Overview

Jose has acted as lead counsel on, and won, high-profile bet-the company cases and cases involving claims for several hundred million dollars. He is a trilingual lawyer with almost 20 years of experience handling +80 disputes in English, Spanish, and Portuguese around the world, including New York, Texas, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, and Peru, among many others. Jose’s 16 years of experience practicing arbitration in New York, his previous years of experience practicing in a civil law jurisdiction, and his language skills, uniquely position him to represent clients in international disputes.

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Recent Construction & Infrastructure Disputes

  • The international consortium awarded the concession to build a major airport terminal in an arbitration involving claims in excess of $160 million against its contractor tasked with building the terminal

  • A government-owned entity in an arbitration involving claims in excess of $150 million  against the international companies responsible for the construction works for the expansion and modernization of the largest oil refinery in the country

  • A government-owned entity in an arbitration involving claims in excess of $200 million  against the Spanish contractor responsible for auxiliary and additional works concerning the expansion and modernization of the largest oil refinery in the country

  • An American energy company in an arbitration under Texas law involving claims in excess of $50 million concerning the construction of a floating LNG liquefaction facility

  • An American company and its local subsidiary in several arbitrations under New York law involving claims in excess of $100 million against its contractor tasked with building five separate power plants

  • Two North American companies in four arbitrations involving claims in excess of $300 million against an instrumentality of a sovereign regarding the construction of gas pipelines

  • The owner of a large-scale port terminal for the handling of oil imports and exports in Latin America in a multimillion dollar arbitration related to the construction of that terminal

  • An American military contractor in a multimillion dollar arbitration against a Latin American country related to the construction and maintenance of two warships

  • The Republic of Turkey in a multibillion dollar arbitration related to the construction of the largest infrastructure project in the country, involving Istanbul’s railway system

  • A European consortium of construction companies in a multimillion dollar arbitration against the Dominican Republic involving the construction and operation of a major highway

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Credentials

Education

  • Georgetown University Law Center, 2009; Master’s in Business and Economic Law (LLM); Distinction and Dean’s List
  • Sergio Arboleda University, Bogota, Colombia, 2005; Bachelor of Law (JD equivalent); summa cum laude

Admissions

  • New York
  • Colombia
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

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Recognitions

  • Chambers USA, International Arbitration: Counsel (Nationwide), 2017–2026; Construction: International Disputes (Nationwide), 2026
  • Chambers Latin America, International Arbitration, 2018–2027
  • Chambers Global, International Arbitration (Latin America), 2018–2026; International Arbitration: Counsel (USA), 2018–2026
  • Chambers Latin America-Wide, 2020: “Jose Sanchez continues to impress, with interviewees referring to him as ‘a star’ and continuing: ‘He really gets completely involved; it’s like he’s defending his own mother. He’s well spoken, writes very well and comes up with fantastic ideas. He’s really very impressive.'”
  • Chambers USA, 2019: “José Sanchez… [has] a burgeoning reputation in the field, garnering accolades from clients as a ‘brilliant, relentless and persuasive’ advocate and for his ability to ‘produce outstanding results under incredible pressure.’ He focuses his practice on Latin American disputes, frequently appearing in international arbitrations conducted in English, Spanish and Portuguese.”
  • Chambers USA, International Arbitration (Nationwide), 2020 and 2021; “Up and Coming” in International Arbitration (Nationwide), 2021: “Jose Sanchez has a growing reputation for his work on international arbitrations, with … source[s] [being] ‘very impressed with his deep knowledge of the international arbitration practice. He combines his experience with very smart solutions, and is simultaneously a very fine and strategic attorney.’”
  • Chambers Latin America-Wide, 2019: “José Sanchez is praised by interviewees [who note that]: ‘He [gives] a very strong and positive impression from the start. He is dedicated, careful in the details, has a very strong legal basis and transmits total confidence to the client in every aspect…”
  • Chambers USA, 2018: “José Sanchez… is deemed ‘one of the brightest lawyers in the field’ by impressed clients. He holds and excellent reputation for his expert advocacy, which includes proceedings held in Spanish and Portuguese. Sources state: ‘He is dedicated, careful in the details, has very strong legal basis and transmits total confidence to the client.”
  • Chambers Latin America-Wide, 2018: “José Sanchez has impressed markets commentators, with one reporting: ‘It gave me great confidence to have someone as passionate, sharp and hard-working as him handling our case.”
  • Legal 500 Latin America, International Arbitration, 2019, 2025, and 2026; “Rising Star” in International Arbitration, 2021 and 2022; “Next Generation Lawyer” in International Arbitration, 2023 and 2024
  • Global Arbitration Review GAR 30, 2024
  • Global Arbitration Review GAR 100, 2025
  • Latin Lawyer 250, 2020
  • Latinvex, Latin America’s Rising Legal Stars, 2020
  • Legal 500 U.S., Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration, 2020–2026
  • The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), International Arbitration–Commercial (New York), 2023–2027
  • Selected to the New York Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2023–2025
News & Achievements

Awards & Rankings

Chambers Latin America 2027 Recognizes Vinson & Elkins

Vinson & Elkins has been recognized by Chambers Latin America 2027 as a leading firm for International Arbitration. The guide also ranks Camilo …

August 20, 2026

August 20, 2026 • 1-minute read

Awards & Rankings

The Legal 500 US 2026 (Legalease Ltd.) Recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 47 Practice Categories, 146 Lawyers Recommended

The Legal 500 US 2026 recommended Vinson & Elkins as a leading law firm in 47 practice categories. In total, …

June 10, 2026

June 10, 2026 • 3-minute read

Awards & Rankings

Chambers USA 2026 Recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 66 Practice Categories, 170 Individual Lawyer Rankings

Vinson & Elkins announced today that it achieved 20 Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA 2026: Nationwide: Energy Transition; Energy: …

June 4, 2026

June 4, 2026 • 3-minute read

Awards & Rankings

Chambers Global 2026 Recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 27 Practice Categories; 57 Individual Lawyer Rankings

Chambers Global, announced today, recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 27 practice categories, including new rankings for Construction in the UAE, …

February 12, 2026

February 12, 2026 • 2-minute read

Awards & Rankings

The Legal 500 Latin America 2026 (Legalease Ltd.) Ranks Vinson & Elkins in Four Practice Categories, Seven Individual Recommendations

The Legal 500 Latin America guide recognizes Vinson & Elkins in the Compliance and Investigations, International Arbitration, Projects and Energy, and City Focus – Houston categories.

October 24, 2025

October 24, 2025 • 1-minute read