Juan Pablo Hugues

I defend sovereign States before international courts and tribunals, and help them secure their public international law interests.

With a background in both public and private practice, Juan Pablo Hugues is focused on litigious and advisory work for sovereign States on public international law matters. He has experience in a wide range of industries and legal areas, including foreign investment, border disputes, mining, energy, law of the sea, environmental law and international security.

Described in Who’s Who Legal as an “enthusiastic, driven and hard-working lawyer” with “great skill as counsel in high-level arbitrations,” Juan Pablo has concentrated his practice in international dispute settlement, for which he has gained recognition as a “Future Leader” (Who’s Who Legal, 2021 & 2022), and a “Best Lawyer: Ones to Watch” (Best Lawyers).

Juan Pablo also serves as Officer of the North American Regional Forum of the International Bar Association (IBA) and forms part of the Peer Review Board of ICSID Review.

Before joining Foley Hoag, Juan Pablo was an international arbitration associate at an international law firm and served as public servant in the Mexican Government.

Related Industries

Related Practices

Education

Harvard Law School, LL.M., 2017
Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas, Licenciatura en Derecho, summa cum laude, 2013

Bar and Court Admissions

BAR ADMISSIONS

New York
Mexico
Not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia

COURT ADMISSIONS

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Languages

Spanish
French

Experience

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW

Representation of the Co‑operative Republic of Guyana in the case concerning the “Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899”, against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, before the International Court of Justice.
Representation of the Republic of Nicaragua in the case concerning “Alleged Violations of Sovereign Rights and Maritime Spaces in the Caribbean Sea”, against the Republic of Colombia, before the International Court of Justice.
Representation of the Republic of Armenia in the case concerning the “Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination”, against the Republic of Azerbaijan, before the International Court of Justice.
Representation of the Republic of Armenia in the case concerning the “Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination”, filed by the Republic of Azerbaijan, before the International Court of Justice
Representation of United Mexican States in negotiations of delimitation of continental shelf beyond 200NM, with United States of America and the Republic of Cuba.
Representation of United Mexican States in negotiation of convention on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (“BBNJ”).
Advice to Middle Eastern state in strategy before the UN to prosecute crimes against humanity committed by terrorist group.
Advice to African state in prosecution of international crime of deportation.
Collaboration with UN Security Council (“UNSC”) Sanctions Committee and representation of the United Mexican States in relation to freeze of foreign ship pursuant to UNSC individual sanctions and deriving from environmental damage inflicted by ship.
Representation of US legal scholars in amici supporting human rights claim before Inter-American System, against Latin American state.

INVESTMENT TREATY ARBITRATION

Representation of the Republic of Peru on treaty claim related to tax measures in Telefónica S.A. v. Republic of Peru (ICSID Case No. ARB/21/10).
Representation of Oriental Republic of Uruguay on treaty claim related to airline company, in Latin American Regional Holdings, S de R.L. v. Oriental Republic of Uruguay case (ICSID Case No. ARB/19/16).
Representation of Domican Republic in waste collection claim in Yver Martine Garnier v. Dominican Republic (PCA Case No. 2022-01)
Representation of Republic of Peru in oil concession treaty claim in Bacilio Amorrortu v. Republic of Peru case (PCA Case No. 2020-11).
Representation of Spanish claimant on treaty claim related to telecommunications sector in Telefonica, S.A. v. Republic of Colombia case (ICSID Case No. ARB/18/3).
Advice to Colombian claimant in potential treaty claim against Central-American state, pursuant to the ICSID Convention.
Advice to Israelian claimant on treaty claim regarding tax measures in IC Power Asia Development Ltd v. Republic of Guatemala UNCITRAL arbitration.
Advice to the Republic of Peru in treaty claim regarding land bonds in Gramercy Funds Management LLC and Gramercy Peru Holdings LLC v. Republic of Peru case (ICSID Case No. UNCT/18/2).
Representation of the Republic of Peru in securing dismissal of treaty claim related to prison concession in Exeteco International Company S.L. v. Republic of Peru, case (PCA Case No. AA535).
Representation of the United Mexican States in settlement negotiations of treaty claim related to maritime law, in Shanara Maritime International, S.A. and Marfield Ltd. Inc. v. United Mexican States case.

