Christian Albanesi

Christian Albanesi is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s International Disputes and Arbitration Practice. Based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office, he has over 20 years of experience navigating high‑stakes, cross-border matters across Latin American and other global arbitral forums, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sector. He advises multinational corporations, financial institutions and sovereign states in high‑impact commercial and investment treaty matters before all major international tribunals. Christian has deep regional insight, built on years practicing in Argentina and conducting proceedings in multiple jurisdictions across Latin America.

Earlier in his career, Christian was Managing Counsel at the ICC International Court of Arbitration, where he supervised the nine case management teams of the ICC Secretariat. He previously held the position of Counsel in charge of the Latin America, Spain and Portugal case management team.

Notable experience prior to joining Simpson Thacher includes:

Commercial Arbitration

• A U.S. energy company in an ICC Emergency Arbitration and ICC arbitration arising from the construction of a tunnel complex for a hydroelectric power plant in Chile and in a separate ICC arbitration related to the calculation of bonus shares under a construction contract
• A Korean consortium in an ICC Emergency Arbitration and two ICC arbitrations under New York law brought by international engineering companies in relation to an EPC Contract for a power plant in Chile
• A French energy company in a dispute with its contractor in relation to the construction of a pulverized coal-fired complex in the northern Antofagasta region, Chile
• A French energy company in an ICC arbitration and related state court proceedings against a subcontractor in relation to the construction of an LNG terminal in Uruguay
• A Brazilian oil company in an ICC arbitration seated in New York, arising out of a joint operation agreement for the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas in Brazil
• A Chinese bank in an ICC arbitration related to the acquisition of a major bank in Brazil
• A Brazilian infrastructure company in an ICC arbitration against its supplier over the transfer of risk over certain equipment.
• A Brazilian-Portuguese infrastructure consortium in an UNCITRAL arbitration against an African State in relation to the construction of a main road
• A French energy company in a Dispute Adjudication Board process for claims related to extensions of time, variation orders and force majeure related to a photovoltaic plant in Mexico
• A Mexican aluminum company in an ICDR arbitration against the supplier of aluminium
• A Spanish company in three related arbitrations under the Lima Chamber of Commerce and UNCITRAL Rules against its partners in a joint venture in Peru
• A U.K. insurance company in an arbitration relative to a services agreement before the Bogota Chamber of Commerce
• A State agency related to the construction of a toll road in Colombia
• A major oil company in a $24 billion UNCITRAL arbitration in Stockholm against two Regions of the Russian Federation relating to an agreement for oil exploration in Russia dating from the early 1990s

Investment Arbitration

• A European company in an ICSID arbitration against a Latin American State related to the termination of the concession for the construction of a major pipeline in Latin America
• A European company in an ICSID arbitration against a Latin American State related to certain measures restricting the client’s rights to transfer dividends abroad
• A European company in an ICSID arbitration against a Latin American State in a claim for denial of justice and breach of fair and equitable treatment
• A European company in an UNICTRAL arbitration against a Latin American State in relation to the breach of an umbrella clause and fair and equitable treatment provision
• A European company in an investment dispute against a South American State in relation to the change of the marginalist system in the energy market
• A Latin American State in an ICSID arbitration arising out of the DR-CAFTA in relation to a contract for the supply of asphalt cement
• A Latin American State in an ICSID arbitration arising out of an investment treaty relative to the construction and maintenance of toll roads
• A Latin American State in a PCA arbitration against a Spanish company relative to a bus leasing agreement
• A Latin American State in the ICSID annulment proceedings of an award related to a mining concession
• An Asian State in the ICSID annulment proceedings of a multi-billion-dollar award

As Arbitrator

• Multiple ICC arbitrations, including related to: the provision of services in relation to the Mexico City airport, a share purchase agreement in the healthcare sector in Mexico, a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of a bank in Equatorial Guinea, the construction of a port terminal in Morocco, the construction of a hotel complex in Panama, the construction of a shipyard in Brazil, a hotel management contract in Peru, the construction of an oil exploration vessel in Brazil, the construction of a pipeline in Mexico, the construction of a combined-cycle power plant in Mexico, a highway project in Colombia
• Multiple LCIA arbitrations, including related to: a coal transportation and storage services dispute in Mexico, the construction and installation of a power plant in Mexico, a mining dispute in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the maintenance and expansion of four airports in Honduras, a mining dispute in Guyana
• Multiple other institutional rules, including related to: the provision of financial services in Honduras, the exercise of rights under a shareholders’ agreement in Peru, a mining dispute in Peru, the alleged breach of several contracts for the supply of certain equipment in the context of Covid-19  

Compliance and Investigations

• A leading construction company related to an internal investigation in the context of the “Notebook” investigations in Argentina
• Construction companies in relation to IDB investigations related to certain compliance issues in several projects financed by the IDB in Brazil
• An insurance company in relation to an internal investigation related to certain compliance issues in Ecuador

Christian is recognized by Chambers & Partners in the category of International Counsel in International Arbitration for Latin America-wide and as a “Most in Demand Arbitrator” for Latin America-wide since. He is fluent in five languages, including Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Christian received his LL.M. from Université de Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne in 2007. He received a degree in Russian Language from Pushkin State Russian Language Institute in Moscow in 2003. He received his law degree in International Public Law from the University of Buenos Aires in 2002. He is admitted to practice in Paris and Buenos Aires, and is a special legal consultant in Washington, D.C.