Page – International Disputes Experience | Elisabeth Eljuri | Independent Arbitrator Energy Consultant

Professional Experience

Elisabeth Eljuri’s three decades of experience as a practicing lawyer, and more recently as an oil executive, includes both significant international disputes and transactional experience. Selected examples of major disputes she has worked on are listed below.

International Disputes Experience

After retiring from Norton Rose Fulbright and successfully exiting her private equity venture, Ms. Eljuri set up an independent practice as arbitrator. She is regularly sitting as arbitrator in commercial and investment arbitrations related to Latin America. She is registered on the panels of multiple arbitral institutions including, among others, the Energy Arbitrators List (EAL) of the ICDR, the ICC, the LCIA, and several domestic arbitral institutions in major Latin American cities. In addition, she is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), is on the Review Committee of EAL and on the Users Council of SIAC. For disclosure information, please see the separate tab Arbitrator Disclosures .

Ms. Eljuri acted as counsel in international arbitrations, including commercial and investment arbitration cases, as well as domestic arbitrations in Latin America. During her tenure at Norton Rose Fulbright, Ms. Eljuri acted as international arbitration counsel in some of the world’s largest energy and natural resources disputes. A list of selected arbitrations and disputes is included below.

Likewise, Ms. Eljuri acted as independent expert for natural resources matters in several cases. As an example, she was claimant’s expert in an ICC arbitration between two international oil companies seated in New York in 2005. She also acted as independent expert in 2009 in a dispute before the Ontario courts relating to the nationalization of a major gold mine in South America.

Selected Disputes as Counsel:

Acted as co-counsel for a leading North American gas compression services company in an ICSID arbitration against Venezuela concerning gas compression services worth US$1.2 billion.

Acted as co-counsel for a US/Canadian energy services consortium in an ICC arbitration seated in New York, relating to a contractual dispute over a major oil terminal that was expropriated.

Acted as co-counsel for a North American oil producer in an ICC arbitration seated in New York and subject to Venezuelan law, pertaining to a contractual dispute over an OPEC curtailment provision.

Acted as co-counsel for a large US energy company in an investment arbitration against a Latin American government concerning an expropriation claim.

Acted as co-counsel for an Asian oil exploration and production company in an investment arbitration against a Latin American government concerning their investments in two upstream contracts.

Acted as co-counsel for a large Latin-American oil producer in connection with an investment arbitration and related-court proceedings involving the remediation of an area in the Amazonian jungle.

Acted as co-counsel for a US oil producer in an ICC arbitration, seated in New York, pertaining to a contractual dispute over a refinery.

Acted as co-counsel for a major oil company in an investment arbitration against Venezuela concerning an expropriation claim.

Acted as co-counsel for a global leader in oil and gas engineering and water injection services in an ICC arbitration, conducted in New York and subject to Venezuelan law. The claim was brought against a major Venezuelan oil company in respect of a contractual dispute worth US$120 million.

Acted as co-counsel for an Asian oil exploration and production company in an ICC arbitration, seated in New York and subject to Venezuelan law in respect of a contractual dispute.

Acted as co-counsel in an investment arbitration against a Latin American government. The case involved claims for breaches of legal stability agreements.

Acted as co-counsel in an ICC arbitration seated in New York for a US oil company in respect of a contract dispute arising from an upstream contract.

Acted as co-counsel for a US company in an ICC arbitration in respect of a political risk insurance claim for expropriation related to an energy investment. The case was settled.

Acted as co-counsel for a US energy company in an investment arbitration against a Latin American government relating to an expropriation. The case involved denial of justice, umbrella clause and unfair and inequitable treatment claims.

Acted as counsel in the pre-arbitration phase for a large European food conglomerate which was expropriated by the Government of Venezuela. Ms. Eljuri co-led the negotiation of the amicable sale to the government which settled the dispute.

Acted as counsel for an international airline company in the initial stages of an investment arbitration claim in respect of an expropriation in Venezuela.

Acted for a US drilling company in a domestic arbitration in Venezuela in respect of a multi-million-dollar contractual dispute.

Acted for a large independent oil and gas company in a domestic arbitration in Venezuela filed by a contractor under an EPC contract pertaining to an offshore facility.

Acted as counsel for a major oil company in respect of a cost overruns arbitration to be filed against the national oil company in Venezuela in respect of an offshore facility. The case was settled in favorable terms to the company prior to filing.