Biography
Ignacio Madalena is a Partner with the Firm's International Arbitration Practice in Madrid. Triple-qualified in Spain, New York, and England & Wales, Ignacio joined White & Case in 2019, having previously practiced arbitration in Madrid, London and Washington, D.C.
With over 23 years of experience, Ignacio has acted for clients from around the world in international arbitrations seated in a variety of jurisdictions. He has represented clients before a variety of international tribunals under the rules of the major arbitration institutions. Ignacio's practice has a particular deep focus on the resolution of disputes involving states and state-owned entities. Ignacio further serves as arbitrator both as party-appointed and chair.
Ignacio's sectors of experience includes, in particular, electricity and renewable energy, oil & gas, construction & engineering, port concessions and telecommunications.
A recognised thought leader in the field, Ignacio is a frequent speaker at international arbitration conferences and has published extensively on topics related to arbitration and international investment law. He has taught international investment law and arbitration at leading academic institutions such as Instituto de Empresa (IE) and the Instituto de Estudios Bursátiles in Madrid.
Clients mention that "it gives great peace of mind to know that Ignacio is handling the process" (Chambers Europe Guide 2025) that Ignacio is a "a great arbitration professional", "very meticulous" with "a lot of experience" and "very commercial, he explains the details very well to the client, he is proactive, and he works quickly without leaving any detail overlooked"; "partners like Ignacio are exceptional for their leadership and vision" (Legal 500, 2025).
He has recently been recognised as Highly Recommended in Lexology and received Lexology's Client Choice Award in 2025, reflecting the strength of his practice, the trust of his clients and the quality of his work in international arbitration.
Experience
Some representative examples of Ignacio's experience include advising:
- ICSID arbitration under the Albania-Germany BIT. Successful representation of the Republic of Albania in an investment treaty claim from EMS Shipping & Trading GmbH in a dispute arising from a port concession. Settlement in favour of the State.
- ICSID arbitration against Spain under the ECT. Successful representation of Mitsui & Co. in an ICSID arbitration against Spain under the Energy Charter Treaty arising from Spain's changes to the regulatory regime for renewable energy projects. Currently acting for Mitsui defending the award in ICSID annulment proceedings.
- ICSID arbitration under the Spain-Colombia BIT. Successful representation of Telefónica S.A. in an ICSID arbitration against the Colombia under the Spain-Colombia BIT in a dispute relating to a concession agreement for mobile telephone services. Currently acting for Telefónica defending the award in ICSID annulment proceedings.
- ICSID arbitration under the Spain-Argentina BIT. Acted for a Spanish company holding investments in different power generation assets in Argentina, in a dispute arising from price control measures and changes to dispatch rules.
- ICSID arbitrations against Honduras under the DR-CAFTA and the Panama-Central America free trade agreement. Advised Guatemalan and Panamanian investors in their treaty claims against Honduras arising from changes to the regulatory regime affecting their investments in photovoltaic (PV) projects.
- Annulment proceedings before the Spanish courts. Successful representation of a State before the Madrid High Court, defending the validity of an award rendered under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules in a €14 billion investment treaty dispute.
- ICC arbitration in Trinidad & Tobago involving a construction dispute. Currently acting for a contractor in an international commercial arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules against the employer, in a dispute under a FIDIC Pink Book contract for the construction of a water treatment plant.
- ICC arbitration in Peru defencing the client from gross-negligence claims. Currently acting for a global energy technology company in an ICC arbitration seated in Lima and governed by Peruvian law, brought by an insurance company and concerning negligence claims in the maintenance of a gas turbine.
- Arbitration in Madrid in a post-M&A dispute. Leading the team in the successful representation of the claimant, a Belgian industrial group that acquired a company that manufactures blade bearings, against the sellers, in a Spanish law and English language proceeding before the Madrid Court of Arbitration, involving claims of wilful misconduct.
- ICC arbitration in Geneva involving a construction dispute in Slovakia. Obtained a favourable settlement for the employer in an ICC arbitration in Geneva brought by the EPC contractor, in a project for the construction of a road in Bratislava.
- ICC arbitration in Madrid involving joint venture dispute. Leading the team representing an infrastructure fund based on London in an ICC arbitration under Spanish law arising from a joint venture dispute over a photovoltaic project in Mexico.
Lexology Arbitration: Highly Recommended (2025)
Client Choice Award 2025 (Lexology)
Chambers & Partners: Arbitration
Legal 500: Dispute Resolution
Co-author: ":Arbitraje de inversión y proceso judicial: puntos de fricción y cooperación", in Libro homenaje a Miguel Ángel Fernández-Ballesteros, Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje (2024).
Co-author: "Spanish Constitutional Court Limits the Scope of Review of Awards in Actions to Set Aside," W&C publication, 15 March 2021.
Co-author: "Managing Contractual Performance in Times of Sanitary Crisis: The Spanish Law Perspective, W&C publication, 14 May 2020.
Co-author: "Función y deberes del árbitro", in Flores Sentíes, H. (ed.), Retos Contemporáneos del Arbitraje Internacional (Tirant Lo Blanch, Mexico City, 2018).
Co-author: "Increased enforcement risk in intra-EU investment treaty arbitration," Legal & Regulatory Risk Note, A&O Publication (May 2018).
Co-author: "Spain" in The International Arbitration Review, 8th ed. (2017).
Author: "Medidas regulatorias y expropiación: tratamiento en la práctica arbitral", Lima Arbitration – Revista del Círculo Peruano de Arbitraje, núm. 7, 2016-2017.
Author: "Concession Agreements and Investment Treaty Claims," GAR's Arbitration Review of the Americas 2018 (2017).
Author: "Trans-Pacific Partnership," GAR's Arbitration Review of the Americas 2017 (2016).
Author: "Ethics in International Arbitration: the Role of the Arbitral Tribunal," International Arbitration Law Review (Dec. 2012).
Co-author, "Human Rights and Investment Treaty Arbitration," A&O Publication (2012).
Co-author, "Dispute Avoidance and Management in Construction and Engineering Projects," in EPC Contracts and Major Projects: A Guide to Construction and Other Project Contracts, Nigel Pritchard and John Scriven (eds.) (2011).
Co-Author, "Advocacy from the Perspective of a Civil Law Arbitrator," in The Art of Advocacy in International Arbitration, 2nd Edition, R. Doak Bishop (Ed.) (2010).
Co-Author, "Parallel Proceedings in International Arbitration," Arbitration International, vol. 24, no. 4 (2008).
Co-Author, "The ICC Dispute Board Rules," International Arbitration Law Review, vol. 8 (2005) "The U.S. Model BIT," International Arbitration Law Review, vol. 7, Issue 3 (June 2004).
Ranked in Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500
