Santiago Bejarano

santiago.bejarano@lw.com

+1.212.906.4773

Profile

Mr. Bejarano regularly represents domestic and multinational corporations in their highest-stakes international disputes and investigations. Drawing on his dual qualification as an attorney in Colombia and New York and his in-depth understanding of Latin America’s legal systems and business practices, he frequently advises clients on matters involving this region.

Mr. Bejarano brings over a decade of experience participating in international commercial and investment arbitrations held under a variety of rules and institutions, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). He has participated in arbitrations seated in all major arbitral hubs, including New York, Washington D.C., London, The Hague, and Paris, among others. Mr. Bejarano has been recognized as a leading arbitration practitioner in the 2019-2021 editions of Who’s Who Legal: Future Leaders – Arbitration.

Mr. Bejarano also advises clients in connection with government investigations and inquiries, white collar matters, and complex, multi-jurisdictional internal investigations. He has conducted internal investigations for multinational companies in relation to their operations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Mr. Bejarano keeps an active pro bono practice, advising clients on immigration-related matters. He received the Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Publico Award in 2015 for his work on immigration cases.

Mr. Bejarano is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Colombian Chapter of the Spanish Arbitration Association (CEA); the Latin American Arbitration Association (ALARB); the International Bar Association (IBA); the Young ICCA; the ICC Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF); and the LCIA Young and International Arbitration Group (YIAG).

Experience

Mr. Bejarano’s experience includes representing:

Several Latin American subsidiaries of a US pharmaceutical company in an ICC arbitration seated in Paris, governed by Colombian law, in a dispute related to an M&A transaction
A Latin American state in a commercial arbitration under the ICSID Additional Facility Rules, seated in Washington, D.C., related to an investment in the natural resources sector
A US biotech company in an AAA arbitration seated in New York, governed by New York law, in a dispute arising out of a licensing agreement
A US infrastructure company in an LCIA arbitration seated in Houston, governed by New York and Texas law, in a dispute arising out of a gas distribution agreement with a Latin American state-owned utility company
Several European subsidiaries of a US public company in the plastics sector in parallel ICDR arbitrations against subsidiaries of a US company, in connection with the operation of several industrial sites in Europe*
A petrochemical company against a Caribbean state-owned gas company in an ad hoc arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules (1976), resulting in a favorable settlement for the client*
A US pharmaceutical company in an ad hoc investment arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules (1976) against the Republic of Ecuador under the US-Ecuador bilateral investment treaty, resulting in a finding of denial of justice against the State*
A leading Swiss luxury goods manufacturer in an ICDR arbitration against a Middle Eastern distributor, governed by New York law*
A leading US-based driller in an expropriation claim against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and its state-owned petroleum company in US federal court*
One of the world’s largest commodities trading companies in connection with a criminal investigation by US and foreign authorities in relation to the company’s operations in Latin America, Africa, and Europe*
A leading US media company in a criminal investigation by US authorities in relation to the soccer industry in Latin America*
Several individuals in a criminal investigation conducted by US authorities against a US-based ophthalmic company in connection with their medical device business in Asia*
A leading US media company in an internal review of its soccer broadcasting rights in Latin America*
One of the world’s leading audit firms in an internal investigation related to independence issues arising out of work by a member firm in Latin America*