Practice Focus

Patricio Grané is a member of the international arbitration and international trade practice groups, where he concentrates his practice on international dispute resolution. He has extensive experience representing sovereign states and private parties in investment treaty arbitrations under bilateral investment treaties and free trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). He has represented developed and developing countries in dispute settlement proceedings under the World Trade Organization (WTO), and has argued cases before panels and the Appellate Body. He has also advised governments on trade policy issues and in regional trade negotiations. Mr. Grané has imparted training courses to government officials and private sector representatives throughout Latin America, and is a frequent speaker at international seminars and conferences in the areas of international trade and investor-state dispute settlement. He has also served as a consultant to the United Nations on trade issues.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Grané served as Counselor of the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the WTO, in Geneva, Switzerland. There he negotiated in the areas of dispute settlement, agriculture, textiles, trade in goods, market access, accessions, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, information technology, harmonized system of custom classification, and other rules-related issues. Mr. Grané’s experience in WTO dispute settlement includes his active participation in the review by the Dispute Settlement Body of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes. He was also a delegate to the International Textiles and Clothing Bureau in Geneva and was a member of the Textiles Monitoring Body of the WTO, where he represented the Latin America region.

Mr. Grané has been appointed to the list of arbitrators for the resolution of trade disputes arising under the Central American economic integration agreements by the Governments of Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

Mr. Grané is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches dispute resolution under international trade and investment agreements. He was also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. In addition, Mr. Grané is a Fellow of the Institute of International Economic Law of Georgetown University. He received a Master in Laws in international legal studies from Georgetown University, with special emphasis in international trade. He is a native speaker of Spanish and has experience with civil law systems.

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