Javier Rubinstein

Javier Rubinstein is a native of Argentina, who emigrated to the United States as a child. He is natively fluent in Spanish and English. He was educated at the University of Michigan, Harvard University’s JFK School of Government and the Georgetown University Law Center. He has been practicing international dispute resolution and litigation before the U.S. courts for the past 35 years. For 25 of those years, Mr. Rubinstein served as a dispute resolution partner at Mayer Brown LLP, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and, finally, as a member of the international arbitration group at King & Spalding LLP.

From 2006 through 2016, Mr. Rubinstein served as Vice Chair, Global General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer at PwC International, leading the legal and risk management functions of the PwC network with more than 1,000 professionals across 157 territories.

Mr. Rubinstein’s arbitration career has involved more than 50 international commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, serving as counsel and arbitrator. His experience extends across a diverse array of sectors and subject matters, including energy, telecommunications, mining, engineering, manufacturing and distribution, joint ventures, life sciences, taxation, accounting disputes and sports disputes.

Since 1996, Mr. Rubinstein has served as a Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, teaching courses in international arbitration, international risk management and advocacy before the United States Supreme Court.

As a former general counsel with 10 years of in-house legal and commercial experience, Mr. Rubinstein is able to draw upon his practical experience and appreciation of the differing business practices, legal traditions and commercial environments around the world.

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Javier Rubinstein has participated as counsel or arbitrator in more than 50 international commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, conducted under the arbitration rules of most major arbitral institutions, including the ICC Court of International Arbitration (ICC), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and ad hoc arbitrations pursuant the UNCITRAL Rules.

Mr. Rubinstein’s commercial arbitration experience covers a broad range of disputes, including accounting/audit, breach of contract, joint venture and partnership, infrastructure, M&A, taxation, franchising, sports and securities. These disputes have involved multiple industries and sectors, including energy, mining, telecommunications, banking, technology, life sciences, chemicals, manufacturing and sports.

Mr. Rubinstein’s investment treaty arbitration experience has involved representation of investors and states alike. Mr. Rubinstein is a member of the arbitrator panels of the AAA/ICDR, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the ICC, and the CPR International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR) Panel of Distinguished Neutrals. Mr. Rubinstein has been teaching arbitration at the University of Chicago Law School for more than 20 years, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He has sat as sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator and consolidation arbitrator.

A summary of selected cases in which Mr. Rubinstein has participated as counsel or arbitrator can be found on Jus Mundi.

In addition to his arbitration experience as party counsel, Mr. Rubinstein brings years of commercial and risk management experience as the Vice Chair, Global General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer of PwC International. In those roles, Mr. Rubinstein had leadership responsibility for a range of subject areas, including governance, dispute resolution, legal compliance, risk management, ethics and business conduct, cybersecurity, and cross-border contracting.

Review the full list of Mr. Rubinstein’s credentials.

Mr. Rubinstein’s career as external counsel and general counsel has involved dispute resolution in more than 50 countries across North America, South America, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia/Pacific.

Review the full list of countries in which Mr. Rubinstein has dispute resolution experience.

Javier Rubinstein has published a number of articles over the past 25 years regarding international arbitration, with particular focus on the reconciliation of the common and civil law traditions. For instance, “The Attorney-Client Privilege and International Arbitration,” 18 Journal of International Arbitration 587 (Dec. 2001), proposed a model for the application of the attorney-client privilege that respects the differing privilege approaches that exist around the world. “International Commercial Arbitration: Reflections at the Crossroads of the Common Law and Civil Law Traditions Perspective,” 5 Chicago Journal of International Law 303 (2004), likewise studied the procedural frameworks commonly applied in international arbitration and how they reflect a compromise between the common law and civil law traditions.

“Arbitration of Audit Disputes,” International Financial Law Review (May 2018), discusses the suitability of arbitration for the resolution of audit-related disputes. “Strategically Managing Your Cross-Border Litigation Risks,” ACC Docket (May 2017), explains the importance of taking a strategic approach to managing cross-border litigation risks, based upon Javier Rubinstein’s experience as a global general counsel.

Review the full list of Mr. Rubinstein’s publications.

Javier Rubinstein has been actively involved in the arbitration community for many years, serving on the boards of arbitral institutions such as the AAA/ICDR and the CPR Institute. He also continues to teach international arbitration at the University of Chicago Law School, as he has for more than 20 years.

Mr. Rubinstein also chairs the Chicago International Arbitration Center, which will offer world-class facilities designed for arbitration hearings and will offer a range of educational and training programs to promote the effective use of arbitration. The launch of the Center is planned to occur in the second half of 2024.

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Javier Rubinstein is ranked as one of the leading arbitration practitioners globally, including by Chambers, Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration, Benchmark Litigation, Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers.

Mr. Rubinstein has been recognized for his ability to conduct arbitrations in both English and Spanish, and for his efforts to promote the use of arbitration in Chicago and the Midwest United States.

Review the full list of Mr. Rubinstein’s recognitions.

Parties interested in considering Javier Rubinstein for appointment as arbitrator may reach him at Rubinstein ADR via email at javier@rubinsteinadr.com, or by phone at +1-312-300-1100 and via Mr. Rubinstein’s contact page .

Additional information concerning Javier Rubinstein may be found on LinkedIn. Mr. Rubinstein’s bio also is provided by the University of Chicago Law School.

Information regarding cases that Mr. Rubinstein has handled as counsel or arbitrator may be found at Jus Connect.

Information regarding Rubinstein ADR also may be found at Global Arbitration Review and Law360.