Claudia Benavides Galvis

Biography

Claudia is a partner at Baker McKenzie. Since 2010, she heads the Dispute Resolution practice in Colombia. In 2018, she was appointed Chair of the Latin America DR practice and since 2019 Claudia is the Global Chair of the Firm's Dispute Resolution Group.

Claudia is also a listed arbitrator of the panel of arbitrators of the Center of Arbitration of the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá for both, domestic and international arbitration; a listed arbitrator of the Panel of Arbitrators of the Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (Shanghai International Arbitration Center); and a listed arbitrator of the Panel of Arbitrators of the Arbitration Court of Amcham Peru.

Claudia is a highly-regarded expert in transnational litigation and international arbitration. She has over 20 years of extensive experience handling complex litigations and arbitrations related to construction and infrastructure projects, post-acquisition disputes, disputes in the energy sector, distribution and supply agreements, unfair competition, product liability, insolvency and general breach of contract. She often advises investors on treaty planning, and leveraging international protections in the context of government interference. She acts for and against state entities, with particular experience in the energy sector and large infrastructure projects.

Claudia has been ranked by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 as an expert in the field of dispute resolution. According to these publications, the group led by Claudia "'generates absolute confidence’ according to clients who highlight the team’s ‘efficiency, agility and commitment’, ‘broad market knowledge’, and ‘careful follow-up of cases", pointing that "It is led by the ‘expert’ and ‘deeply involved’ Claudia Benavides whose ‘intelligence, diligence and acuity to foresee legal risks’, make her a stand out legal adviser.” Chambers and Partners Latin America notes that "Claudia Ines Benavides Galvis is praised by interviewees for her "wide knowledge of the area, precision and in-depth background" in the field of dispute resolution." She has been ranked Band 1 in Chambers & Partners' individual ranking and in the "Leading Lawyer" listing by The Legal 500. The prestigious publication Who's Who Legal: Arbitration describes her as one of the world experts in arbitration and Benchmark Litigation featured her in the Top 25 Latam Women in Litigation listing. The team led by Claudia is ranked Tier 1 in the prestigious directory The Legal 500. In addition, she was recently awarded by Best Lawyers 2020 "Lawyer of the Year" for Litigation and recognized by such publication as a leader in Arbitration, International Arbitration and Mediation. In 2021, Claudia was named Litigation Latin American Lawyer of the Year by Euromoney's Women in Business Law Americas, and she was added to the Lawdragon Global Litigation 500 list, an accolade reserved for lawyers who "know their way around global business battlefields."

Claudia has been actively involved with academia. She regularly speaks in important national and international conferences and she is the author of several articles related to her practice.

Practice Focus

Claudia has an extensive experience handling complex litigations and arbitrations related to construction and infrastructure projects, multimillion stock purchase agreements, post-acquisition disputes, disputes in the energy sector, distribution and supply agreements, insurance, transport, shipping law, unfair competition, product liability, insolvency and breaches of contract.

Representative Legal Matters

Successfully represented a major Chinese company in arbitration proceedings filed by a major Colombian company pursuant to the civil works contract entered into between the parties for the constructions of a power plant. Value exceeding USD 45.000.000.
Represented the subsidiary of a major British company in a dispute that provided for international arbitration seated in New York regarding breach of a multimillionaire stock purchase agreement of a Colombian company, under ICC rules. She obtained outstanding results for our client. Value around USD 60.0000.000.
Represented a major French company in international arbitration proceedings, under ICC rules, seated in New York, regarding the disputes that arose for alleged breach of representations and warrantied within an interest purchase agreement of a Colombian company. Value around USD 24.000.000.
Successfully represented a major international consortium in international arbitration proceedings against a state owned company regarding the breach of an EPC contract for the engineering, acquisition, construction, installation and commercial operation of a power plant in Colombia. Value exceeding USD 200.000.000.
Representing an infrastructure company in arbitration proceedings arisen from the breach of a contract related to the assembly and installation of conveyor belts. Value around USD 10.000.000.
Successfully represented an energy company in an arbitration related to the liquidation of an energy distribution and operation contract. Value around USD 25.000.000.
Represented an energy company in relation to arbitration proceedings, under ICC rules, regarding the alleged breach of obligations of a contract for the implementation and operation of an operation system in the oil sector. Value around USD 4.000.000.
Representing a multilatina in regards to a dispute related to a contract stating international arbitration proceedings under CCI rules, for the non-fulfilment of obligations in relation to the construction of a water treatment plant. Value around USD 120.000.000.
Representing a subsidiary of a French multinational within a class action in which claimants are seeking the recognition and payment of damages allegedly caused by an oil spill that occurred on July 20, 2014 in a port in the Republic of Colombia. Value around USD 1 billion.
Represented a Swiss pharmaceutical company within a litigation brought by a local company seeking the declaration of a de facto commercial agency agreement. The plaintiff is claiming payment of the commercial severance pay and the equitable indemnity due under Colombian law to commercial agents upon termination of the relationship. Value around USD 50.000.000.

