Aristeo Lopez

Aristeo Lopez draws on more than two decades of international trade and investment arbitration experience. His practice extends to investment, international arbitration, services, trade remedies, government procurement, international negotiations, and market access for goods.

Aristeo assists companies in the United States and Mexico to manage the challenges and opportunities under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). He also assists a government to access one of the world’s largest free trade regions and negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement.

In addition, Aristeo serves clients in matters relating to Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). He blends his experience as negotiator of investment agreements and counsel in several investment arbitrations under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), USMCA, and bilateral investment treaties (BITs).

Before joining Clark Hill, Aristeo served for more than 20 years in senior legal and policy roles at the Ministry of Economy of Mexico. From 2014-2021, Aristeo served as a counselor at the Embassy of Mexico in Washington DC. In that role, he acted as lead negotiator of the investment and government procurement chapters of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Also, he provided legal advice in the negotiation of energy, services, and dispute settlement disciplines for that agreement. In addition, Aristeo acted as counsel in multiple investment arbitrations and represented Mexico before the US Department of Commerce (DOC), the US International Trade Commission (ITC), the US Department of State, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

From 2008-2014, Aristeo served at the Ministry of Economy of Mexico as deputy general counsel for international trade. In that role, he acted as lead counsel to Mexico in multiple investment arbitrations arising under the NAFTA Chapter Eleven and Bilateral Investment Agreement. He also provided legal advice on international trade and investment negotiations and foreign trade matters under World Trade Organization (WTO), the NAFTA, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) (formerly known as Trans-Pacific Partnership), other international agreements, and BITs.