Overview

Marcelo Richter is an associate in the London office of Mayer Brown's International Arbitration practice. He has experience in international commercial and investment treaty arbitration and public international law.

Marcelo was educated and studied arbitration in the United Kingdom, France, Portugal and Brazil. Given his international background, Marcelo's practice focuses on representing parties in cross-border, high-end disputes involving parties and applicable laws from a wide-range of jurisdictions, such as: Abu Dhabi, Brazil, Croatia, France, Jordan, Kuwait, Italy, Malaysia, Panama, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United States.

In respect of investment treaty arbitration and public international law, Marcelo represents foreign investors, companies and sovereign states in disputes before ICSID and under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. He has experience in investment disputes involving the construction, telecommunication, media and banking & finance sectors.

A substantial part of Marcelo's work includes representing parties in engineering & construction disputes, before Dispute Boards and major arbitral institutions, such as the ICC, LCIA and ADCCAC. He has particular experience with FIDIC forms of contract, having acted in multi-billion construction disputes involving airports, maritime projects, hydroelectric facilities, solar power plants and other infrastructure and superstructure projects.

Marcelo regularly publishes on international arbitration and has attended and presented at conferences and universities. Marcelo holds a Master of Laws (LL.M), with Distinction, in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution from Queen Mary University of London. He speaks English, Portuguese and conversational Spanish.


Experience

Investment Treaty Arbitration

  • ICSID Case No. ARB/21/20: representing Turkish investors in an ongoing investment treaty arbitration in the construction sector against Turkmenistan.
  • ICSID Case No. ARB/13/38: represented Kuwaiti investors in an investment treaty arbitration in the telecommunication sector against Jordan.
  • Represented American and Canadian investors in an investment treaty arbitration in the media sector under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules against Romania.

Engineering & Construction Arbitration

  • Representing a Panamanian employer in multiple DAB and ICC arbitration proceedings (Miami seat) brought by a consortium of Spanish and Italian contractors regarding a major maritime project in Central America (FIDIC Design & Build);
  • Representing a Saudi construction conglomerate in multiple claims against the employer relating to a superstructure project in Saudi Arabia (FIDIC Design & Build); and
  • Representing a contractor on high value arbitration proceedings in relation to an infrastructure project in UAE.

Commercial Arbitration

  • Represented the Malaysian National Oil Company in an oil & gas arbitration (ICC) involving the Brazilian National Oil Company and the Brazilian oil & gas authority.
  • Represented English insurers and reinsurers in a LCIA arbitration (London seat) relating to a hydroelectric facility in Brazil.*
  • Represented Brazilian companies in a LCIA arbitration relating to interest rate swaps contracts against leading Spanish financial institution.*
  • Secretary of the arbitral tribunal in an arbitration concerning a Joint Venture between and investment fund and a State-owned company for the development and exploitation of wind power energy.*

* Handled prior to joining Mayer Brown.


Education

Queen Mary, University of London, Master of Laws (LLM), with Distinction

International Academy for Arbitration Law, Diploma, Dechert LLP Scholarship

University of Coimbra, Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Undergraduate Exchange Programme

Unisinos University, Bachelor of Laws (LLB), with Distinction

Admissions

  • England and Wales
  • Brazil
  • Listed as a key lawyer for International Arbitration - Legal 500 2024.