Contreras Velozo

Chilean

Chile

Santiago

-Construction and Infrastructure.
-Energy
-Mining.
-Technology.
-M&A and other corporate disputes.
-Finance.
-Insurance.
-Pharmaceuticals.
-Transportation.
-Foreign Investment.

-Spanish.
-English.
-French.

LLB: Universidad Católica de Chile (summa cum laude).
LLM: The University of Chicago (Fulbright and Chile scholarships)

www.awad.cl

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

Mining disputes in Chile and their characterization as potential international arbitrations in Revista Ecuatoriana de Arbitraje (Quito, 2021).
Digital evidence from the industries: The case of the Building Information Modeling in Arbitration and New Technologies (Lima, 2021).
Co-editor of the book Surviving in the Field of International Arbitration: War Stories and Lessons Learned, Wolters Kluwer (London, 2020).
Jumping in the Pool: How to Draft your First Arbitral Award? in Surviving in the Field of International Arbitration: …, Wolters Kluwer (London, 2020).
Pandemic Dispute Resolution Methods – EstadoDiario (2020).
Drafting your first arbitral award – Bulletin on International Commercial and Investment Arbitration in Latin America (2018).
Civil Procedural Reform in Chile: What’s new/What’s yet to come – Euro LATAM LEX (2018).
The most relevant decision in arbitration: what to consider when choosing the arbitral tribunal – El Mercurio Legal (2017).
What is the best seat of arbitration in Latin America? – El Mercurio Legal (2017).
What is due process paranoia in international arbitration? – IUS360 (2017).


RECENT ENGAGEMENTS:

Speaker at the first «Conmebol Arbitral: What’s the best arbitration seat?» debate, organized by the Spanish Arbitration Club, COLVYAP and Yale Law School LLSA (2022).
Moderator at the panel «Youthquake: how arbitration will change when the new generation leads» at the occasion of the 19th ICC Miami Conference on International Arbitration (2021).
Speaker at the talk «What (disputes) did the pandemic left us?» organized by the Spanish Arbitration Club, explaining Iura Novit Curia in arbitration (2021).
Speaker at the talk «Oral Litigation in the Civil Procedural Reform» organized by the Justice Reform Program, P. Universidad Católica de Chile (2021).
Interviewer in the Arbitrator’s Interview with Mr. Michael Hwang in the Arbitrator Intelligence Asian Campaign 2021.
Arbitrator at the «2nd CAM Santiago Vis Pre-Moot» (2021).
Interviewer in the Arbitrator’s Interview with Mr. Fernando Cantuarias in the Arbitrator Intelligence Latin American Campaign 2021.
Speaker at the XI Costa Rica International Arbitration Congress in the talk «The role of Third Party Funding in dispute resolution during and after the pandemic» (2020).
Speaker at the event «Agents of Change: Tech + Economics + Behavior» organizaed by the Guatemalan chapter of the Spanish Arbitration Club and Guatemala Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (2020).
Speaker at the Seminar Investment Arbitration Roadmap, organized by Contreras Velozo, GST LLP and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Chile (2020).
Arbitrator at the Antitrust E-Moot in Perú (2020).
Speaker at the Seminar Practical Aspects of Institutional and Ad hoc Arbitration in Times of Pandemic, P. Universidad Católica de Chile (2020).
Speaker at the Seminar Reality and Challenges in Litigation in the Context of Online Proceedings and the Pandemic, Justice Reform Program, P. Universidad Católica de Chile (2020).
Speaker at the JAMS Virtual Roundtable Series – Latin America (2020).
Interviewer in the Arbitrator’s Interview with Mr. Arturo Yrarrázaval Covarrubias at Santiago VYAP’s Conference in the Arbitration and Mediation Center of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (2019).
Speaker at the 11th Latin American Arbitration Conference (2019) in Asunción, Paraguay, on working with experts in both domestic and international arbitration.
Speaker at the 2nd ICC Colombia Arbitration Day (2019) in Bogotá, Colombia, on the use of new technologies in international arbitration proceedings.
Speaker on confidentiality and transparency in arbitration before the Georgetown International Arbitration Society (2019) in Washington D.C., United States.
Speaker before the Center on International Commercial Arbitration at American University – Washington College of Law (2019) in Washington D.C., United States.
Speaker in the round table Confidentiality and Transparency in Arbitration, SVYAP (2018).
Speaker at the ICC YAF (2018) in Santiago, Chile, on the emergency arbitrator in the ICC Rules of Arbitration.
Speaker in the round table Expert reports in construction and infrastructure arbitration at P. Universidad Católica de Chile (2018).
Arbitrator at the International Chamber of Commerce’s Vis Pre-Moot (2018) in Paris, France.
Speaker and 1st place in the International Arbitration Seminar organized by the Lima Chamber of Commerce in Perú (2017).
Speaker at the 1st Ecuador ADR Week organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (2017) in Quito, Ecuador.
Invited as arbitrator by Universidad de Chile’s and P. Universidad Católica de Chile’s teams for their preparation in the Vis Moot (2019 and 2020) and in the Latin American International Arbitration Competition (2018, 2019 and 2020).
Invited as arbitrator by Universidad Andrés Bello’s team for their preparation in the Latin American International Arbitration Competition (2020).
Invited as arbitrator to the course on Arbitration Moots at P. Universidad Católica de Perú (2020).
Invited by The Universidad de Chicago’s team for its preparation in the Philip C. Jessup Competition (2016).
Attendee at the International Arbitration Conference organized by the International Chamber of Commerce in Miami, United States, since 2013.

