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Chambers Global and Chambers Latin America report that clients call David Orta “a vastly experienced attorney who inspires real confidence, with a remarkable ability to see all the angles.”  They also report that David wins praise from clients for his "sound advice and excellent client service."  Mr. Orta is the Head of Latin American and Washington, D.C. International Arbitration Practice  and is a trial lawyer and arbitration advocate with years of experience successfully representing clients in complex international arbitrations, complex commercial litigation, class actions, consumer fraud litigation, and pharmaceutical and medical device product liability cases.  He represents clients in international disputes all around the world, including in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.  He has a particular emphasis in investor-state arbitrations administered under the auspices of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). He also has handled ad hoc arbitrations administered under UNCITRAL Rules and international arbitrations administered by the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR/AAA). Mr. Orta also acts as lead counsel in international litigations for clients. 

Pala Investments
Churchill Mining Plc
DynCorp International, LLC
Republic of Panama
Republic of El Salvador
Republic of Guatemala
PPL, Corporation
Wells Fargo Bank
Largest state-owned power company in El Salvador
State-owned Geothermal power company in El Salvador
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Confecciones Kamerino

Represent Churchill Mining Plc in its multibillion dollar investment treaty claims against the Republic of Indonesia.

Lead counsel for a US investor in claims against a European-based company and investment treaty claims against a Latin American country.

Served as lead counsel for Slovakian investors in a series of complex civil and criminal disputes arising out of a commercial investment made in a Caribbean island.

Served as lead trial counsel for the Republic of Guatemala in the first ever international ICSID arbitration filed under the auspices of CAFTA and the first ever ICSID arbitration filed against Guatemala.  The case was filed against Guatemala by U.S. railway management and development company -- Railroad Development Corporation (RDC) v. Republic of Guatemala (ICSID Case No. ARB/07/23).

Served as lead trial counsel for the Republic of Panama in the first ever international ICSID arbitration filed against it by several U.S.-based investors under the auspices of the Bilateral Investment Treaty between the U.S. and the Republic of Panamá involving a multi-million dollar claim arising from allegations that certain Panamanian tax credits were not honored.  Mr. Orta obtained a complete victory for his client and a multimillion dollar award of costs and fees—Nations Energy, Inc. y otros c. República de Panamá (ICSID Case No. ARB/06/19).

Served as one of the lead trial counsel for the Republic of El Salvador in an international ICSID arbitration filed against it by a Spanish company and obtained a dismissal of this case on jurisdictional grounds based on the "in accordance with law" provisions of the applicable BIT and proof that the investment at issue was not made in accordance with the laws of El Salvador since the investment had been procured through fraud --  Inceysa Vallisoletana S.L. c. República de El Salvador (ICSID Case No. ARB/03/26).

Served as lead counsel for the Republic of Panamá in an international ICDR arbitration filed against the Republic by various US-based investors and involving a claim for tens of millions of dollars based on allegations that Panamanian tax credits were not honored by the government and obtained a dismissal of the claim in its entirety.

Served as lead trial counsel for a Central-American state-owned power company in an UNCITRAL ad hoc arbitration against a foreign investor.

Represented a major US electric utility company as one of its lead counsel in international arbitration issues against the Republic of Bolivia.

Served as lead counsel for Consorcio Pentamat a Venezuelan corporation, in its commercial dispute with Carrier Transicold, a division of Carrier Corporation, and was able to obtain a quick and favorable settlement of an unfair competition claim involving a former employee who left Consorcio Pentamat, began working for Carrier in violation of a non-compete agreement and began soliciting customers away from Consorcio Pentamat in violation of the non-solicitation provisions of his employment agreement.

Served as lead counsel for Electricidad de Caracas, a Venezuelan corporation, in a business dispute with a major US financial institution.

Served as lead counsel for Impsat Fiber Networks, an Argentinean corporation, in a commercial dispute with Nortel Networks and obtained an outright dismissal of the case in favor of Impsat.

Served as trial counsel for Wyeth in the nationwide diet drug ("phen-fen") litigation, including handling trials in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Florida.

Served as trial and national coordinating counsel for Wyeth in the defense of complex, pharmaceutical liability cases pending in both federal and state courts throughout the country, including all cases filed in Virginia, North Carolina, Delaware, Maryland and Arkansas.

Handled numerous cases for pharmaceutical clients alleging deceptive advertising and violation of consumer protection act statutes, including consumer fraud class actions.

Served as product liability counsel for Boston Scientific in its US$24.5 billion acquisition of Guidant Corporation.

Served as lead product liability counsel for Albemarle Corporation in a nationwide remediation program.

Served as lead trial counsel and obtained a jury verdict for client in a case involving consumer fraud allegations, including alleged material omissions and deceptive trade practices concerning a matchmaking service.

Served as lead counsel for and obtained a quick favorable settlement on behalf of Overlook Systems Technologies, Inc. in its dispute with a former employee involving unfair competition claims, including misappropriation of trade secrets and other proprietary information.

Served as lead counsel for Albemarle Corporation in its business dispute with a distributor and filed a preemptive suit and obtained a quick settlement of a variety of breach of contract and tort claims in which the parties were cross-claiming for millions in damages.

Served as trial counsel for a brokerage company in a commercial fraud case and obtained a jury verdict on behalf of the brokerage company.