Practices and Sectors

• Litigation & Conflict Resolution

Profile

David has focused his practice on domestic and international litigation and arbitration, establishing himself as an expert in handling complex disputes in sectors such as construction and infrastructure (EPC, ePC, and FIDIC Red Book), industrial equipment procurement and design, commercial distribution, energy, and M&A-related matters. He also has strong experience in litigation prevention and liability issues, advising both private companies and public entities on contractual and tort disputes, as well as defending multinational clients in class actions and public interest lawsuits involving environmental, personal injury, and consumer protection claims.

Studies:

• LLM – International and Comparative Dispute Resolution, Queen Mary University of London.
• Specialization in Financial Law, Universidad de los Andes.
• Law degree with emphasis in private law, Universidad de los Andes.
• Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.

He speaks Spanish and English.

Experience

David Araque has built his legal career since 2003 at well-regarded national law firms, beginning as a legal assistant, researcher, and paralegal. He later joined Pérez-Llorca, where he was appointed partner in 2018. His practice has focused on the resolution of complex disputes, both nationally and internationally, with a specialization in litigation and arbitration in strategic sectors such as construction, energy, and infrastructure.

He has represented clients in domestic arbitrations related to construction contracts for wind farms, aqueduct systems, and automotive concessions, as well as disputes arising from shareholder agreements, share purchase transactions, and breaches of infrastructure contracts. His experience also includes international arbitration in the construction sector, commercial litigation involving agency agreements, and advice on Colombian law to international firms. Additionally, he has led arbitration proceedings in the hydrocarbons sector, consolidating a strong and well-regarded practice in alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

Academic and Publishing Collaborations

• Professor at Universidad de los Andes in Roman Law, Business Law, Obligations, and General and Special Procedural Law.
• Guest lecturer for the disputes module in mergers and acquisitions transactions at the same university.

Professional Organisations

• Member of the International Bar Association (IBA).
• Member of the Colombian Arbitration Committee.

Recognitions

• Chambers Latin America 2026, Dispute Resolution.
• Leading Partner, The Legal 500 2025, Litigation.
• Recommended, Leaders League 2025, Restructuring and Insolvency.