Member of ICC Chile Nominations Committee (since 2022).
Arbitrator at Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (since 2021).
Representative for Latin America in the International Chamber of Commerce’s Young Arbitrators Forum (ICC YAF) for the period 2021-2023.
Member of the Official Roster of Arbitrators of the San Miguel Court of Appeals (since 2021).
Young Arbitrator at the Center of Arbitration and Mediation of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (since 2020).
Member of the Executive Committee at Arbitrator Intelligence (Arbitrator Communications Lead) during the term 2020-2021.
Arbitrator Intelligence Ambassador in Chile (since 2018).
International Arbitrator at the Center of Arbitration of the Lima Chamber of Commerce (since 2020).
Member of the Official Roster of Arbitrators of the Santiago Court of Appeals (since 2019).
Member of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Young Arbitrators Forum (ICC YAF).
Member of the London Court of International Arbitration’s Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG).
Member of the Young International Council for Commercial Arbitration (Young ICCA).
Professor of the postgraduate course on Arbitration at P. Universidad Católica de Chile (since 2018).
Professor of the Oral Advocacy Skills Seminars (opening statements, closing statements, oral hearings before superior state courts, direct examination and cross examination of witnesses and experts) at P. Universidad Católica de Chile (since 2018).
Founder of the association Santiago Very Young Arbitration Practitioners. Member of its Executive Committee (2017-2019).
Coordinator at the Pro Bono Foundation (2017-2019). Member of the Pro Bono Arbitration Program (since 2017).
Professor at the Chilean Judicial Academy (since 2017).
Member of the Chilean Delegation visiting the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Court of Arbitration (2017).
Professor of Private Law at P. Universidad Católica de Chile (since 2014).
Member of the Chilean Bar Association (since 2013).

Álvaro Awad Sirhan is a Professor of Private Law, Arbitration and Oral Advocacy at P. Universidad Católica de Chile, where he graduated summa cum laude (2011). He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from The University of Chicago (2016), where he was doubly distinguished by the Chilean Government with the Chile Scholarship and by the U.S. Government with the Fulbright Scholarship.

Since 2015 he is a partner at the boutique law firm Contreras Velozo, with offices in Santiago, Chile, where he co-leads the Commercial Litigation and the Domestic and International Arbitration teams. In 2021 he was appointed as Regional Representative for Latin America in the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)’s Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF).

He has participated as arbitrator and counsel in dozens of commercial and investment arbitral proceedings both ad hoc and institutional for up to USD 2.5 billion.

He has wide experience with the rules of the Center of Arbitration and Mediation of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (CAM Santiago) and the ICC Court of International Arbitration.

The prestigious rankings The Legal 500, Leaders League and Best Lawyers have recognized him in his practice areas.