King & Spalding adds three arbitration partners

US law firm King & Spalding has hired three international arbitration partners from Kirkland & Ellis in a bid to grow the firm’s commercial work in Latin America and Europe.

The three new partners, Javier Rubinstein, Lauren Friedman, and Lucila “Luli” Hemmingsen, will expand the firm’s Investor-state arbitrations in those two regions. 

Rubinstein, who served as vice chairman and global general counsel for PwC before joining Kirkland, will be based in Chicago for King & Spalding. Friedman (pictured) and Hemmingsen will work out of the New York office.

“The geographical and industry knowledge Javier, Lauren, and Lucila have, combined with their language skills and decades of experience being outside and in-house counsel, make them a great addition to our International arbitration team,” Andy Bayman, leader of King & Spalding’s Trial & Global Disputes practice group, said in a statement.

Zach Fardon, managing partner of King & Spalding’s Chicago office, said that the presence of Rubinstein will help expand the firm’s international arbitration footprint into the city and its surrounding area.

“King & Spalding’s premiere international arbitration practice and its commitment to grow disputes work in the Midwest were two important factors as we thought about the right platform going forward,” said Rubinstein in a statement.

Friedman’s practice includes commercial and investor-state arbitrations on behalf of clients in the oil and gas and mining sectors, as well as consumer goods and public utilities.

In addition to her arbitration work, Hemmingsen also advises clients on treaty protection structuring connected to those proceedings.