Gaela Gehring Flores is Co-Chair of Hughes Hubbard's International Arbitration practice group in the Washington, D.C., office. Gaela has over 25 years of experience focused on representing both multinational corporations and sovereign states in international commercial and investment arbitrations. She has handled over 60 high-stakes international disputes before some of the best-known investment treaty arbitrations administered by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, as well as before private international commercial tribunals in arbitrations administered by the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce, the London Court of International Arbitration, and the American Arbitration Association’s International Centre for Dispute Resolution. Gaela also demonstrates a commitment to pro bono services through her work with immigrant and undocumented communities.
Gaela advises clients in a
variety of disputes in such fields as energy, intellectual property and
artificial intelligence, natural resources, construction, government contracts,
and transportation. She also advises clients on arbitral award enforcement, effective
contractual dispute resolution clauses, dispute prevention, and strategy, and
public international law issues, including discovery and foreign sovereign
immunity, in international proceedings. Gaela’s practice is strengthened by her
experience, native Spanish skills and bicultural background.
Gaela is recognized as a leading practitioner of international arbitration in Chambers Global, Chambers Latin America, Chambers USA, Global Arbitration Review, The Legal 500, Latin Lawyer 250, The Am Law 200, Euromoney, along with many others.
Previous Experience
Law Clerk, the Honorable Paul L. Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (1996-1998)
Recognitions
Recommended in The Legal 500 Latin America: International Firms, International Arbitration (2025)
Recognized by Chambers Latin America in International Arbitration (2011-2024)
Recognized by Chambers Global and USA in International Arbitration: Counsel (2019-2023)
Professional Activities
Co-Chair, District of Columbia Bar Inter-American Legal Affairs Committee
Fellow and Faculty, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
International Arbitrator Panel, International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR)
Advisory Board Member, The Wilson Center Latin America Program
Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center, Guidelines Review Committee
Co-Host, “The Tea on International Arbitration,” a podcast presented by the D.C. Bar International Law Community
Court Admissions
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia