Overview
Alejandro Martínez de Hoz is international counsel in the International Arbitration and Latin America practices of leading global law firm Paul Hastings, based in Washington, D.C.
Alejandro has over a decade of experience solving complex international disputes across industries. He represents clients in investment treaty arbitrations, international commercial arbitrations, mediations, and related disputes and negotiations, with a focus on Latin America.
Alejandro has been described by legal directories as “excellent,” “high-profile,” “talent” (Legal 500). He has experience in arbitrations and mediations brought under a range of major rules as well as regional institutions, including the arbitration rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the Arbitration Rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Mediation Rules of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution of the American Arbitration Association (ICDR) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague (PCA).
He has represented clients from the U.S. and around the world on dozens of matters across jurisdictions, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and the U.S. These have spanned sectors such as renewable and energy sector, gas, construction, mining and metals, airport, highways, local communities, telecommunications, environmental, concessions, insurance, post-M&A, compliance and due diligence issues, pension funds, finance and sovereign debt.
Alejandro has been involved on pioneering cases such as the first arbitration under the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, a dispute over the first privately financed hydroelectric plant in Guatemala and novel mediation mechanisms to resolve complex cross-border disputes. He also advised on a bet-the-asset legal battle over a transportation concession project recognized as the dispute of the year in Latin America (Latin Lawyer).
He is a civil and common law trained lawyer with experience practicing early in his career in Argentina and Mexico in law firms and in-house. With over a decade based in the United States, he is a native of Argentina who was recognized as an “under 40 leader in Argentina” and served as president of the Buenos Aires Bar Young Division. He has lectured at universities in the U.S., Mexico and Argentina, such as Fordham University, Georgetown University, University of Miami, Washington University, Monterrey University and Universidad Austral.
Alejandro has also presented and published thought leadership articles in various international publications, including in think tanks in Washington D.C. such as the Inter-American Dialogue, has been appointed to Young ITA (Institute for Transnational Arbitration) leadership team as North America co-chair, and is a member of arbitration associations such as Asociación Latinoamericana de Arbitraje (ALARB). Alejandro has also acted as moot arbitrator and coached teams of various countries (Argentina, Uruguay, United States, India) in international arbitration competitions (Willem C. Vis, Philip C. Jessup, FDI). He has also received an award for outstanding contribution for pro bono work in Latin America.
Accolades
- Leading Associate, International Arbitration, Legal 500 Latin America: International Firms
- “Ones to Watch” Nominee, Best Lawyers
- Under 40 Leader in Argentina, La Nación Argentina
- Award for legal advice to binational NGO during historic moment in U.S.-Mexico relations, United States-Mexico Foundation
- Latin America’s Rising Legal Star, Latinvex
- Dispute of the Year Award, Latin Lawyer (2023)
Education
- Fordham University, LL.M. Degree in Banking, Corporate, and Finance Law, New York, 2015
- Law Degree, Austral University, City of Buenos Aires, 2011
Licensed as Special Legal Consultant in DC. Admitted in Argentina
Representations
Investor-State Arbitration:
- Renco Group, Inc. v. Peru, UNCITRAL arbitration, under the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement and before ICSID, relating to a mining and environmental dispute.
- Gramercy v. Peru, UNCITRAL arbitration, under the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement and before ICSID, relating to historic sovereign bonds dispute.
- Telefónica v. Peru, ICSID arbitration under the Peru-Spain Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) related to tax measures.
- Zurich v. Bolivia, UNCITRAL arbitration, under the Bolivia –Switzerland Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and before PCA, relating to nationalization of the Bolivian pension fund system.
- Pre-arbitration advice related to measures by a South American State in the insurance sector related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
International Commercial Arbitration:
- Central American owner v. Spanish contractor, ICC arbitration relating to the construction of a hydroelectric facility.
- Indian steel company v. Bolivian State entity, ICC arbitration relating to mining project in Bolivia and related enforcement proceeding in the District of Columbia.
- Rutas de Lima v. Municipality of Lima, UNCITRAL arbitration relating to the validity of a key concession contract for the development of the transport infrastructure in Lima.
- Rutas de Lima v. Municipality of Lima, further UNCITRAL arbitration relating to technical claims and challenges to the termination of the concession contract.
Enforcement/Annulment Proceedings and Litigation
- Chinese company v. South American State, annulment proceeding before Panamanian courts relating to a port concession.
- U.S. Bank v. Mexican group in connection with civil, bankruptcy and criminal litigation in Mexico regarding debt issuance.
