International Arbitration

Gaela Gehring Flores is a partner in Arnold & Porter LLP's litigation practice group and concentrates her practice on international arbitration and litigation matters. She represents both multinational corporations and sovereign states in international arbitrations before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR/AAA), and in litigation and appellate proceedings before US federal courts and administrative agencies.   Ms. Gehring Flores'practice capitalizes on her broad experience in international arbitration and litigation and on her native Spanish skills and bicultural background. 

Ms. Gehring Flores also provides legal services to private sector and sovereign clients on enforcement of arbitral awards, effective contractual dispute resolution clauses and a variety of public international law issues, including foreign sovereign immunity and discovery in international proceedings.

Ms. Gehring Flores has been recognized as one of the American Lawyer's "Top 45 under 45" Top Women Lawyers in the Am Law 200 and as  a leading practitioner of international arbitration in publications such as Chambers USA, Chambers Global, Chambers Latin America, The Legal 500, Global Arbitration Review, Latin Lawyer 250, and Euromoney, among others.

Ms. Gehring Flores has provided pro bono representation before US federal courts to civil rights groups in their fight to overturn anti-immigrant legislation in Alabama, healthcare workers in matters related to violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and has represented clients seeking asylum before the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Ms. Gehring Flores also was appointed to serve on the DC Circuit Judicial Conference Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services and the DC Bar Pro Bono Program Committee.

Ms. Gehring Flores graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center and summa cum laude from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While a student at the Georgetown University Law Center, she served as managing articles editor of The Georgetown Law Journal. From 1996-1998, Ms. Gehring Flores worked for the Honorable Paul L. Friedman, US District Court for the District of Columbia.

Languages

• English and Spanish (native fluency in both).
• French, Italian, and Portuguese (reading ability).

International Arbitration Representative Matters

• Concesionaria Dominicana de Autopistas y Carreteras v. Dominican Republic (ICC arbitration:  Counsel to the Dominican Republic; claim of US$450 million under toll highway concession contract.
• Vannessa Ventures v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (ICSID Additional Facility arbitration): Counsel to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; claim of US$1.2 billion under Canada-Venezuela bilateral investment treaty.
• I&I Beheer v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (ICSID arbitration): Counsel to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; claim for US$300 million under Netherlands-Venezuela bilateral investment treaty.
• Skye Ventures v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (US federal court litigation): Counsel to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; claim of US$100 million.
• RDC v. Guatemala (ICSID arbitration): Counsel to the Republic of Guatemala; claim of $20 million under the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
• EDF International and Electricidad Argentina S.A. v. Argentine Republic(ICSID Arbitration): Counsel to Claimants; claim for US$1.2 billion under France-Argentina bilateral investment treaty.
• EDFInternational, SAUR International, and León Participaciones Argentinas, S.A. v. Argentine Republic (ICSID Arbitration):  Counsel to Claimants; claim for US$260 million under France-Argentina and Luxembourg-Argentina bilateral investment treaties.
• Compañía General de Electricidad (CGE) v. Argentine Republic (ICSID Arbitration): Counsel to Claimants; claim for US$125 million under Chile-Argentina bilateral investment treaty.
• Victor Pey Casado and Fundación Presidente Allende v. Republic of Chile (ICSID arbitration): Counsel to the Republic of Chile; claim for US$797 million under Spain-Chile bilateral investment treaty.
• Sociedad Anónima Eduardo Vieira v. Republic of Chile (ICSID arbitration): Counsel to the Republic of Chile; claim for US$25 million under Spain-Chile bilateral investment treaty.