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About Adam Betts

Adam is an associate in our New York office. He focuses his practice on international law and arbitration and has acted in commercial and investment arbitrations under the ICSID, ICSID(AF), ICC and LCIA rules.

Adam also represents non-U.S. clients in American bankruptcy litigations and advises on investigatory and compliance matters under both U.S. and foreign law.

Recent work

  • Representing Grupo Agroinsumos in obtaining a US$ 2.8 billion ICSID award against Venezuela under the Venezuela-Spain BIT, resulting from the expropriation of its investment in the most important agribusiness company in the country.
  • Representing Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. ("BBVA") in securing a US$ 100 million award for financial group BBVA in an ICSID Additional Facility arbitration against Bolivia under the Spain-Bolivia BIT. The dispute arose out of government measures nationalizing the pension fund administration service provided by BBVA’s Bolivian subsidiary.
  • Representing Glencore and its Colombian subsidiaries in an ICSID arbitration against Colombia related to the State's unreasonable refusal to take over two thermal coal mines and their assets, as required under the mining contracts upon their termination, forcing Glencore and its subsidiaries to incur multi-million-dollar monthly costs and liabilities to upkeep the mines.
  • Representing a leading Paraguay energy company in an ICC case initiated by two other Paraguayan commercial shipping, storage, and distribution companies related to two interrelated contracts for the shipment and storage of gasoline.
  • Representing a leading energy company in an LCIA arbitration against CFE International arising out of gas purchase and supply obligations that were disrupted by a winter storm.
  • Representing international financial institutions and structured investment vehicles in “clawback” suits brought by the Madoff bankruptcy trustee and presenting novel-cross border jurisdictional and extraterritoriality defenses, including to the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • Conducting internal investigations for large multinational companies under both U.S. and foreign law.
  • Advising multinational companies in regulatory compliance matters under both U.S. and foreign law.
  • Providing dispute-related due diligence in connection with the acquisition of high-litigation-risk targets.
  • Representing asylum seekers in U.S. Immigration Court.

Qualifications

Education

  • J.D., Fordham University School of Law | New York, N.Y.
  • LL.M. (International and European Business Law), ICADE Universidad Pontificia Comillas | Madrid, Spain
  • B.A. (International Relations), New York University | New York, N.Y.

Languages (in addition to English)

  • Spanish (full working proficiency)
  • French (basic working proficiency)

Professional

  • Admitted to practice in:
    • New York State
    • The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (S.D.N.Y.)
    • The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (E.D.N.Y.)