Nicole Duclos Joins Covington’s International Arbitration and Latin America Practices

Nicole Duclos Joins Covington’s International Arbitration and Latin America Practices

September 9, 2013

NEW YORK, September 9, 2013 — Covington & Burling is expanding its international commercial arbitration capabilities and reach into Latin America with the addition of Nicole Duclos.

Ms. Duclos joins the firm’s New York City office as of counsel along with associates Erin Thomas and Thomas Odell. The team’s arrival enhances the firm’s international arbitration offering in New York, where they will focus on international commercial and investment arbitration, as well as international litigation, with an emphasis on Latin America.

“The addition of Nicole and her team is an important building block in expanding our commercial arbitration practice around the globe and assisting our clients in Latin America that are expanding their businesses in the U.S., Europe, China, India, and other regions where we’re active,” said Timothy Hester, chair of Covington’s management committee.

Ms. Duclos has represented clients in international commercial and investment arbitrations around the globe, including in more than ten Latin American jurisdictions. Her experience spans energy, construction, infrastructure, finance and mining, among other industries. In recent editions of Legal 500, Ms. Duclos is described by peers as a “first class lawyer” whose “handling of the cases is brilliant,” and “one of the best prepared international arbitration lawyers one is likely to meet.” Chambers International Arbitration: Latin America-wide 2012 notes that Ms. Duclos is “a star of the future with the world at her feet.”

“Nicole is a talented arbitration practitioner with deep expertise in the Latin America region,” commented Gaëtan Verhoosel, the London based co-chair of the firm's international arbitration practice. “Her addition will enhance both our commercial arbitration capability in New York and our Iberian and Latin American arbitration practices currently centered in Washington, D.C. and London.”

Ms. Duclos will also work closely with Rubén Kraiem, the firm’s leading corporate partner for business interests in Latin America, Miguel López Forastier, a partner whose practice focuses on international arbitration and litigation, and Dr. Arturo Valenzuela, a senior advisor at Covington and former State Department official, who is leading the firm’s effort to advise Latin American and U.S.-based corporations on expanding their global presence.

Ms. Duclos earned her law degree at Universidad de Valparaíso in Chile and a master of laws from Harvard Law School. She is a native Spanish speaker, fluent in English and has a working knowledge of Portuguese. She is admitted to practice in both Chile and New York.

Covington is widely recognized as a leading international arbitration law firm with rankings in GAR100, GAR30, Chambers Global, Chambers UK, Chambers USA, Chambers Latin America, Legal 500 UK and Legal 500 USA.