Profile details
About April Carmela Lacson
April is an associate in the firm's International Arbitration Group with experience in international commercial and investment arbitration.
A member of the New York bar and Philippine bar, April is trained in both common and civil law.
Prior to joining Freshfields, April worked in the dispute resolution and corporate practice groups of several leading firms in the Philippines.
April speaks fluent English and Filipino.
Recent work
April's recent work includes:
- Representing claimants in ICSID annulment proceedings relating to an award against Spain due to changes to its renewables regime;
- Advising and representing Russian-Israeli and Cypriot clients in a consolidated commercial arbitration under the LCIA rules arising from a joint venture agreement and related contracts in relation to the manufacture and sale of synthetic diamonds;
- Advising and representing Turkish claimants in an ICSID arbitration in relation to their BIT claims against a Central Asian country for the loss of their investments in three cotton plants;
- Advising energy clients on potential claims against Ukraine under the Energy Charter Treaty in relation to changes in Ukraine’s feed-in tariff regime;
- Advising a global chemicals company on possible risks and defenses in relation to a dispute arising from a cross-country share purchase agreement; and
- Advising an energy client on the effects of the war and martial law in Ukraine on its supply contracts with an energy supplier.
Qualifications
Professional qualifications
- Attorney at law (New York State Bar)
- Attorney at law (Integrated Bar of the Philippines)
Education
- New York University (LLM, International Business Regulation, Litigation and Arbitration, awardee for distinction in the IBRLA program, Global Hauser Scholar, Salzburg Cutler Fellow)
- University of the Philippines (Juris Doctor, cum laude)
- University of Asia and the Pacific (MA, International Political Economy; BA, Humanities, magna cum laude, valedictorian)