José Astigarraga is an experienced advocate who represents clients in international business disputes. Based on interviews of his clients and peers, Chambers and Legal 500 have reported:
- “José Astigarraga is ‘a brilliant strategist who always has absolute command of the subject matter and is always prepared’.” 1
- “Central to the practice is team leader José Astigarraga, whose ‘performance at arbitration hearings is simply extraordinary’.” 2
- “Sources highlight José Astigarraga for his ‘extraordinary critical thinking skills, strategic planning, extensive international relationships and depth of experience,’ which ‘put him on a level all by himself’.” 3
- “‘I won't find a superlative great enough to highlight his professionalism; his advice is insightful and accurate at all times, but especially in difficult situations. He is a master at devising strategies.’”4
- He is an “absolutely fantastic and definitely first-tier practitioner” with “total dedication to achieving the best possible result for his client.”5
In the course of more than 30 years of practice, Astigarraga has handled a broad array of matters. His experience includes representing companies in a variety of industries including in disputes stemming from concession agreements, construction contracts, distribution agreements, investment & other financial disputes, joint ventures, licensing arrangements, petrochemical contracts and projects, power/energy projects, shareholder agreements, state contracts & investment disputes, and utility/public service tariffs, among others.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, Astigarraga has handled cases emanating from a multitude of countries.
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 2020 and is ranked among the top 10 international arbitration practitioners in the United States by Chambers USA 2020. Additionally, Mr. Astigarraga was recently named Best Lawyers 2019 Miami Arbitration “Lawyer of the Year.”
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 of international arbitration and dispute resolution in the region. He serves on the ICC’s Commission on Arbitration. He served as Vice President of the London Court of International Arbitration, having been appointed to successive five-year terms on the Court. He has chaired, among other things, the International Bar Association’s worldwide Task Force on the Guidelines for Arbitrator Conflicts of Interest and 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. He 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 a founder and director of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Arbitraje.
His practice extends beyond Latin American disputes. He has lectured across the globe on arbitration topics, including in Europe, Latin America, China and elsewhere in Asia. Astigarraga has served as sole 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 defends and prosecutes substantial business disputes in state and federal courts in the U.S. He is listed in Best Lawyers of America for commercial litigation. He 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 intimate 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.
- Chambers USA 2011
- Legal 500 Latin America 2014
- Chambers Latin America 2017
- Chambers Latin America 2014
- Chambers Latin America 2010