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION

Representation of Nicaraguan Ministry in construction arbitration dispute, administered by PCA.
Representation of French company in ICC construction dispute against Panamanian state-owned company, related to Panama Canal.
Representation of Central American respondent company in annulment of ICC award related to energy & construction dispute between American funds in Central America.
Represented Central American conglomerate in an international arbitration related to hydraulic plant in Central American State.

* Some of the above representations were handled by Mr. Hugues prior to joining Foley Hoag.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Harvard Independent Clinical Student, Secretariat of the International Court of Arbitration in North America (SICANA Inc.).
Research Assistant to Professor Anthea Roberts (Australian National University).

Publications

Article 38: The Treatment of Interest in International Investment Arbitration, ICSID Review 2022 (Special Issue - 20th Anniversary of the Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (ARSIWA)) (with Christina Beharry)
Guillermo Aguilar Álvarez y el Arbitraje de Inversión: Un Ciclo Completo, in Ensayos Sobre Arbitraje Comercial y de Inversión (2022)
Reasons in International Arbitration, in Arbitration Without Borders: Essays in Honor of Guillermo Aguilar Álvarez (Reisman and Blackaby, eds., 2021) (forthcoming) (with Rocío Digón).
Mitos y realidades del arbitraje inversionista-Estado del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte: la Experiencia mexicana, 31 ICSID REV. 147 (2016) (with Jimena Moreno).
Where do we stand? Where should we go? An assessment of recent costs allocation trends in international commercial and investment arbitration, TDM 6 (2015).
The legal value of prior steps to arbitration in International Law of Foreign Investment: Two (different?) approaches, one outcome, XV AN. MEX. DER. INT. 449 (2015).

Honors & Involvement

HONORS

The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch
Future Leader, Who’s Who Legal, International Arbitration 2021, 2022
IBA Scholar, IBA Annual Conference, Sydney, Australia, 2017, International Bar Association
ILA Scholar. ILA Biennial Meeting, Johannesburg, 2016, International Law Association
2014 & 2016 GWU - ASIL Scholar, 2014 & 2016 ASIL Annual Meeting, George Washington University - American Society of International Law
Member of Mexican Delegation of G20 Youth Summit, China 2016, Mexican Government
Emer de Vattel Scholar, Public International Law Summer Course of the Hague Academy of International Law, 2016, Hague Academy of International Law/Government of Switzerland
Winner, Student Paper Competition, 2011, North American Consortium on Legal Education

INVOLVEMENT

American Bar Association (ABA)
American Society of International Law (ASIL)
International Bar Association (IBA)
International Law Association (ILA)
International Law Students Association (ILSA)
New York Bar Association
Young International Council for Commercial Arbitration (Young ICCA)
Young International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (Young ICSID)

Speaking Engagements

Climate Change & International Justice, 10th Colloquium of Mexico’s Polytechnic Institute (IPN) Interdisciplinary Centre for Research and Studies on Climate Change and Development (November 24, 2021)
Mexico and Investment-Treaty Arbitration, ITA Young Talks, 2021.
Pathways to Careers in International Law, Virtual Panel, International Law Students Association, March 2021.
States’ Regulatory Sovereignty vis-à-vis International Investment Law, Universidad Francisco Marroquín, October 2019, Guatemala.
Investment Arbitration: Mechanism of Legitimate Protection of Foreign Investment or Instrument of Pressure of Great Private Interests?, Harvard Law Association in Mexico and CIDE Law School, May 2019, Mexico.
Climate Change & International Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, February 2019, Mexico (with Rafael Llano).
Creating the Elusive Practice-ready Attorney, IBA Annual Meeting, October 2018, Rome, Italy.