Luis O'Naghten

Luis O’Naghten is a globally recognized international arbitration and commercial litigation attorney with almost 40 years of experience representing clients across the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Luis serves as both party counsel and arbitrator, bringing deep expertise in commercial and investor-state disputes. Fluent in English and Spanish, he has represented sovereign governments and state-owned entities, investors, multinational corporations, and individuals in high-stakes cases under ICSID, ICC, AAA/ICDR, and UNCITRAL rules, with a focus on energy, construction, telecom, infrastructure, and international financial fraud.

Luis has handled landmark arbitrations, including a $30 million dispute for a Korean electronics company against a Mexican distributor, ICSID claims against Peru and Panama involving expropriation of hydroelectric and ethanol investments, and ICC arbitrations exceeding $100 million tied to healthcare projects in Latin America. His multijurisdictional experience spans countries like Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, Brazil, Peru, and Spain, where he leverages treaty networks to secure optimal outcomes for clients in dispute resolution and strategic structuring.

A frequent speaker at global arbitration forums and an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law, Luis is annually ranked among the world’s leading arbitration practitioners by Chambers Global, Who’s Who Legal, The Legal 500, and Latinvex. He has served as Chair of the Miami International Arbitration Society and is committed to advancing Miami as a hemispheric hub for dispute resolution. Luis holds a BS in Finance from Georgetown University and a JD from Columbia Law School.