Professional Honors

Band 1, Individual Ranking Dispute Resolution, Chambers & Partners 2021
Leading Lawyer in Dispute Resolution, Legal 500, 2021
Global Leader, Recommended, Who´s Who Legal: Arbitration 2021

Professional Associations and Memberships

Global Chair of Baker McKenzie Dispute Resolution practice group.
Baker McKenzie's International Arbitration Steering Committee (2015-2018)
Listed arbitrator of the Center of Arbitration of the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá for both, domestic and international arbitration.
Listed arbitrator of the Panel of Arbitrators of the Shanghai International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (Shanghai International Arbitration Center).
Listed arbitrator of the Panel of Arbitrators of the Arbitration Court of Amcham Peru.
Chair of the Arbitration and ADR Commission of ICC Colombia (2018-2019)
Representative of the ICC YAF Latin America Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC) (2014 - 2017).
Member of the International Arbitration Latin American Group of ICC.
Member of the ICC Arbitration and ADR Commission.
Member of the Singapore International Arbitration Center Users Council.
Founding member of the Colombian Chapter of the Club Español del Arbitraje. Member of the board of the Colombian Chapter.
Member of ALARB - Asociación Latinoamericana de Arbitraje.
Member of the Comité Colombiano de Arbitraje .
Colombian subcommittee for The Pledge - Equal Representation in Arbitration.
Member of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Committee of Baker McKenzie and Chair of the Latam D&I Steering Committee

Admissions

Colombia (1997)

Education

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LLM with merit honors) (2001)
Universidad de los Andes (Economics) (1999)
Universidad de los Andes (Lawyer) (1997)

Languages

English
Spanish

Presentations

Speaker at the "VII International Arbitration Congress" - New developments in international arbitration - August 21, 2019.
Speaker at the conference “13 ICC New York Conference - Debate: Freedom of choice vs. Assurance of expertise" in New York, EE.UU on September 27-28, 2018.
Speaker at the conference “Young ICCA Skills Training Workshop:Interim Measures And Emergency Arbitrators In International Arbitration" in Bogota, Colombia on September 21, 2018.
Speaker at the conference “Conversatorio sobre Arbitraje e Industrias. Experiencias de la ICC” in Medellin, Colombia on September 12, 2018.
Speaker at the conference “4º Foro Arbitraje ICC. El laudo arbitral”, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on May 22, 2018.

