Gonzalo is an associate in Freshfields’ International Arbitration Group based in our Frankfurt office.
He specializes in commercial and investment arbitration. Gonzalo advises and represents large corporations and sovereign States in a variety of sectors, including infrastructure, energy, financial, and industrial manufacturing. He has acted in arbitration proceedings under various rules, including ICSID, ICC, DIS and UNCITRAL.
Prior to joining the firm, Gonzalo worked at an investment arbitration boutique law firm in Venezuela, where he represented foreign investors in ICSID claims in the mining, and banking and finance sector.
Gonzalo is a Venezuelan lawyer and holds an LL.M. from the London School of Economics. He speaks fluent English and Spanish fluently, and intermediate French and German.
Investment disputes
- Representing Allianz SE, the largest insurance company in the world by total assets, in an ICSID arbitration (ICSID Case No. ARB/25/32) against Mexico pursuant to the Germany-Mexico BIT arising from tax measures.
- Representing Strabag SE and its joint venture partners in an ICSID arbitration (ICSID Case No. ARB/19/29) brought under the Energy Charter Treaty against the Federal Republic of Germany arising out of changes in the offshore wind energy sector.
- Representing a state-owned energy company in a multi-billion-euro ad hoc investment arbitration against an Eastern European state
- Representing the German financial services provider Portigon AG (formerly WestLB) in an ICSID arbitration (ICSID Case No. 17/15) brought under the Energy Charter Treaty against the Kingdom of Spain arising out of Spain’s changes to its feed-in-tariff regime for renewable energy.
- Representing an Eastern European country in an ICSID arbitration brought under the Energy Charter Treaty by an Austrian company in relation to its investment in an oil refinery.
- Representing a South-Eastern European country in an ICSID arbitration arising out of a concession agreement.
- Representing Dutch investors Highbury International and Ramstein Trading in two ICSID arbitrations and annulment proceedings against Venezuela arising from the expropriation of the investors' gold and diamond mining concessions*.
- Representing Spanish investor Valle Verde Sociedad Financiera in an ICSID arbitration against Venezuela arising from the expropriation of the investors' large financial institution*.
Commercial disputes
- Representing a multinational chemical company in multi-billion-euro arbitration proceedings regarding a shareholder dispute in an ICC Rules arbitration.
- Representing a major Asian manufacturer in a post-M&A DIS arbitration concerning purchase price adjustment issues.
Arbitration-related proceedings
- Advising a European client in developing its global enforcement strategy (including coordination of asset tracing) for an ICSID award against a European state.
Advisory work
- Advising a European mining company regarding potential investment treaty claims against a Latin American State arising from tax measures.
- Advising an Asian oil and gas company regarding potential investment treaty claims against a Latin American State arising from tax measures and customs duties.
- Advising several European companies in the oil and gas, industrial manufacturing, mining, and banking sectors in connection with potential claims against an Eastern European state for expropriation of strategic assets.
*Experience prior to joining Freshfields
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