Maria I. Pradilla Picas is a Senior Associate in the Global Dispute practice at Jones Day in Washington, DC. Ms. Pradilla Picas focuses her practice on the arbitration and litigation of complex commercial and investment disputes, with a particular focus on Latin America. She has represented clients in investment treaty and commercial arbitration proceedings under UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law), ICSID (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes), and ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) rules. She also represents clients in enforcement actions and other related litigations in the U.S. courts.
Ms. Pradilla Picas holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and International Business from Loyola University New Orleans, a Masters in International Business from Florida International University, and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. While at Georgetown, she co-chaired International Arbitration Month at Georgetown University Law Center, which brings together international arbitration practitioners and students for a month-long series of seminars and lectures and was a member of Georgetown's Willem C. Vis International Arbitration Moot team. After graduation, Ms. Pradilla Picas coached the Georgetown Willem C. Vis International Arbitration Moot team from 2015-2018 and continues to participate as an arbitrator. Ms. Pradilla Picas speaks regularly at international arbitration conferences throughout Latin America. She was born and raised in Venezuela and is a native Spanish speaker.