Ernesto Corzo is an accomplished international arbitration and public international law practitioner who represents sovereign states, multinational corporations, and international organizations in complex, high-stakes disputes across the Americas and globally. His practice encompasses commercial and investment treaty arbitration, interstate litigation, and sophisticated cross-border dispute resolution, bringing together private commercial expertise with public international law experience.
Ernesto has served as counsel in arbitrations under the ICSID Convention and numerous bilateral investment treaties, as well as large-scale commercial arbitration disputes under the major arbitral rules across both civil and common law jurisdictions in a wide range of economic sectors. Beyond formal proceedings, he has successfully negotiated complex transnational settlements involving multiple stakeholders across different legal systems.
His distinctive expertise in public international law includes representing Latin American sovereign states before the International Court of Justice, counseling parties through the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism on matters affecting international trade, and advising multilateral development institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank on complex public international law mandates.
Prior to joining Spencer West, Ernesto was a member at leading international law firms and has lectured on public international law and international arbitration. He has authored numerous articles on arbitration and international law, along with co-authoring a treatise on the application of international law in Mexico, and he continues to contribute to scholarly discourse on topics in international dispute resolution.
Recent representative matters include:
- European and US companies in an arbitration relating to electric vehicle equipment and consulting services.
- A mining company in an ICSID arbitration against a South American state.
- A European bank in an ICSID arbitration against a Latin American state related to the financial sector.
- A South-East Asian conglomerate against a South American state in an ICC arbitration involving the mining sector.
- A European construction company in an ICC arbitration concerning a bridge construction project.
- A European consortium in an ICC arbitration against a Central American state involving a construction project.
- A South American energy company in an ICC arbitration concerning a gas pipeline construction project.
- A South American state in an ICSID arbitration related to the maritime and transportation sector.
- A South American state in a dispute concerning damages to a cultural heritage site.
- A European financial institution in a dispute against a South American state involving pension fund nationalization.
- A European company in an ICSID arbitration against a Latin American state involving agricultural operations.
- A Canadian mining company in an ICSID arbitration against a South American state concerning gold mining rights.
- A Latin American conglomerate in an arbitration concerning a natural gas pipeline project.
- A global bank in a matter involving diplomatic immunities and anti-money laundering compliance in Latin America.
- An international development organization in relation to claims concerning a hydroelectric project.