Jennifer Permesly helps clients resolve their international business disputes. Her practice focuses on international arbitration and cross-border litigation.
Permesly regularly appears as an advocate before international arbitration tribunals and U.S. courts in disputes relating to complex, cross-border commercial transactions. She has significant experience in disputes arising in the construction, energy, mining and technology sectors, and with claims involving foreign sovereigns or state-owned entities. A Spanish speaker, Permesly focuses much of her practice on disputes arising out of Latin America. Her diverse practice has included working with clients to identify and implement global strategies to address litigation, arbitration, regulatory, antitrust, conflict of laws, and internal investigation and corruption issues.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 100 Lawyers You Need to Know in South America | 2026 | International Arbitration, Cross-Border Litigation |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2026 | International Litigation, Latin America |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators | 2025 | International Litigation & Arbitration |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 100 Lawyers You Need to Know in South America | 2025 | International Arbitration, Cross-Border Litigation |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators | 2024 | International Litigation & Arbitration |
| Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators | 2023 | International Litigation & Arbitration |
| The Lawdragon Global Litigation 500 | 2021 | International Litigation & Arbitration |
Representations have included:
- advising a U.S.-based renewable energy company regarding its rights with respect to clean energy reforms implemented by a sovereign nation
- representing a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer in a dispute against a U.S. aircraft manufacturer involving the termination of a multibillion-dollar merger agreement and the termination of a large joint venture agreement
- advising Vale S.A. in connection with the collapse of Dam I of the Corrego de Feijão iron ore mine in Brumadinho, Brazil
- representing the Republic of Argentina in disputes brought in the Southern District of New York by shareholders in Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF), the state-owned energy company, alleging breach of contract claims associated with Argentina’s nationalization of YPF in 2012
- representing one of the world’s leading cellular technology companies in an ICC arbitration in connection with the termination of a licensing agreement with one of its major competitors. The dispute involved parallel patent and antitrust litigation
- representing Portland General Electric Company in a multijurisdictional dispute relating to the construction of a natural gas power generating station, including acting as counsel in an ICC arbitration involving the guarantor of a turnkey engineering, procurement and construction agreement
- representing a major German automotive company in arbitration involving a billion-dollar breach of contract claim brought by a U.S. manufacturing company
Permesly is a U.S. delegate to the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR (2024–27 term). She currently serves as an officer on the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Arbitration Committee, and previously co-chaired the publication of the IBA’s Toolkit on Insolvency and Arbitration to provide guidance in situations where a party to domestic or international arbitration also is subject to insolvency proceedings. The Toolkit won Global Arbitration Review’s Award for Best Innovation in 2021. She was a co-chair of the American Society of International Law’s 2023 Annual Meeting and is a former chair of global advisory board relations for the New York International Arbitration Center, an organization she was closely involved in establishing. Permesly previously served as a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a leading U.S.-based foreign policy think tank. She frequently speaks in both Spanish and English on a wide range of topics relating to arbitration and cross-border litigation.