Adriana Espinel

OF COUNSEL

Adriana Espinel is Of Counsel of Xtrategy’s Arbitration and International Law practice in Bogotá D.C., and founder of Espinel & Asociados Abogados SAS, a law firm with extensive experience in arbitration, energy, utilities and business law in Colombia.

Adriana is a Colombian lawyer, and a national and international arbitrator, with over 24 years of experience managing legal teams and advising large multinational corporations, industry leaders, energy and infrastructure companies, financial institutions, concessionary utilities and real estate ventures.

Adriana has extensive experience working in Colombia and in Latin America managing legal teams and counseling multinational corporations in complex energy, infrastructure, and utilities transactions and contract management using diverse delivery models and contracts, including equipment supply agreements, engineering and construction contracts (EPC), concessions, AOM, BOMT, service supply agreements, long term purchase contracts, mergers and acquisitions, investment vehicles, securitizations and syndicated loans.

Adriana is an experienced manager. She managed the legal and contracts department at ENEL Colombia and then established her boutique legal practice to service multinational clients in the energy sector in Colombia and in Latin America. Adriana has experience working with diverse teams and supporting multiple simultaneous project teams and contracts to address all aspects of client and contract management. 

Adriana is passionate about the environment and new sustainable technologies, clean energy and resilient infrastructure. She advised governments, including the Government of Colombia, in the regulatory development of the energy transition, and supported the creation and growth of renewable energy supply projects, hydrogen and thermal districts. She also supported the creation of energy transition organizations such as the Colombian Hydrogen Association.

Adriana is a postgraduate professor of contracts and energy law at Universidad Externado de Colombia and Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, as well as a lecturer for executives and regulators in specialized short courses at universities.

POSITION

  • Of Counsel

PRACTICE AREAS 

  • Investment Arbitration 
  • International Commercial Arbitration 
  • Public International Law 
  • Business, Investment & Human Rights
  • Energy 

CONTACT 

  • aespinel@xtrategycenter.com 
  • +57 3101101002
  • +1 7549714022

ADMISSIONS 

  • Republic of Colombia. 

OFFICES 

  • Bogota D.C. 
  • Weston, Florida, USA.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES 

  • LLM, Professor of Energy including District Energy, and Gas, Universidad Externado de Colombia – 2012 to present. 
  • LLM, Professor of Energy Contracts including District Energy – Universidad de los Andes, Colombia – 2019 to present.  
  • National and international speaker in Energy.

EDUCATION 

  • Certificate in International Investment Arbitration, American University, Washigton DC, USA, 2023 
  • Certificate in National and International Arbitration, Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá, Colombia, 2017 
  • Certificate in Management Studies, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, 2009 
  • Diploma in Energy Mining Legislation, Universidad Externado de Colombia, 2007 
  • Diploma in International Arbitration, International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, France, 2006 
  • Specialization in Negotiation, Universidad de los Andes, 2007 
  • Specialization in Financial Legislation, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, 1997 
  • Abogada (J.D. equivalent), Universidad de Los Andes, 1996 

MEMBERSHIPS 

  • Founding Member and Member of the Board of Directors of the Hydrogen Association of Colombia. 
  • Member of the Inter-American Association of Studies in Regulation ASIER 
  • Member of the Iberoamerican Association of Energy Law 
  • Member of the Arbitration Center of the Chamber of Commerce of Cartagena, Colombia 
  • Member of the Arbitration Center of the Chamber of Commerce of Villavicencio, Colombia.