Biography
Fernando Labombarda is an associate in the International Arbitration practice in Paris. He represents companies, sovereign States and State-owned entities in commercial and investment arbitration, as well as related proceedings before domestic courts. Fernando has experience in a wide range of industries, including construction and infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, retail and aviation, as well as in corporate, pre- and post-M&A transactions, financing instruments, and shareholder disputes, with a particular focus in Latin America. He has acted in proceedings under the major arbitration rules, including ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL and LCIA, among others. Fernando also advises clients on ongoing projects and pre-dispute strategy as well as negotiations.
Fernando is regularly invited to speak on arbitration and is currently a visiting lecturer in arbitration at the University of Versailles Paris-Saclay (France) and Austral University (Argentina). He is also actively involved in pro bono matters.
Prior to joining White & Case, Fernando acquired experience in international arbitration, public international law, and IP dispute resolution in leading law firms in Paris and Buenos Aires.
Experience
Fernando's recent experience includes:
Representing the employer, a French renewable energy company, in an ICC arbitration relating to the construction of a solar plant in Argentina.
Representing Grupo Unidos por el Canal and its European partners, Webuild, Sacyr, and Jan de Nul, in multibillion-dollar ICC disputes with the Panama Canal Authority regarding the construction of new locks at the Panama Canal.
Representing a Latin American state in annulment proceedings under the ICSID Rules in relation to an investment in the oil & gas sector.*
Representing a Latin American state in an ICSID arbitration arising out of investments in the retail sector.*
Representing Iraq Telecom Ltd. in its successful ICC arbitration against Korek Telecom and others in claims for breach and corruption arising under a shareholders' agreement. The Award assessed damages in the amount of USD 1.65 billion.
Representing an international telecommunications company in a multi-billion-dollar ICC arbitration regarding a shareholders' dispute arising out of a joint-venture project in sub-Saharan Africa.
Representing the claimant, the main shareholder of a major retail company, in a post-M&A arbitration under the ICC Rules related to the effects of COVID-19 on the performance of a share purchase agreement worth over EUR 5 billion.
Representing the respondent, a state entity, in a shareholder dispute under the LCIA Rules in connection with mining assets in sub-Saharan Africa.
Representing an Italian investor in ICSID proceedings against a Latin American State in connection with a multibillion-dollar construction project.
Representing the contractor, a French construction consortium, in ICC proceedings relating to a large construction project in Central America.
Representing the lenders in a LAMC arbitration relating to financing instruments in the telecommunications sector in the Middle East.
Representing the contractor, a Spanish-Japanese joint venture, in an ICC arbitration arising from the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in a country in the Caribbean.
Representing the concessionaire, a German-Austrian joint venture, in an UNCITRAL commercial arbitration arising from the termination of a concession agreement for the construction and operation of a wastewater treatment plant in Eastern Europe.
Representing the subcontractor in an ICC dispute against the main EPC contractor in relation to an oil refinery project in France.
Representing the employer in an ICC arbitration related to the development of a five-star hotel in the Middle East.
Representing the creditor-plaintiff in recognition proceedings before the French Courts in relation to a USD 500 million foreign judgement rendered against a Middle Eastern state entity.
Representing a European construction consortium in an ICSID arbitration related to the construction of an urban highway in the Middle East.*
*Experience prior to joining White & Case.
and University of California, Hastings