the right to property. She also worked with REDRESS on a pro bono project promoting balanced gender representation in UN human rights organs and mechanisms.

Laura holds an LLM from Harvard Law School and an LLB from University of São Paulo, where she graduated first in her class. She studied at Sciences Po Paris, as part of her Bachelor’s degree program, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Laura has also held roles in several organisations, including co-chair of the CPR International Mediation Competition, events commissioner at the Harvard International Arbitration Law Students Association, and president of the Brazilian Association of Arbitration Students. She also regularly publishes and speaks on a range of topics including arbitration, dispute resolution, contracts, and commercial law. She speaks English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.