Damián Vallejo focuses his practice on international investment arbitration, public international law, international commercial arbitration and commercial litigation. He represents companies, states and individuals in investment treaty and international commercial arbitrations conducted under the major international arbitration rules (ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, ICDR, LCIA, etc.) and advises clients on public international law matters, including the structuring of investments under bilateral and multilateral investment treaties. Damián also represents clients on commercial disputes and advises on arbitration-related litigation matters and the enforcement and challenge of domestic and foreign arbitral awards. He also acts as due diligence counsel in litigation finance and investments arising out of legal and regulatory special situations.

His experience spans a wide range of industries, including maritime, transportation, insurance, energy, mining, electricity, construction, infrastructure development, cross-border transactions and general commercial matters.

Damián has experience in civil and common-law legal systems. Prior to joining Dunning Rievman, Damián practiced in three major international disputes practices in the United States. A Spanish national, Damián practiced as a litigator and commercial lawyer at Spain’s most prestigious maritime and insurance law boutique and was an associate professor of maritime commercial law at the School of Nautical Studies of Barcelona. He is a native Spanish and Catalan speaker and has reading comprehension of Portuguese.

Damián is an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University School of Law, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and of the European Chinese Arbitrators Association (ECCA), and currently serves as the Vice President of the New York and Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Spanish Arbitration Club (Club Español del Arbitraje). He is appointed as arbitrator in international arbitrations and is also actively engaged in publishing and speaking at conferences. His publications include:

• Co-Author, “Perspectives on Document Disclosure” Chapter in GAR’s (Global Arbitration Review) Guide to Evidence in International Arbitration – Second Edition (October 12, 2023)
• Author, “¿Zanjará el Tribunal Supremo de EE.UU. un conflicto de veinte años?”, (“Will the US Supreme Court settle a 20-year controversy?”), CIAR Global (June 1, 2020)
• Author, “ALJTC v. FedEx, ¿se abre la puerta a acciones de discovery en EE.UU. en apoyo de arbitrajes internacionales?”, (“ALJTC v. FedEx, is the door opening for US discovery actions in aid of international arbitration?”), CIAR Global (October 11, 2019)
• Author, “Will Mexico lead the next wave of investment arbitration claims?”, Kluwer Arbitration Blog & Young ICCA Blog (August 6, 2018)
• Author, “India: ¿Momento adecuado para reestructurar las inversiones extranjeras en el país?” (“India: Adequate moment for restructuring foreign investments in the country?”), Expansión – Diario Económico (January 31, 2018)
• Author, “Tanzania: ¿Un paso atrás en las industrias de extracción?” (“Tanzania: A step backwards in the extraction industries?”), Expansión – Diario Económico (December 1, 2017)
• Co-author, Case report Total v. Argentina (ICSID Case No. ARB/04/01), Decision on Annulment. International Arbitration Case Law (Queen Mary University of London), Transnational Dispute Management (March 2, 2016)
• Co-author, “El régimen de responsabilidad de los operadores marítimos” (“The liability regime of the maritime operators”), DIARIO DEL PUERTO No. 5.131 (December 1, 2014)
• Co-author, “Prestige: Controversia de conceptos” (“Prestige: Controversy of Concepts”), Speaker no. 2 – Young Lawyers Group of Barcelona (January 2014)

His speaking engagements include:

• GAR Live: Istanbul, panel on the “Enforcement of arbitral awards: myths, realities, challenges,” Istanbul, Turkey (June 22, 2023)
• International Commercial and Investment Arbitration in the Maritime Industry, XVII International Conference on Arbitration (XVII Congreso Internacional de Arbitraje), Peruvian Institute of Arbitration (IPA – Instituto Peruano de Arbitraje), Lima, Peru (April 28, 2023)
• “What is Happening in International Arbitration,” LITFINCON, Houston (Texas) (March 1, 2023)
• “Robots on Mars & Billionaires in Space – What’s Next for Space Disputes?” ICC Young Arbitrators Forum, New York (online), May 2022
• “Hot Topics in International Arbitration” conference organized by the NYSBA during the Madrid Regional Meeting, Madrid, Spain (April 28, 2022)
• “Turkey, Italy and the US Trade, Investment and Arbitration Panel” conference organized by ILIDA (International Law, Investment and Development Association), Istanbul (Turkey) (March 23, 2022)
• “Do’s and Don’ts: What Are the Best Strategies for Seeking Financing for Litigation?,” LITFINCON, Houston (Texas), March 2022
• Arbitrator in the 15th Annual ICDR Practice Moot and Lecture Series, organized by the ICDR (International Centre for Dispute Resolution) in New York, USA (online) (February 18, 2022).
• Arbitrator in the Milan Investment Arbitration Pre-Moot 2022 (online) (February 11, 2022).
• “Assets and Businesses After the Electoral Results: How Can These Be Protected?,” American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) of Peru, Peru (Webinar), July 2021
• “Investment Protection in the Energy Sector through International Investment Agreements,” Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas (Grupo de Monterrey – Comité Técnico de Energía), Mexico (Webinar), May 2021
• Speaker at the “Importance of Legal Instructions in Expert Evidence and Their Influence on the Expert’s Credibility” conference organized by the Instituto Peruano de Arbitraje (IPA or Peruvian Institute of Arbitration) during the II International Congress on Legal Skills in International Arbitration, Peru (Webinar), April 2021
• Speaker at the “Protection of Investments During Uncertain Times” conference organized by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (New York branch), New York (Webinar), December 2020
• “Protection of Private Investments in the Energy Sector through International Agreements for the Promotion and Protection of Investments,” Clúster Energético de Nuevo León, Monterrey (Mexico), January 2020
• “Building a Career in International Arbitration,” ICC Young Arbitrators Forum, Quito (Ecuador), April 2019
• “Managing Complex Cases in International Arbitration,” ICC Young Arbitrators Forum, San Jose (Costa Rica), March 2018
• “Liability of the carrier in the carriage of goods by sea,” Conference at the Barcelona’s Bar Association, June 2013
• Associate Professor, Master in Maritime Law, Shipping Business and Port Management, School of Nautical Studies of Barcelona, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, May 2013 – May 2015