Luis Ortiz-Alvarez

Partner / Head of the International Arbitration and Public Law Practice, InterJuris Abogados S.C.

Mr Ortiz has more than 30 years of experience and concentrates his practice in international arbitration, public law, antitrust, public contracting, torts, expropriation and takings, litigation and economic sanctions. 

He advises both local and multinational corporations doing business and investing in Venezuela in the regulatory aspects of their activities, investments’ protection, and national and international litigation.

Mr. Ortiz-Alvarez has been appointed by leading global law firms as a legal expert in Venezuelan law in numerous multimillion-dollar international investments disputes and commercial arbitrations. He has also acted as counsel or adviser in international arbitration. He has appeared before the most important arbitration panels and foreign courts as expert witness, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID, the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and the London High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division-Commercial Court.

His experience in Public Law, Antitrust, and Arbitration and Mediation has been recognised by Chambers Latin America and Best Lawyers. Prior to joining InterJuris Abogados, Mr Ortiz-Alvarez worked as a partner at a leading Venezuelan law firm.

Luis has a multicultural legal education and a remarkable academic career. He has served for more than 15 years as a professor of law at two Venezuelan top universities (UCAB and UCV), and has published 17 books and more than 30 articles on several legal topics. He was the winner of the renowned Award of the Venezuelan Academy of Political and Social Sciences, granted for his scientific research and published work on State Liability (La responsabilidad patrimonial de la Administración Pública). Among his other authoritative publications are his books La protección cautelar en el contencioso administrativo (1999); El silencio administrativo en el derecho venezolano” (2000); Antitrust, libre competencia y contencioso administrativo (2001); La responsabilidad civil de los funcionarios públicos (2002); Revolución Francesa y justicia administrativa (2003). He also co-authored several case law and materials books, including Las grandes decisiones de la jurisprudencia contencioso administrativa 1961-1996; Jurisprudencia de contratos administrativos; and Las grandes decisiones de la jurisprudencia de amparo constitucional 1969-2004. His most recent academic works and publications include: “Expropiaciones en Venezuela (límites y garantías),” Anuario de Derecho Publico VI, Univ. Monteavila (2014); “The King Can Do Wrong and Must Pay: Enigmatic Origins and the Future of Sovereign Immunity in Florida” (forthcoming 2017/18); “Towards an Effective System of Interim Relief in International Arbitration,” World Arbitration and Mediation Review (2017).

Mr Ortiz-Alvarez has been invited as speaker at legal events worldwide. His lectures included topics such state liability, freedom of expression, administrative proceedings, interim relief on judicial review, antitrust and competition, constitutional protection, public contracting, expropriations, investment protection and doing business in Latin America.

He is a member of the board of advisers of the World Arbitration and Mediation Review (WAMR) since 2017. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Revista Electrónica de Derecho Constitucional and the Revista de Derecho Público. He has also been praised among his peers for his contributions as editor-director of legal journals, such as the quarterly Revista de Derecho Administrativo and the Revista de Derecho Constitucional during the period 1997-2009.

Luis is listed as an arbitrator at the Mediation and Arbitration Business Center in Caracas (CEDCA) and the Arbitration Center of the Caracas Chamber (CACC). He is a former First Alternate Judge of the Third Superior Judicial Review Court of the Caracas Metropolitan Area, and has acted as associated Judge in public law matters. He is also a member of the Venezuelan Association of Administrative Law, the Caracas Bar Association, and the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VenAmCham).