Felipe Volio Soley
Felipe Volio Soley
Biography
Felipe Volio Soley is a member of the Firm's top ranked International Arbitration Group. He is multilingual, and has worked in international arbitration matters in Germany, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, and now, in the Firm's New York Office.
He focuses on international investment and commercial arbitration. Felipe has represented clients in technology, mining, and commercial matters. He also has a strong interest in licensing issues, commercial, and corporate cross-border matters.
Felipe holds a Master of Laws degree from Stanford Law School, where he was a Research Assistant on Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice. In March 2023, Felipe addressed the Costa Rican Congress on the reform to the Costa Rican arbitration law, playing a key role in shaping the legislation and contributing directly to the drafting of the bill. Since 2014, Felipe has been involved as a speaker, coach, and/or arbitrator of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot.
Experience
Advises a Canadian company in a mining investment dispute against Colombia. Ongoing.
Advises US investors in a real estate investment dispute against Panama. Ongoing.
Advises a Latin American company in an ICC arbitration against a multinational oil and gas company. Concluded.
Advised a group of financial institutions on their dispute resolution clauses within a complex construction matrix. Concluded
Represented an international group of companies in five ICC and Swiss Chambers parallel arbitrations against several state-owned entities and a State*
Represented a U.S. company in an ICC arbitration in Germany governed under the CISG regarding the shipment of complex aluminium machines*
Adviced a Spanish company in an ICC arbitration related to a water desalination plant in the Middle East*
Adviced a Central American company in an enforcement proceeding in Germany against a German car manufacturer arising out of a distribution car agreement*
Assisted arbitrator Daniel Busse in various international commercial arbitrations under the ICC and Danish Rules*
Represented a U.S. company as local counsel in an ICDR arbitration seated in California against a Costa Rican entity in a distribution dispute*
Represented a construction company in bankruptcy proceedings*
Represented a Costa Rican company in an international arbitration against a Honduran company in the education sector under the CAM Rules*
Represented international financial institutions in secured and unsecured loan facilities in Costa Rica*
Represented a consortium of companies in a complex M&A transaction in Central America within the education sector. *
*Experience acquired prior to joining White & Case
"Patent Disputes: Navigating International Arbitration as an Alternative to Cross-Border Litigation", Stanford Intellectual Property Association , Stanford International Arbitration Association (SIAA), Stanford Law School, 20 November 2024
"The Evolution of Arbitration in Costa Rica: Leaving Behind Outdated Judicial Practices", Young ITA Talks Central America, November 2024
Spoke as an arbitration expert before the Legal Commission of the Costa Rican Congress on Arbitration Bill No. 23.259, March 2023
"Is Germany Ready to Become a Leading Arbitration Hub?" ICDR Young & International, October 2022
"A Proposal to Reform the Arbitration Law in Accordance with International Standards" Costa Rican Bar Association, June 2022
"A Proposal to Reform the Arbitration Law in Accordance with International Standards" Spanish Arbitration Association, June 2022
"Access to Justice and Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration" Spanish Arbitration Chapter, February 2019
"Peace and Environment in a Small Country with Great Ideas" University of Brighton, United Kingdom, May 2017
"Legal Origins: The Impact of Law in the Economy and in Society" Faculty of Law of the University of Costa Rica, April 2016
"Costa Rica Says 'Sí' to the UNCITRAL Model Law for Domestic Arbitration" in ICC Dispute Resolution Bulletin, Vol. 2025-1 (2025)
"New Costa Rican Arbitration Law Will Prevent Dilatory Tactics and Reduce Court Backlogs," in Young ITA Newsletter Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025), Pages 33 – 35 (with R. Cruzat and J. Dalebroux)
"When Enough Is Enough: The Arbitral Tribunal's Power to Stay or Terminate Proceedings due to Party Non-compliance with Procedural Obligations," in the Stockholm Arbitration Yearbook (2023) (with S Lange)
"Justice versus Finality: Is it Time to Revisit the Rules on the Revision of Arbitral Awards?" in Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2022) (with S Lange)
"Breaking Traditions in Favor of German Efficiency? Frankfurt As a Safe Seat for International Arbitration?" in Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2022)
"Cybersecurity in arbitration: risks, responsibilities, and answers," Arbitration and New Technologies, (Thēmis, 2021), Pages 347 – 368, 2021, (with E Méndez)
"Signing the Arbitral Award in Wet Ink: Resistance to Technological Change or A Reasonable Precaution?," in Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2020)
"Disclosing the Elephant in the Case File? Costa Rican Court Sets Aside Award," in Kluwer Arbitration Blog (2020)
"The new outset of international commercial mediation under the Singapore Convention," in Costa Rican Journal of International Law, X Ed., 2020, Pages 06 – 17
"Arbitrators ex officio duty to investigate money-laundering related disputes in international arbitration", in Costa Rica Young Arbitrators, VII Ed., 2020, Pages 03 – 12
PH Chucás v. Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad", Kluwer Law International, 2019 (with R Mellske)