King & Spalding Adds International Arbitration Partners to Its Chicago and New York Offices

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Feb 25, 2020, 13:30 ET

CHICAGO and NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- King & Spalding today announced that Javier Rubinstein, Lauren Friedman, and Lucila Hemmingsen have joined the firm as partners in its International Arbitration practice. Rubinstein will be based in the firm's Chicago office and Friedman and Hemmingsen in the firm's New York office. The team will focus on expanding the firm's commercial and investor-state work in Latin America and Europe.

"The geographical and industry knowledge Javier, Lauren, and Lucila have, combined with their language skills and decades of experience being outside and in-house counsel, make them a great addition to our International Arbitration team," said Andy Bayman, leader of King & Spalding's Trial & Global Disputes practice group, of which the International Arbitration practice is a part. "The three work very closely together with multi-national companies and investors to address the uncertainty that commercial, regulatory, and investment-treaty disputes can pose to their reputational and fiscal well-being."

"The skills these three practitioners have developed over their careers also has enabled them to provide strategic counsel to their clients looking to resolve disagreements before they escalate," adds Edward Kehoe, co-head of King & Spalding's International Arbitration practice and office managing partner in New York. "Their client-focused perspective fits into the culture and fabric of our firm and we are excited to welcome Javier, Lauren and Lucila to King & Spalding."

"Javier's presence instantly enhances the depth and breadth of our client offerings in the Chicago office by extending the firm's strong international arbitration practice into Chicago and the greater Midwest," said Zach Fardon, managing partner of King & Spalding's Chicago office. "Javier, as the former head of the U.S. international arbitration practice at his former firm, has the insight, experience and relationships to be a critical member of the firm's IA practice globally, and his personality and Chicago community commitment fit well with our culture."

The new partners join King & Spalding from Kirkland & Ellis.

Javier Rubinstein
Rubinstein, a native of Argentina, handles international commercial and investment arbitrations, representing clients from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia in complex disputes before such institutions as the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, the ICC International Court of Arbitration, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as well as ad hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL rules. Prior to his arrival at Kirkland, Rubinstein was Vice Chairman and Global General Counsel of the PricewaterhouseCoopers network of firms spanning 157 countries, where he was involved in litigation around the world. Rubinstein received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, his master's degree from Harvard University, and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Lauren Friedman
Friedman focuses on investor-state and commercial arbitrations across a variety of sectors such as oil and gas, mining, consumer goods, pharmaceutical, infrastructure, banking, and public utilities. She has extensive experience throughout the world and handles arbitrations in English and Spanish. She has acted as counsel in arbitrations under the auspices of the ICSID, the ICC, and the ICDR, and under the UNCITRAL Rules. Friedman received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.

Lucila Hemmingsen
Hemmingsen, also a native of Argentina and dual-qualified in civil and common law, advises and represents domestic and foreign companies in commercial arbitrations, as well as foreign governments and investors in investment-treaty arbitrations, conducted in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. In her almost two decades of experience, she has managed disputes governed by various substantive laws and conducted under the rules of most international arbitration centers, including the International Chamber of Commerce's International Arbitration Court, the London Court of International Arbitration, the American Arbitration Association/International Center for Dispute Resolution Foundation, the Centro de Arbitragem e Mediação Brasil-Canadá, the Netherlands Arbitration Institute, the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, and ad hoc proceedings under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. Her experience runs a gamut of sectors, including infrastructure and construction, oil & gas, mining, retail, finance and investments, real estate, and international trade. Hemmingsen also advises and represents clients on treaty protection structuring and proceedings ancillary to arbitration. She received her J.D. from Universidad Torcuato di Tella and her LL.M. from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

"King & Spalding's premiere international arbitration practice and its commitment to grow disputes work in the Midwest were two important factors as we thought about the right platform going forward," Rubinstein said. "King & Spalding's Chicago office under Zach Fardon has made a big impression on the market and we wanted to be a part of growing the office."

About King & Spalding
Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with over 1,100 lawyers in 21 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.

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