Horacio Risso

Horacio is an associate in our Buenos Aires office, experienced in arbitrations under the rules of ICSID, ICSID (Additional Facility) and UNCITRAL. Before joining Dechamps International Law, Horacio worked in the corporate department of a full-service Argentine law firm.

In the academic field, Horacio collaborates in the preparation of the teams of the University of Buenos Aires for the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Moot and the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

• Representing The Lopez-Goyne Family Trust and others in an ICSID arbitration against Nicaragua (ICSID Case No. ARB/17/44) under the DR-CAFTA. Claim related to measures taken by Nicaragua that affected the claimants’ rights under an oil concession agreement.
• Representing Latin American Regional Aviation Holding S. de R.L. in an ICSID arbitration against Uruguay (ICSID Case No. ARB/19/16) under the Panama-Uruguay BIT. Claim related to measures taken by Uruguay that affected the claimant’s investment in Pluna Líneas Aéreas Uruguayas S.A., a local airline. The arbitral tribunal rendered an award in favour of our client, including legal costs.
• Representing Luis García Armas in an ICSID arbitration against Venezuela (ICSID Case No. ARB(AF)/16/1) under the Spain-Venezuela BIT. Claim related to measures taken by Venezuela that affected the claimant’s assets in the food distribution sector. The amount in dispute is over US$50 million. The arbitration is ongoing.
• Representing Dick Fernando Abanto Ishivata in an ICSID arbitration against Venezuela (ICSID Case No. ARB(AF)/18/6) under the Peru-Venezuela BIT. Claim related to measures taken by Venezuela that affected the claimant’s internet businesses. The amount in dispute is over US$180 million. The arbitration is ongoing.
• Representing Fernando Fraiz Trapote in an UNCITRAL arbitration against Venezuela (PCA Case No. 2019-11) under the Spain-Venezuela BIT. Claim related to measures taken by Venezuela that affected the claimant’s investments in the telecommunications, advertising, real estate and education sectors.
• Representing Diamante Trading Investments Ltd. and others in an UNCITRAL arbitration against Venezuela (PCA Case No. 2019-49) under the Barbados-Venezuela and Spain-Venezuela BITs. Claim related to measures taken by Venezuela that affected the claimants’ investments in the food distribution sector. The amount in dispute is over US$100 million. The arbitration is ongoing.
• Representing a María de la Concepción Felipe Velázquez and others in an UNCITRAL arbitration against Venezuela under the Spain-Venezuela BIT. Claim related to measures taken by Venezuela which affected the claimants’ investments in the dairy production and distribution sector. The amount in dispute is confidential. The arbitration is ongoing.
• Representing Deutsche Lufthansa AG in an UNCITRAL arbitration against Venezuela (PCA Case No. 2022-03) under the Germany-Venezuela BIT. Claim related to measures taken by Venezuela which affected the company’s investments in the airline industry. The amount in dispute is over US$280 million. The arbitration is ongoing.

• Insolvency and Investment Arbitration: Procedural issues, IBA Report on Insolvency and Investment Arbitration, forthcoming, co-authored with Jean-Paul Dechamps.
• Chapter 26: Fair and Equitable Treatment under BITs with Argentina, J.P. Dechamps and P. Jaroslavsky, in Arbitration in Argentina, Kluwer Law International B.V, 2020 (research assistant).
• Discontinuance of ICSID Arbitration proceedings in Public International Law, Investment Law and Arbitration Wiki, JusMundi, 2020.
• La prueba de la corrupción en el arbitraje de inversión, Revista Iberoamericana de Derecho Internacional y de la Integración 2019, Vol. 11, 2019, co-authored with Laura Zinnerman.