Isabella Bellera Landa
Biography
Overview
Isabella is an associate in the Firm's International Arbitration Practice and Commercial Litigation groups. She represents and advises multinational companies, foreign sovereigns, and state entities in the resolution of complex international disputes. She has represented clients in arbitrations before major arbitral forums, including the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), as well as in litigation in US federal district and appellate courts.
Isabella has experience in disputes in a wide range of industries, including energy, mining, infrastructure, and technology. A native of Venezuela, Isabella is multilingual in English, Spanish, Italian, and French. Her dual training and experience in civil and common law jurisdictions allow her to understand the differences between various legal systems and structure advice accordingly. She is actively involved in pro bono matters at the Firm, which include initiatives to promote the use of alternative dispute resolution in developing countries.
In coordination with local counsel, Isabella also has advised clients regarding litigation and administrative proceedings across Latin America. She further assists a Latin American State in connection with dispute management strategies, legislative development, and best practices.
Isabella is a fellow on advocacy in international arbitration at Duke University School of Law (Spring 2020-2023), and has guest lectured on arbitration at the Westminster International University in Tashkent.
During law school at Duke University, Isabella assisted the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Trafficking in drafting the Basic Principles on the Right to an Effective Remedy for Trafficked Persons.
Experience
Representing a Spanish holding company in its $600 million international arbitration case against a Latin American State involving price control measures and arbitrary changes to dispatch rules in the power generation sector.
Representing a Japanese company in the power generation sector in its claim against the Kingdom of Spain.
Advising various international investors with energy and mining projects in Mexico to preserve their international arbitration rights in the context of Mexico's changes to its legal framework
Representing the Republic of Uzbekistan in an ICSID arbitration of a dispute arising under the Turkey-Uzbekistan bilateral investment treaty relating to an investment in the textile industry.
Represented the Road Fund of the Republic of Uzbekistan in an ICC arbitration involving a road construction project in which the claims of the claimant were dismissed.
Represented the Republic of Uzbekistan in an ICSID arbitration of a dispute arising under the Netherlands-Uzbekistan Bilateral Investment Treaty relating to an investment in the textile industry in which the claims of the investor were dismissed in their entirety.
Represented tens of thousands of Italian holders of Argentine sovereign bonds in an ICSID arbitration under the Italy-Argentina Bilateral Investment Treaty. The bondholders received a substantial settlement in resolution of all of their claims.
Arbitration of Complex Contracts, XI International Arbitration Symposium of the Lima Chamber of Commerce (June 2023)
Energy Security in a Changing World - International Arbitration and Global Energy Regime at Duke University School of Law (November 2022)
Decarbonization in Africa and International Investment Law, 11th Annual Conference – Africa and the Challenge of Climate Change in Cairo, Egypt (October 2022)
Investor-State Relations: An Arbitration Case Study at Duke University School of Law (February 2021)
Advocacy Skills in International Investment Arbitration at Westminster International University of Tashkent (December 2020)
Discussion on FET and State's Regulatory Discretion, a side event to the 2020 FDI International Arbitration Moot Competition organized by the Center of International Legal Studies (November 2020)
New trends and challenges in investment arbitration, organized by the Venezuelan Association of Arbitration (June 2020)
Legal Pathways to Decarbonization in Latin America, De Gruyter Handbook of Energy Law in the Low-Carbon Transition (G. Bellantuono, L. Godden, H. Mostert, H. Wiseman, and H. Zhang eds. 2023).
Protecting Energy Investments in Latin America in Routledge Handbook of Energy Law (T. Hunter, I. Herrera, P. Crossley & G. Alvarez eds. 2020) (with Silvia Marchili).
Are the Right Rights Protected? The Literalist Approach to Determining Protected Rights in International Investment Agreements in Investment Treaty Arbitration And International Law 3 Vol 9 (2016) (with Matthew N. Drossos and Suyash Paliwal).
Duke Law Clinics International Advocacy Award, 2014