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Estefania Contreras

Estefanía Contreras

Associate
Baker & McKenzie S.A.S.

Biography

Estefanía Contreras is a member of Baker McKenzie Bogota's Dispute Resolution Practice Group, focusing on international arbitration. Estefanía obtained her law degree in 2014 from Universidad Externado de Colombia. Estefanía has an LL.M. in International Dispute Settlement (MIDS) from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and the University of Geneva, where she obtained the MIDS Young ICCA scholarship.

Before joining Baker McKenzie, Estefanía worked in two law boutique firms in Colombia and, later, in a recognized law firm in the Iberian Peninsula in international commercial arbitration and investment arbitration. Estefanía has in-house experience in an international bank and in a Colombian state company. 

Practice Focus

Estefanía has experience in international arbitration in procedures mainly under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and in the Madrid Court of Arbitration (CAM). Estefanía is primarily focused on the construction sector.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Representing a major Colombian State-owned enterprise in two ICC arbitrations related to two construction projects.
  • Represented an American multinational consumer goods corporation in an ICC arbitration related to an offtake agreement.
  • Represented the claimant in an ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Peru arising out of a concession contract: Metro de Lima Línea 2 S.A. v. Republic of Peru (ICSID Case No. ARB/17/3).
  • Represented the investors in disputes against the Kingdom of Spain related to the renewable energy sector under the Energy Charter Treaty: RENERGY S.à r.l. v. Kingdom of Spain (ICSID Case No. ARB/14/18), InfraRed Environmental Infrastructure GP Limited and others v. Kingdom of Spain (ICSID Case No. ARB/14/12), JGC Corporation v. Kingdom of Spain (ICSID Case No. ARB/15/27), and Itochu Corporation v. Kingdom of Spain (ICSID Case No. ARB/18/25).
  • Represented a Brazilian company in an ICC arbitration against a leading aerospace corporation related to an agency contract.
  • Represented a major Spanish engineering and construction company in an ICC arbitration against a Balkan State entity related to a construction project.
  • Represented a leading Spanish engineering and construction company in an ICC arbitration against a southeastern European State entity related to a construction project.
  • Represented a Mexican company in an arbitration in the Corte de Arbitraje de Madrid against a Spanish company related to a shares purchase agreement.

Professional Honors

  • Latin America: Arbitration Rising Star at the Women in Business Law Awards 2025
  • MIDS Young ICCA Scholarship (2015).
  • One of the best National scores on the State examination "Saber Pro" (2014).

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Club Español del Arbitraje – 40, Colombian representative
  • Colombian Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (COLVYAP) coordinator
  • ARBinBRIEF member
  • Mentor on the 2022-2023 Young ITA Mentorship Program
  • Mentee on the 2018-2019 Young ICCA Mentoring Programme
  • Latin American Arbitration Practitioners
  • ICC Young Arbitration Forum
  • Young International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA)

Admissions

  • Colombia (2014)

Education

  • Universidad de Nebrija (Master’s Degree in Legal Practice) (2024)
  • Universidad de Nebrija (J.D.) (2019)
  • University of Geneva (LL.M.) (2016)
  • Universidad Externado de Colombia (J.D.) (2014)

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Publications

  • Contreras E. (2022). Recurso de anulación en el arbitraje de inversión. In J.M Álvarez and M. Żenkiewicz (Eds), Manual Derecho de las Inversiones Internacionales. Bogotá Colombia.
  • Contreras E and Ruiz V. (2023). Principios generales, fuentes auxiliares y los actos unilaterales en derecho. In R. Urueña, N. López y L. Galindo (Eds). Conceptos, doctrinas y debates, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
  • Contreras E and Madero A. (2023), Reficar v. CB&I: A New Standard for Risk Allocation and Contractor’s Liability in Construction Contracts of Energy Infrastructure, Kluwer Arbitration Blog.
  • Contreras E and Villegas J (2024), Red Eagle v. Colombia: Colombia’s Decisions to Protect Páramos Do Not Constitute a Violation of the Minimum Standard of Treatment vis-à-vis an Investor with No Vested Right, Kluwer Arbitration Blog.
  • Contreras E and Tique M (2024), El empoderamiento de las mujeres en el arbitraje: el viaje continúa, Vance Center, WIP Bulletin September 2024.
Baker & McKenzie S.A.S., is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein