Lara ELBORNO

Lara is a Counsel at DLA Piper. She focuses on international disputes, notably international commercial and investment arbitration. She has represented both States and companies in arbitral proceedings under the ICSID, ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL rules in the construction/infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, and the quick service restaurant industries.

She has also acted as administrative secretary to arbitral tribunals. Lara has represented clients before the Paris Court of Appeal in proceedings challenging arbitral awards and before US federal courts in proceedings seeking enforcement of ICSID awards. She also has experience advising clients pre-disputes and post-awards on available legal remedies.

Lara is passionate about pro-bono, serving on the firm’s pro-bono committee. She acts as director of the Paris office's asylum clinic where she manages an extensive caseload and represents asylum seekers before OFPRA, the first instance French asylum jurisdiction, as part of an ongoing partnership with the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). She is also involved in the firm’s strategic litigation efforts to represent asylum seekers in Samos, Greece in applications before the European Court of Human Rights in conjunction with Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF). She has advised international organizations and NGOs on issues like whistleblower rights as well as French prison reform arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lara has also offered trainings to NGO partners on international humanitarian law.