Panelist at the Oil & Gas Institute on the topic "Tips for Oil & Gas Corporate/M&A Lawyers from Dispute Resolution Specialists" held in Houston, USA, on May 10, 2018.
Speaker at the ICC YAF Conference “Arbitraje internacional en el sector minero”, in Cartagena, Colombia on May 2, 2018.
Speaker at the conference "Diálogos entre la Rama Judicial y el Arbitraje" organized by Red de Arbitraje Juvenil del Centro de Arbitraje y Conciliación de la Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá, about "Régimen de medidas cautelares en el arbitraje: intervención del juez civil del circuito", in Bogotá, Colombia, on February 1, 2018.
Moderator in the conference "Soft law y su desarrollo por el Comité de Arbitraje de la IBA" organized by the ICC International Court of Arbitration, ICC Panama and the IBA on January 29, 2018 in Panama City, Panama.
Speaker in the Escuela Internacional de Arbitraje 2018 organized by Universidad Nacional, regarding the future of international arbitration in Colombia, on January 23, 2018 in Bogota, Colombia.
Presenting via video conference the initiative The Pledge: Equal Representation in Arbitration within the conference "Proyección de las Abogadas Latinoamericanos en el Arbitraje Internacional" organized by Red de Arbitraje Juvenil del CAC de la CCB in Bogotá, Colombia, on October 19, 2017.
Speaker at the “V seminario internacional de Arbitraje de inversión sobre medidas provisionales y judiciales antes, durante y después del arbitraje” organized by the IPA in Lima, Peru on October 2017.
Jury for the “Combate arbitral" organized by ICC YAF in Bogotá, Colombia, on October 18, 2017.
Speaker at the ICC ECUADOR ADR WEEK about “El rol de las instituciones arbitrales como garantes de la eficacia del sistema arbitral”, organized by the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC and ICC Ecuador, in Quito, Ecuador, on September 12, 2017.
Speaker in the international arbitration conference on "Novedades y Tendencias en Resolución de Conflictos Internacionales, de Inversión y Proyectos de Infraestructura” organized by Centro de Conciliación y Arbitraje Cámara de Comercio e Industria de Tegucigalpa, CEA and Centro de Conciliación y Arbitraje Cámara de Comercio e Industrias de Cortes, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on August 4, 2017.
Panelist at the ICC YAF on Infrastructure and Private-Public Partnership disputes, at Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on August 3, 2017.
Speaker at the “Congreso de Arbitraje CAC - CEA sobre el régimen dualista o monista del arbitraje, balance de la experiencia Colombiana en arbitraje internacional” in Bogota, Colombia, on August 8 and 9, 2017.
Speaker at the “Programa análisis de un caso práctico: Reclamación de daños en Arbitraje de construcción” in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on August 3, 2017
Moderator at the 6Th ICC YAF Global Conference, in New York, USA, on June 9 and 10, 2017.
Speaker at the “Programa de la legitimidad de Arbitraje internacional y su coexistencia con la jurisdicción ordinaria” in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on May 25, 2017.
Speaker at the "III Foro Internacional de Arbitraje de Santo Domingo; litigación en sede arbitral el rol de los abogados sobre leyes que inciden en el arbitraje” in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in May 2017.
Speaker at the "XI Congreso internacional de arbitraje. Buenas Prácticas en el Arbitraje" in the panel "Las buenas y malas prácticas en la presentación de las medidas cautelares. El árbitro de emergencia.” from April 26 to 28, 2017 in Lima, Peru.
Speaker at the "Escuela Internacional de Arbitraje 2017. International Investment and Commercial Arbitration: a blessing or a curse", organized by Universidad Nacional, about enforceability of precautionary measures in international arbitration on January 23, 2017 in Bogotá, Colombia.
Speaker at the "IV Encuentro de capítulos internacionales del club Español del arbitraje", in the panel “La experiencia Latinoamericana en materia de arbitraje en proyectos de infraestructura” in Panamá on November 17 and 18, 2016.
Round table panelist on the topic "Cómo combinar la mediación y el arbitraje de manera efectiva“ in Bogotá, Colombia, on September 27, 2016.
Panelist at the ICC YAF Conference "Lo que usted debe saber en materia de arbitraje internacional" in Cali, Colombia on September 26, 2016.
Speaker at the "2° Congreso Internacional de Métodos Alternativos de Solución de Conflictos" organized by the Chambers of Commerce of Bogotá, Cali and Medellín on the topic of Dispute Boards, in Cali, Colombia on September 15, 2016.
On June 2016 speaker at the "Congreso de Arbitraje" organized by the Comité Colombiano de Arbitraje, on issues related to international arbitration, in Bogotá, Colombia.
On April 13, 2016 moderator of the ICC YAF event on the taking of evidence, in Bogotá, Colombia.
