Carlos Hernández

About Carlos Hernández

Carlos specialises in complex and cross-border litigation and arbitration.

He has over eight years of experience acting in litigations and arbitrations involving a variety of jurisdictions, institutions, applicable laws, and industry sectors. He has regularly participated in arbitration-related proceedings in Spain and abroad for international corporations and sovereign states.

His previous experience includes being a senior associate in the International Arbitration and Litigation Group of a leading Spanish law firm in Madrid. 

Carlos is admitted to practice law in Spain. He speaks English, Spanish and Catalan and has a basic knowledge of German.

Recent work

Commercial litigation

• Spanish sports entity in injunctive relief proceedings against a Qatari counterpart, which helped the client recover over USD 50 million*;
• Foreign royals in Spanish Supreme Court proceedings in connection with real estate property worth more than EUR 230 million*;
• Insurance agents in a civil claim worth over EUR 100 million against a large Spanish insurance company*;
• American and Japanese car manufacturers in disputes with former agents and distributors*;
• Global medical devices manufacturer in several product liability claims before Spanish Courts; and
• Spanish public entity before the Spanish Supreme Court in a dispute against a subcontractor in connection with a large project in the Middle East*;

Arbitration and arbitration-related litigation

• Spanish company and one of its shareholders in connection with the ownership of a 50% stake in one of the largest supermarket chains in Catalonia, Spain. The proceedings included an ad-hoc arbitration, the defence of three arbitral awards in set aside proceedings, and parallel shareholder litigation before Spanish courts. Amount in dispute in excess of EUR 530 million*;
• Asian state in the global coordination of judicial and arbitral proceedings in Spain, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom related to a claim worth over USD 30 billion arising out of an ancient colonial agreement. This politically sensitive dispute involved complex and novel issues of both arbitration law and public international law*;
• Italian infrastucture fund in a dispute and potential ICC arbitration concerning a W&I insurance policy*;
• US telecoms corporation in CIMA arbitration proceedings worth EUR 30 million against a Spanish public entity involving complex telecommunications (optical fibre) and competition law issues*;
• Spanish fast food conglomerate in a post M&A arbitration before the Madrid Court of Arbitration*;
• US-Peruvian mining corporation in the Spanish enforcement of a CCL (Cámara de Comercio de Lima) award*.

In addition, Carlos has acted as:

• Assistant to an international investment law expert in an ICSID case between a Western mining company and an Asian state*; and
• Arbitral secretary to the sole arbitrator in a CIMA arbitration concerning a failed joint venture in the hospitality sector between Arabian groups. Amounts claimed over EUR 300 million. Luxembourg law applied*.

  *Matters handled prior to joining Freshfields