- Panamanian energy company v. Korean bank in relation to the enforceability of a guarantee before Panama courts.
- Quiport v. Ecuador, renegotiation and domestic litigation following an ICSID arbitration relating to an airport concession.
- Rutas de Lima v. Municipality of Lima, parallel enforcement and set-aside proceedings in the federal court of the District of Columbia related to two UNCITRAL arbitrations related to validity of concession and corruption allegations.
Mediation, Settlement and Negotiations
- Brazilian company v. Argentinean insurers, ICDR international mediation relating to a construction dispute.
- ICDR international insurance mediation related to a South American mining company.
- Abaclat and others v. Argentina, ICSID arbitration settlement relating to sovereign bonds.
- European metal trader v. Bolivian mining group in a contractual dispute regarding a mining project in Bolivia.
- South American gas company v. global energy company in turbine defects dispute.
- U.S. Bank v. Mexican group in connection with civil, bankruptcy and criminal litigation in Mexico regarding debt issuance.
*Matters handled at a previous firm.
Engagement & Publications
Events
- "XI Competencia de Arbitraje Internacional de Inversión", Center on International Commercial Arbitration of American University Washington College of Law and Universidad Externado de Colombia, Arbitrator (2024)
- “Meet the Experts: Risks and Opportunities for Industries of the Energy Transition,” Inter-American Dialogue, Washington D.C., Speaker (2023)
- “Argentina Arbitration Roundtable," ICC International Court of Arbitration and Permanent Court of Arbitration, Speaker (2021)
- Fordham Law Professionalism Series, Speaker (2021)
- Mock hearings, Practice Oral World Rounds of FDI and Jessup Competitions, Arbitrator (2021)
- “Next Generation of Arbitration Practitioners”, Latin Lawyer - GAR Arbitration Summit, Co-Organizer (2020)
- “Effects of the Pandemic,” Argentine Lawyers Association de New York (ALANY), Speaker (2020)
- “Latin American Career Panel,” White & Case and Georgetown University LL.M., Panelist, (2018)
- “Arbitration, Law and Justice,” The Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Mexico City, Panelist, (2017)
- “International Arbitration and Transnational Litigation,” Washington University and Monterrey University Dual LL.M., Lecturer (2016)
- Fordham University Moot, New York, Arbitrator (2015)
Publications
- Featured in Latinvex, Latin Lawyer, Latin Counsel, Global Arbitration Review, Abogados (2024)
- “El Crecimiento del Financiamiento de Disputas por Tercero,” Revista Argentina de Arbitraje, Author (2023)
- “ICSID Continues to Grow as Convention Comes Into Force for Mexico,” Author (2018)
- “Banking, Finance and Capital Markets Newsletter,” AIJA, Co-Editor (March 2013)
Involvement
- Lectured at universities in the U.S., Mexico and Argentina, such as Fordham University, Georgetown University, University of Miami, Washington University, Monterrey University and Universidad Austral
- Alejandro’s pro bono work has included the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice in New York, the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration, teaching the constitution in public schools in Argentina and an award for his work for the United States-Mexico Foundation (USMF)
- Presented and published thought leadership articles in various international publications, including in think tanks in Washington D.C. such as the Inter-American Dialogue
- Acted as arbitrator and coached teams of different countries (Argentina, Uruguay, United States, India) in international arbitration competitions (Willem C. Vis, Philip C. Jessup, FDI)
- Teaching on “Third-Party Funding” at Austral University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (Diploma in Commercial and Investment Arbitration) (2020-21)
- Teaching assistant to Professor Jonathan C. Hamilton (distinguished faculty chair of the International Arbitration Institute, University of Miami), University of Miami (2019-21)
- Member of various international arbitration associations: Asociación Latinoamericana de Arbitraje (ALARB); Young and International (Y&I) group of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR); Young ICSID, World Bank Group; Young ITA, Institute for Transnational Arbitration; Arbitration Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce México.
- Appointed to Young ITA (Institute for Transnational Arbitration) leadership team as North America Co-Chair (2024)
- Founder of the Washington D.C. Chapter of the Argentine Lawyers Association of New York (ALANY)
- President of the Young Lawyers Division, City of Buenos Aires Private Bar Association (2014)
- Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Vance Center pro bono in Latin America (2013)
- Executive Committee of Idea Joven, an Argentine business think-tank (2014)
- Constitutional law professor, public high schools in Argentina (2013)