New York-based international arbitration practitioner with particular strength in mining, energy and construction.
Dual-qualified (New York and Chile), trilingual—English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Future Leader in International Arbitration, Lexology Index (2023–2026).
President, Club Español e Iberoamericano de Arbitraje (New York Chapter).

Felipe is a partner in Akin’s international arbitration practice based in New York. He represents multinational corporations, investors and sovereign entities in complex commercial, investor-state and treaty-based arbitrations across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, with particular strength in mining, energy and construction.

Admitted in New York and dual-qualified as Abogado in Chile, Felipe combines common- and civil-law expertise on both sides of cross-border disputes. Trilingual in English, Spanish and Portuguese, he brings regional depth that is rare among U.S.-based practitioners.

He acts in proceedings under all major arbitral rules, including those of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution/American Arbitration Association (ICDR/AAA), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and ad hoc rules. His matters span EPC projects, joint ventures, concessions, post-M&A and shareholder disputes, and treaty-based claims involving state conduct; he also advises on investment structuring and dispute-prevention strategies.

Felipe serves on arbitrator rosters at leading institutions across Latin America and has been recognized as a Future Leader in International Arbitration by the Lexology Index since 2023. He speaks and publishes widely on arbitration, international law and comparative law.

Representative Work

Representing a multinational services company in three concurrent ICC arbitrations and two parallel domestic arbitrations arising from a joint venture to build and operate penitentiary facilities in Chile.
Representing a multinational company in four coordinated LCIA arbitrations seated in Geneva (UNCITRAL Rules) against State entities in Central Asia, arising from alleged breaches of share purchase and joint venture agreements governing long-term industrial production operations.
Representing a global renewable energy company in an ICC arbitration concerning construction delays and cost overruns on a windfarm project in a U.S. territory.
Representing a multinational energy company in an ICC arbitration against a contractor concerning EPC design and construction defects at a hydrocarbon facility in Latin America.
Acting in AAA arbitrations concerning large-scale U.S. industrial and infrastructure projects, including disputes over a car manufacturing facility and a power plant.
Successfully mediating the resolution of a New York SPAC dispute.
Representing a Latin American oil company in an ICC arbitration concerning breaches of representations and warranties under a share purchase agreement.

Representing a multinational services company in three concurrent ICC arbitrations and two parallel domestic arbitrations arising from a joint venture to build and operate penitentiary facilities in Chile.
Representing a global engineering company in an ICC arbitration concerning a contractor’s abandonment of a transmission line project spanning Brazil and Chile.
Representing one of the world’s largest mining companies in arbitration proceedings arising from an EPC contract for the major expansion of its facilities in Chile, settled on terms favorable to the client.
Advising a major mining company in a dispute arising from crippling tax measures adopted by a Latin American state.
Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (ICSID Case No. ARB/17/43). Represented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, defeating a USD 318 million claim concerning the construction of a major power generation and desalination plant.
MetLife, Inc. et al. v. Argentine Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB/17/17). Represented U.S. investors in an investor-state arbitration arising from the nationalization of Argentina’s private pension system.
Tidewater Inc. et al. v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (ICSID Case No. ARB/10/5). Represented the investors in an ICSID arbitration arising from the expropriation of investments in marine support services to Venezuela’s oil and gas sector.

List may include matters worked on prior to joining Akin.

Languages
Spanish
Portuguese

Education
LL.M., New York University School of Law, 2013
LL.B., Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, summa cum laude, 2006

Bar Admissions
Admitted as Abogado, Chile
New York

Affiliations and Public Service

President, Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje (New York Chapter).
Arbitrator, American Chamber of Commerce of Peru.
Arbitrator, Centro de Arbitraje y Conciliación de la Cámara de Comercio de Medellín.
Arbitrator, Centro de Arbitraje y Conciliación de Guatemala (CENAC).
Member, Arbitration Committee, International Bar Association.
Selected for the ICC Advanced Arbitration Academy for North America (2026–2027).
Advisory Board Member, Hispanic National Bar Foundation.

Speeches and Publications

Co-author (with Matheus Bastos Oliveira), “Representations and Warranties in Civil-Law Deals: Lessons from the Australis Annulment,” Kluwer Arbitration Blog (July 21, 2026).
Co-author (with Mark Clarke and Michael Stewart), “When Supply Chains Break: Force Majeure, Hardship and the Sulfuric Acid Crisis,” Pratt’s Energy Report (July-August 2026).
Co-author (with Kabir Duggal and Matheus Bastos Oliveira), “Mapping the Ethical Fault Lines in Investor-State Disputes,” in The Guide to Investment Treaty Protection and Enforcement (Global Arbitration Review, July 2026).
Speaker, “Legitimacy, Multiplicity, and Innovation: Perspectives on the Future of Arbitration,” 12th Harvard International Arbitration Conference.
Speaker, “Arbitration in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Efficiency, Ethics and Oversight,” Columbia Arbitration Day.
Speaker, “Emerging Challenges in International Arbitration: The Promise and Pitfalls of Progress — Specialized Arbitration Rules and Corruption Allegations,” IBA Arb40 Symposium, Toronto (2025).
Speaker, “2035: What’s next?,” South Cone International Disputes Forum, Santiago, Chile (2025).
Speaker, “Veil Piercing and Comparative Law,” AmCham Arbitration Forum, Lima, Peru (2025).
Speaker, “Post-M&A Disputes: Limitation of Liability Clauses under Common Law and Civil Law,” CIAG, Antigua, Guatemala (2025).
Speaker, “Greenwashing, Reputational Risk and Arbitration,” Panama Arbitration & ADR Week (2025).
Speaker, “Arbitration in Conflict Zones,” Columbia Arbitration Day, New York (2025).
Speaker, “ESG & International Law,” Berkeley Journal of International Law Symposium, UC Berkeley (2024).
Speaker, “Arbitraje eficaz: herramientas y obstáculos,” Congreso Internacional de Arbitraje, Costa Rica (2024).
Author, “ISDS and ESG: Friends or Foes?,” Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2024).
Author (with José Ignacio García Cueto), “Tidewater v. Venezuela: Property Rights Capable of Expropriation in a Company Operating under Short-Term Contracts,” Journal of International Arbitration (2015).