Baker Botts L.L.P., a leading international energy, technology and life sciences law firm, announced today that Jennifer Haworth McCandless and María Carolina Durán have joined the International Disputes Section of the Litigation Department as partner and special counsel, respectively, in Washington, D.C. They both arrive at the firm from Sidley Austin LLP.
Ms. Haworth McCandless serves as counsel in complex international arbitration cases, with a focus on investment treaty arbitration. She has advised and represented private and sovereign clients in proceedings before ICSID and its Additional Facility, the ICC and other arbitral institutions, as well as in ad-hoc arbitration such as under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. She has also advised and represented private parties and governments in WTO disputes. Ms. Haworth McCandless has represented clients throughout the world in a variety of cases in multiple sectors, including in electricity, mining, oil and gas, real estate, infrastructure, and financial institutions. Prior to joining Baker Botts, she was a member of Sidley Austin’s International Arbitration practice for the last 21 years, including as a partner since 2006.
“Jennifer is a super star, and we are thrilled to have her join the firm,” said Danny David, Managing Partner of Baker Botts. “Her proven success and reputation, coupled with her highly active practice, will bolster our international disputes capabilities, both as a practitioner before arbitral panels and as a counselor on the implications of investment rules for global businesses.”
Ms. Haworth McCandless is the second lateral partner to join Baker Botts’ Washington, D.C. office in less than a month. On July 10, the firm welcomed Shailesh “Shai” Sahay as a partner in the Environmental, Safety & Incident Response (ESIR) Section of the Litigation Department in Washington.
“We are delighted to welcome Jennifer to Baker Botts,” said Andrew Behrman, Co-Chair of the firm’s International Disputes practice. “She is one of the most highly regarded international arbitration practitioners in the country, with experience and accolades that are exceptional. We have no doubt she’ll be a terrific addition to our team.”
Ms. Haworth McCandless is consistently recognized for her international arbitration work. She is ranked by Chambers Global (2021-2023) as well as the 2020-2023 editions of Chambers USA in International Arbitration, where clients say she “has a global vision of a case and gets into every detail, leaving no gaps.” In the most recent edition of The Legal 500, she is praised as “outstanding” and described as a practitioner who “never tires of responding to questions.” She also is named as one of the Top 250 Women in Litigation by Benchmark. She has previously been recognized by Latinvex as one of Latin America’s Top 100 Female Lawyers for her work in international arbitration. In 2019, Ms. Haworth McCandless was recognized by Euromoney as one of the Top 30 Commercial Arbitration Experts in the United States, and she received the Best in Commercial Arbitration Award in 2018. In 2022, she was recognized in International Arbitration – Governmental by Best Lawyers.
“I am thrilled to be joining the International Disputes team at Baker Botts,” said Ms. Haworth McCandless. “The team has an excellent reputation in the international arbitration community, and I look forward to growing the investor-state arbitration practice in Latin America and around the world.”
Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Haworth McCandless had legal internships with the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office of General Counsel in Washington, D.C. and with the USTR’s Office in Geneva, Switzerland. She also was a legal intern at the United Nations in New York and has worked at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.
She holds several degrees, including a B.A. from Whitman College; an M.Ed. from Harvard University; an M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University; and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
Ms. Durán focuses her practice on international dispute settlement, particularly investment treaty arbitration and international commercial arbitration. She has extensive experience representing cross-border investors and Latin American governments in high-stakes disputes relating to investments in all economic sectors, including electricity, mining, oil and gas, real estate and infrastructure development. Trained both in civil and common law, Ms. Durán has successfully represented clients in multi-billion-dollar arbitral proceedings conducted in English and Spanish under the ICSID, ICSID Additional Facility, and UNCITRAL rules. She is a also a frequent speaker in relevant forums.
She earned her LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2012 and her J.D. from Universidad de Los Andes in 2009.
Baker Botts’ International Disputes Team combines strategic judgment with excellence in advocacy, providing round-the-world experience with round-the-clock service. The practice comprises a multinational, multilingual team of international lawyers from every major continent, trained in civil law, common law and international law.