Panelist at the conference "Arbitraje con una parte estatal de la arbitralidad subjetiva y sus demonios” organized by the Colombian Chapter of the Club Español del Arbitraje in Bogotá, Colombia, on April 12, 2016.
On April 1, 2016, speaker at the ICC YAF event on international arbitration that took place in Quito, Ecuador.
On April 1, 2016, panelist at the IX Conference on International Arbitration organized by the Instituto Ecuatoriano de Arbitraje and AmCham Quito in Quito, Ecuador
On March 8, 2016 speaker at the arbitration academy on international arbitration at Baker & McKenzie in Johannesburg, South Africa.
On January 20, 2016 speaker at the conference "International Arbitration: One of the Most Important ADRs" organized by Universidad Nacional and Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.
On October 27, 2015 speaker at the "I Congreso Panamericano de Arbitraje" in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Speaker at the "4a Conferencia Internacional de ICDR y CCB sobre Arbitraje Internacional y Mediación" in the panel "Comprender el rol y las potestades del árbitro internacional" in Bogotá, on October 15, 2015.
Speaker at the "Congreso Internacional de Arbitraje - Prevención y Resolución de Conflictos en materia de Construcción" in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on October 5, 2015
Speaker at the ICC YAF conference "Arbitraje y Justicia Ordinaria" in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on October 5, 2015.
On the 1st of September 2015 served as moderator of a panel about recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards within the conference "Nuevas Tendencias en Arbitraje Comercial y de Inversión" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia
On August 28, 2015 spoke on a panel about judicial measures prior, during and after arbitration within the conference organized by Universidad Centroamericana and García & Bodán in Managua, Nicaragua
On August 25, 2015 spoke on a panel about the law applicable to arbitration clauses within the conference organized by ICC YAF "Mesa Redonda Sobre Arbitrabilidad y Orden Público" in Mexico City, México
Speaker at the I International Congress of Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms organized by the Centers of Arbitration and Conciliation of the Chambers of Commerce of Bogotá, Medellín and Cali (Colombia) on August 21, 2015 about precautionary measures in international arbitration
Speaker at the training session organized by the Centro de Arbitraje de Panama - CECAP, in Ciudad de Panama, Panama on the topic "Conducción del arbitraje" in July 2015
Speaker at the training session on international arbitration topics organized by ICDR in Bogotá, Colombia for the Agencia de la Defensa Jurídica del Estado and the Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura in June 2015
Speaker at the 3rd International Arbitration Conference organized by the Comité Colombiano de Arbitraje hosted in Bogotá, Colombia on the topic “Merger & Acquisition disputes in arbitration”, in June 2015
Panelist at the 9th Congress on International Arbitration in Latin America held in Lima, Peru in April 2015 on the topic “Orden público nacional y orden público internacional”
Panelist at the ICC YAF event hosted in Quito, Ecuador on the topic “Recurring matters of substance in international arbitration” in March 2015
Panelist at the "VIII Conferencia de Arbitraje Internacional" hosted in Quito, Ecuador on the topic “Tendencias en el arbitraje de inversión” in March 2015.
Key discussion leader at the “International construction contracts and dispute resolution” conference in the session entitled “Effective management of construction arbitration”, organized by the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC and FIDIC in March 2015, in Bogotá, Colombia.
Panelist at the ICC YAF event hosted in Bogotá, Colombia on the topic “Analysis of practical situations under the ICC Dispute Boards Rules” in March 2015.
Panelist at the ICC YAF Event in San José de Costa Rica in February 2015 speaking on the topic “A practical vision of the dispute boards under ICC Rules"
Panelist at Encuentro IPA – CAM-CCBC on the topic “Judicialización y Constitucionalización del arbitraje. Acciones de amparo o tutela contra el arbitraje. La realidad Latinoamericana” in San José de Costa Rica in February 2015.
Panelist at the ICDR Young & International Conference in San José de Costa Rica on the topic “Guerrilla tactics in international arbitration" in February 2015.
International Commercial Arbitration: A Practical Vision hosted by Universidad Nacional de Colombia, that took place in Bogotá, Colombia on January 21, 2015 speaking about multi-tier clauses.
ICC YAF event entitled "Meeting with Gary Born" on January 19, 2015 in Bogotá, Colombia moderating a session with the key note speaker on international arbitration topics.