Melida Hodgson

About Melida Hodgson

Mélida Hodgson, partner in Arnold & Porter\'s New York office, practices in the international arbitration group. Her focus is on investor-State and commercial arbitrations, as well as counseling governments, state-owned entities, and private parties with respect to international investment protection obligations, World Trade Organization dispute resolution, and international trade policy issues. She also serves as an arbitrator. Her areas of expertise include infrastructure, mining, energy, transportation, and business combination disputes. Mélida is the current president of the American Society of International Law. She is also a vice-chair of the ICC Institute of World Business Law, and has served on the ICC Commission on ADR, including its Task Force on Corruption. Mélida was named to the ICSID panel of conciliators by the United States in 2024.She is a member of the roster, was previously on the NAFTA Chapter 19 roster of panelists, and the list of panelists eligible to hear WTO disputes.Mélida is ranked in Chambers Global, USA and Latin America, including as counsel and as arbitrator; and is featured in Legal 500, and Lawdragon 500. She has also regularly been named one of the top 100 lawyers focused on Latin America by Latinvex, and in the latter\'s \"top 50 female\" lawyers list. Mélida frequently speaks at conferences addressing investment and commercial arbitration issues, and also writes on these issues.Mélida is a former U.S. Justice Department litigator and Associate General Counsel of the Office of the United States Trade Representative where she litigated international trade disputes before the WTO; provided counsel in NAFTA Chapter 11 investor-State arbitrations involving the United States, Canada, and México; and defended the United States in Ad Hoc arbitrations under the 1996 Softwood Lumber Agreement between the United States and Canada. Mélida also represented the United States in the negotiation of the new generation of free trade agreement investment protection and procurement provisions, as well as bilateral investment treaties. She participated in the preparation of the 2004 U.S. Model BIT and was the lead lawyer for the first two negotiations under the 2004 Model. Prior to attending law school, she was a corporate banker at the Chemical Bank (now JPMorgan Chase).

Experience

1. Partner

   Arnold & Porter

   Jan 2022 — Present · New York, NY, US

Education

• Vassar College

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

  1985

• New York University School of Law

  JD, Law

  1992

Skills

• Arbitration
• Legal Writing
• Dispute Resolution
• Corporate Governance
• Civil Litigation
• International Arbitration
• International Trade
• Treaty Negotiation
• International Law
• Dispute
• International Commercial Arbitration