Described as “‘a brilliant strategist who always has absolute command of the subject matter and is always prepared,’…” and cited for his “‘extraordinary critical thinking skills, strategic planning, extensive international relationships and depth of experience,’ which ‘put him on a level all by himself,’” José Astigarraga is an experienced advocate who represents clients in international business disputes.
Experience. In the course of more than 30 years of practice, Astigarraga has handled a broad array of matters. His experience includes representing companies in disputes stemming from joint ventures, distribution agreements, licensing arrangements, shareholder agreements, corporate acquisitions, supply agreements, power projects, EPC and other construction contracts, credit, investment and other financial contracts, telecommunications agreements, utility/public service tariffs, insurance coverage, performance bonds and foreign judgments. Fully fluent in both English and Spanish, Astigarraga has handled cases emanating from virtually every country in Latin America.
International Arbitration. He is one of only six lawyers worldwide ranked in the top band of international arbitration practitioners for Latin American business disputes by Chambers Latin America and is ranked among the top ten international arbitration practitioners in the United States by Chambers USA. Additionally, Mr. Astigarraga received the Best Lawyers™ 2017 Arbitration "Lawyer of the Year" award in Miami.
Astigarraga has held a variety of leadership positions in the field of international arbitration. He was one of ten Americans initially appointed by the U.S. Government to advise the NAFTA Commission on the development and promotion of international arbitration and dispute resolution. He serves on the ICC’s Commission on Arbitration and co-chairs its task force on enhancing the value of witness evidence. He has chaired the International Bar Association’s Worldwide Task Force on the Guidelines for Arbitrator Conflicts of Interest as well as the Americas’ Initiative of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration, which seeks to promote the use of international arbitration in the Americas through education and training. Astigarraga successfully led the effort to have the Florida Bar authorize non-Florida lawyers to handle international arbitrations in Florida and personally argued the petition before the Florida Supreme Court. He is also a founder and director of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Arbitraje.
His practice extends beyond Latin American disputes. Astigarraga was one of the 35 members of the London Court of International Arbitration for ten years, serving as Vice President of the Court much of that time. He has lectured across the globe on arbitration topics, including in Europe, Latin America, China and elsewhere in Asia. Astigarraga has served as arbitrator, co-arbitrator or chair before the International Chamber of Commerce, the London Court of Arbitration, and the American Arbitration Association, among others.
International Litigation. With roots as a commercial litigator in U.S. courts and over 30 years of experience, Astigarraga is listed in The Best Lawyers in America© for commercial litigation. He has served as an officer of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee of the Florida Bar and has lectured extensively on U.S. litigation issues, including to foreign lawyers, such as the corporate counsel section of the Law Society of England.
Management Of Foreign Disputes. With his first-hand knowledge of foreign systems, rules and culture, Astigarraga handles complex business disputes overseas that have sensitive political, criminal and regulatory ramifications. He is regularly engaged to oversee local counsel in foreign jurisdictions, devising the overall strategy in such cases. Astigarraga has lectured abroad on a variety of topics pertinent to cross-border disputes, including the “Impact of Culture on the Resolution of Disputes.”
International Law. The U.S. Department of State designated him to represent the United States as an expert at the Organization of American States’ conference on Private International Law. The World Bank engaged him to conduct an assessment of Latin American insolvency systems, which he co-authored and the World Bank published. The University of Miami School of Law’s Inter-American Law Review honored him for his contributions in the field of international law, awarding him its “Lawyer of the Americas” Award. Astigarraga has long been active in efforts to promote commercial law reform and modernization in the Americas, including through service for many years as Vice Chair of the Board of the National Law Center for Interamerican Free Trade.
