Profile details
About Yuri Mantilla
Yuri is a member of our international arbitration and public international law practices, where he advises and represents States, corporations and non-governmental organisations in inter-State, investor-State, and international commercial arbitration disputes. He is also part of the firm’s Brazil practice.
During his time with the firm, Yuri has been on secondments to Freshfields’ Washington, DC, and Madrid offices, and has worked from several other Freshfields’ offices during shorter periods, including our New York, Moscow, Vienna, and Munich offices.
Prior to joining Freshfields, he trained in Geneva with the World Trade Organisation (Legal Affairs Division), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the arbitration group of a leading Swiss law firm.
Yuri speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French.
Recent work
Some of Yuri’s experience includes:
- Acting for a South American State in its dispute with a neighbouring State concerning the obligation to negotiate access to the Pacific Ocean before the International Court of Justice. Read more about this in our case study;
- Acting for a consortium of European and Middle East investors in ICSID arbitration against a European State relating to investments in the photovoltaic sector;
- Acting for an Asian company in ICSID arbitration against an European State relating to investments in the Eolic energy sector;
- Advising UK and French companies on potential investor-State arbitrations arising from their multi-million dollar investments in a Latin American country's renewable energy sector;
- Acting for a UK aerospace company against the space agency of an African country in an ICC arbitration seated in Geneva that arouse from a partnership agreement to boost the African State’s space technology by developing space systems and a microsatellite launching technology for national security purposes;
- Acting for a leading energy company in a CAM Santiago commercial arbitration relating to strategic public works at a South American State;
- Acting for Singaporean and Dutch companies in ICSID arbitration with a Middle Eastern State relating to the taking by the State of the companies’ import-export natural gas businesses and related assets;
- Acting for a leading internet and technology company in ICC arbitration with an Israeli service provider in relation to the breach of several contracts concerning provision of ride hailing services in Israel;
- Acting for a Dutch investor and its subsidiaries in ICSID arbitration against an Eastern European State relating to their investment in a sports and recreation centre as well as lodging and associated amenities;
- Acting for a Supermajor oil company in ICC arbitration arising from a contract to design and build a gas processing plant in South America;
- Advising an US investor and its subsidiaries in a potential ICSID arbitration against a Balkan State relating to the construction and operation of a thermal power plant;
- Advising a Supermajor oil company in potential UNCITRAL arbitrations with a state entity of an African country arising from oil and natural gas Production Sharing Agreements; and
- Advising an international mining company with operations in a South American State on measures affecting the maritime service sector and trade in coal and on potential trade disputes under trade agreements within the framework of the World Trade Organization (GATT and GATS) and other multilateral trade agreements.
Qualifications
University education
- The Geneva Graduate Institute & University of Geneva, Switzerland - LLM in International Dispute Settlement (Hans Wilsdorf Scholar)
- Nova Southeastern University, USA, & University of Barcelona, Spain - JD
- University of South Florida, USA - MBA
- Florida Gulf Coast University, USA - BS in Finance
Professional qualifications
- Avocat à la Cour, Paris
- Attorney-at-law, Florida and Washington, DC