Hard Talk London - Hosted by WilmerHale

Join WilmerHale and Arbitration Channel for the London edition of the “Hard Talk Alliance” two-panel program.

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM         Breakfast is served

9:30 AM – 9:45 AM         Opening Remarks

• Lauro Parente, Founder, Arbitration Channel
• Danielle Morris, Partner, WilmerHale

9:45 AM – 11:15 AM       First Panel: Arbitration Reality Check: What Foreign Investors Must Consider When Doing Business in Latin America

• Moderator:               Sarah Ganz, Special Counsel, WilmerHale 
• Speakers:                 Marcela Levy, Partner, Lefosse (Brazil)   

Daniel Correa, Managing Director, DAC Consulting

                                                                                          *Other speakers TBC.

Foreign investment into Latin America continues to expand across energy, infrastructure, mining, telecoms, and complex commercial projects—bringing with it a predictable rise in high‑stakes disputes where arbitration is often treated as the default “safe option.”  This session is designed as a practical reality check for foreign investors (including Asian and Middle Eastern capital): what arbitration in Latin America actually delivers in the real world, and what investors routinely underestimate until a project is already in trouble.

The panel will examine arbitration as a commercial strategy rather than a purely legal proceeding, covering: (i) the decision to threaten vs file arbitration and how timing affects leverage; (ii) contract terms that become decisive once disputes begin (including multi-contract structures, partner dynamics, and state-linked counterparties); (iii) how arbitration choices can impact project continuity, financing, and market access; and (iv) the “long tail” of disputes—settlement drivers, enforcement realities, and when “winning” is not the same as recovering value.  The session will prioritize practical lessons and investor‑relevant takeaways that can be applied at the deal, project management, and risk‑assessment stages of Latin American investments.

11:15 AM – 11:45 AM: Coffee break

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM: Second Panel: Fireside Chat: Running Disputes from London: What It Really Takes to Manage Latin America Risk

• Moderator:               Maria Camila Hoyos, Senior Associate, WilmerHale
• Speaker:                   Isabelle Deschamps, Chief Legal, Governance and Corporate Affairs Officer, Rio Tinto

This fireside chat brings together a senior in‑house legal leader from a global business with significant Latin American operations for a candid conversation about what it really takes to run high‑stakes disputes from London.  Drawing on first‑hand experience, the discussion will explore how disputes emerge from major projects, how choices are made between courts, arbitration and settlement, and how legal strategy is shaped by regulatory, political and ESG considerations across the region.

The session will offer practical insights into decision‑making, risk management and lessons learned — including what outside counsel, arbitrators and counterparties often underestimate when handling Latin America‑related disputes.  The session is designed for in‑house counsel, arbitration practitioners, funders and dispute resolution professionals seeking a realistic, commercially grounded perspective on managing disputes involving Latin America from a London base.

12:45 PM – 1:00 PM: Closing Remarks 

• Danielle Morris, Partner, WilmerHale