People
Francisco Xavier Paredes, Ph.D
Francisco X. Paredes is a partner at Laudenlaw USA and Ecuador. He is a specialist in dispute resolution, with a high profile in investment, international law, criminal activities, commercial and international arbitration. He has a strong background in international law and negotiation, with a particular focus on cases involving Sovereign States, public institutions, and transnational investment. Francisco has also extensive experience in local litigation under constitutional law.
He has represented parties in large disputes, as well as investors in Ecuador to help structuring investments in the country. Francisco has also represented clients in disputes arising out natural resources contracts, construction, mining and distribution. He has experience in cases involving multiple jurisdictions and rules (ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL).
Francisco worked for several years in prestigious law firms in France and in the United States. Also, he worked for the Attorney General’s Office in Ecuador, where he gained significant experience in international investment arbitration, and international corruption cases.
Experience
Relevant experience:
- Representing a Latin-American country in a commercial arbitration brought by a former concessionaire in the oil sector (UNCITRAL).
- Representing a Latin-American country in a negotiation with a transnational company regarding corruption allegations.
- Representing a Latin-American State and a State Owned Company in two commercial cases brought by two power-generation companies (ICC).
- Representing the Republic of Ecuador in the investment arbitration brought by Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Occidental Exploration and Production Company (ICSID).
- Representing the Republic of Ecuador in the investment arbitration brought by Murphy Exploration and Production Company International (ICSID).
- Representing the Republic of Ecuador in the investment arbitration brought by Burlington Resources, Inc. and others (ICSID).
- Representing the Republic of Ecuador in the investment arbitration brought by Perenco Ecuador Limited (ICSID).
- Representing the Republic of Ecuador in two cases before the Court of Justice of the Andean Community related to commercial measures.
- Representing the Republic of Ecuador in the negotiation of two international financial agreements.
- Representing the Plurinational State of Bolivia in the investment arbitration brought by South American Silver Limited.
- Representing the Plurinational State of Bolivia in the investment arbitration brought by Quiborax Ltd., Non-Metallic Minerals Ltd. and Mr. Allan Fosk Kaplún.
- Representing the Republic of Ecuador in the investment arbitration brought by Empresa Eléctrica del Ecuador, Inc. (EMELEC) (U.S.)- (ICSID)
- Representing the Republic of Ecuador in the investment arbitration brought by LYNTON TRADING LTD.
Education
- Sorbonne University (Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Ph.D.
- Sorbonne University (Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Master in International Economic Law, (Magna Cum Laude).
- Sorbonne University (Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Master in International Law.
- Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Bachelor in Law, 2006.
Admissions
- Ecuador
- Special Legal Consultant (Washington D.C.)
Languages
- English
- Spanish
- French
Publications
- La Ley para el Fomento Productivo fortalece el arbitraje internacional en el
Ecuador, Revistra de arbitraje comercial y de inversiones, vol XI n°3, 2018. - Ecuador flexibiliza sus reglas de arbitraje internacional para atraer inversiones, Revista de Arbitraje de la Comunidad Iberoamericana CIAR, October 2018.
- Derecho Internacional Privado, Capítulo Ecuador, with A. Galindo, 2018.
- Arbitraje internacional en el Ecuador y las condiciones de arbitrabilidad, Los 20 años de la Ley ecuatoriana del arbitraje, ICC, with A. Galindo, 2017.
- La conformité de l’investissement au droit national, condition de sa protection internationale, ICSID Review – Foreign Investments Law Journal, 2014.
- Cour de Cassation quashes decision that disregarded ICC rule on time limits to arbitrator challenges – 2 takeaways, International Arbitration Newsletter, DLA Piper, September 2014, con M. Ostrove y M. Desplats.
Memberships
- International Bar Association
- American Society of International Law
- Institute for Transnational Arbitration
- American Bar Association