Patricia NACIMIENTO

Patricia is a partner in the Frankfurt office of Herbert Smith Freeholds and is head of the German dispute resolution team.

Patricia is an expert in litigation with a special focus on international and German arbitration and all forms of alternative dispute resolution, including mediation. She has extensive experience both as a party representative and as an arbitrator. She also has considerable expertise in cross-border litigation and arbitration-related litigation. Her main areas of practice are in energy, infrastructure and post M&A disputes. Patricia has extensive experience in managing large strategic dispute resolution proceedings and leading cross-border teams including the fight against corruption and money laundering.

She further focuses on investment arbitration and the law of nations, also in the field of business and human rights.

As a party representative, Patricia has conducted over 150 arbitration proceedings under the rules of numerous arbitration institutions – including ICC, ICSID, SCC, CIETAC, DIS, LCIA, ICDR, Swiss Chamber of Commerce, Indian Council of Arbitration, and the Danish Institution of Arbitration as well as ad hoc proceedings. She is also regularly appointed as an arbitrator and has led numerous international ICC-, DIS- and ad hoc arbitration proceedings as a chairperson, sole arbitrator or party appointed arbitrator.

The German government has appointed Patricia in 2007 as one of four arbitrators to the panel of arbitrators at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). She was recently reappointed to the panel of arbitrators following a competitive process organized by the competent German Ministry.

Patricia is also appointed as an alternate member of the Appointing Committee of the German Institution of Arbitration (DIS).

Publications

Patricia has also a proven academic track record and publishes regularly in leading publications. She is co-editor of leading arbitration handbooks "Arbitration in Germany - The Model Law in Practice" (Boeckstiegel, Kroell, Nacimiento (eds.) Kluwer 2nd ed 2015) and "Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards: A Global Commentary on the New York Convention "(Kronke, Nacimiento, Otto, Port Kluwer, 2010).

Memberships

Appointee of the German government to the ICSID panel of arbitrators
ICC Commission on Arbitration, active in different task forces, currently on "Corruption and fraud".
Member of the Board of International Law Association, German Chapter
Member of the Board at International Investment Law Centre Cologne
Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit (DIS)