Joe Tirado is a partner in the International Arbitration and ADR Group at Garrigues. He is a solicitor-advocate with full rights of audience before all civil courts in England & Wales, an accredited commercial and Investor-State mediator, an ICSID conciliator and panel member of a number of leading invitation only arbitration and mediation panels, including the European Union and the United Nations.

Joe has over 30 years of dispute resolution experience and has handled hundreds of cases across a broad range of industry sectors as counsel, arbitrator, mediator, conciliator and expert determiner in more than 65 jurisdictions.

Joe has represented sovereign governments, multi-national corporations and high net worth individuals. He has handled high value cases in a number of sectors and industries including banking and finance; commodities; construction and engineering; energy (oil & gas, renewable and power generation); food and beverage; information, communication and technology (ICT); insurance; mining; petrochemical; pharmaceutical; professional services; sport; transport (automobile, aviation and shipping) and travel.

Joe has conducted and advised on international commercial and investment arbitration under all the major international arbitration rules before the leading international arbitration institutions as well as “pure” ad hoc and UNCITRAL arbitration. He has also conducted and advised on a number of mediations and other alternative dispute resolution processes.

He writes extensively and presents regularly on international arbitration and ADR at major international conferences, symposia and seminars and prominent universities around the world. Joe is also actively involved in arbitral and mediation institutions and prestigious international arbitration and ADR associations and committees.

Joe is a native English speaker, fluent in Spanish, has a good working knowledge of French and a basic understanding of Portuguese.

• Graduate Diploma in Commercial Litigation, 1996, Manchester Metropolitan University and Manchester Law Society (UK).
• Law Society Final Examinations 1991, College of Law, Chester (UK).
• BA (Hons) with distinction in Hispanic Studies, 1984-88, University of Birmingham (UK) and University of Valencia (Spain).

• Faculty member on SCLA-GIDI on-line mediation training, December 2022.
• Moderator on “Dispute Resolution in the Construction and Energy Sectors in China”, Beijing Arbitration Commission/Beijing International Arbitration Center (BAC/BIAC) 2022 Summit on Commercial Dispute Resolution in China webinar, November 2022.
• Moderator on “Common Law”, XVI Congreso Internacional de Arbitraje IPA, Lima, November 2022.
• Faculty member on SCLA-GIDI on-line mediation training, November 2022.
• Panellist on “Maritime Arbitration”, CNA Panamá – ICAM webinar, November 2022.
• Moderator on “Preparing claims”, Kiev Arbitration Days webinar, November 2022.
• Panellist on “Cultural differences in evidence and document production”, Brazil-UK Arbitration Summit, London/São Paolo, October 2022.
• Moderator on “What is New in International Arbitration”, 9th Georgia International Arbitration Days, Tbilisi, October 2022.
• Panellist on “Framing Investor State Disputes”, ADGM and CEDR Seminar on Investor State Mediation and the Dispute Challenges of Energy Transition, Abu Dhabi, October 2022.
• Speaker on “The role of Bilateral Agreements for the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments (BITs) and FTAs in the promotion of international arbitration: International Protection & Security Standards, IPA/IBAC X SEMINARIO INTERNACIONAL DE ARBITRAJE DE INVERSIÓN; Santa Cruz, September 2022.
• Speaker on “International Arbitration”, LAWASIA ADR Conference, Denarau, Fiji, September 2022.
• Moderator on “Sanctions”, XV Dublin Forum on International Dispute Resolution, Dublin, June 2022.
• Panellist on Artificial Intelligence, New Technologies and Arbitration, 10th Sociedad Bolivana de Arbitraje, La Paz, June 2022.
• Speaker on “The Do’s and Don’ts of International Arbitration: A Practical Road Map for In-house Counsel, Oman Commercial Arbitration Centre, Muscat, March 2022.
• Panellist on the “Arbitration and Standards of Investment Protection in Peru”, 4th ICC Peru Arbitration Day, (online), February 2022.
• Panellist on the “The Singapore Convention – Divided Opinions”, International Investor-State Mediation Competition (IIMC), The Moot Court Bench, (online), January 2022.

• Solicitor, England & Wales, 1994.
• Qualified Solicitor-Advocate (Higher Courts Civil Proceedings), 2004.
• Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) Accredited Mediator, 2004.
• CEDR Accredited Investor-State Mediator, 2017.

Joe Tirado has been recognized as a ranked individual for international arbitration and ADR in leading legal directories since 2007 including Global Arbitration Review 100, The Legal500 (UK, Arbitration Power List, USA and Latin America), Chambers (UK, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Global), The International Who’s Who of Commercial Arbitration, Roster of International Arbitrators, PLC Which Lawyer?, Who's Who Legal: Mediation, Legal Experts, Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom, The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Euromoney Guide to the World's Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration, Latinvex and Super Lawyers. Most recently Joe has been acknowledged in The Legal500 UK Hall of Fame which highlights the top arbitration practitioners who have received constant praise from their clients for continued excellence and who are at the pinnacle of the profession.

He has been described as “first class”, “good and experienced” and “an excellent specialist”, as well as having “an excellent grasp of clients’ needs”.

Joe is particularly well known for his work in the CIS, India (Ranked Foreign Expert, Chambers Global), Latin America (Latin America’s Top 100 Lawyers, Latinvex) and Spain (Ranked Foreign Expert, Chambers Global).

Books

• Contributing Editor of “Global Legal Insights to International Arbitration”, Global Legal Group, now in its 8th edition.
• Co-author of Chapter on “Mediation in the Energy and Natural Resources Sector: The Latin-American Experience”, International Arbitration in Latin America Energy and Natural Resources Disputes, Wolters Kluwer, 2021.
• Co-author of Chapter on “Codes of Conduct for Commercial and Investment Mediators: Striving for Consistency and a Common Global Approach”, Mediation in International Commercial and Investment Disputes, Oxford University Press, 2020.
• Co-author of Chapter on “Third Party Funding: Freeing claims and adding value, but without impairing confidence in the arbitral system”, Spain Arbitration Review, Special Edition 2020.
• Co-author of Chapter on “Time for a new NY Convention? Was Albert van den Berg Right?”, 60 Years of the New York Convention: Key Issues and Future Challenges, Wolters Kluwer.
• Co-author of Chapters on “Investment treaty arbitration—an introduction” and “The meaning of 'investor' and 'investment' in investment treaty arbitration”, Lexis Nexis.
• Author of Chapter on “Cost and Funding of International Arbitration”, 100 Years Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Liber Amicorum.
• Co-author of Chapter on “Factual Evidence”, Arbitration in England, Kluwer Law International.
• Co-author of “Saudi Arabia Chapter,” The International Comparative Legal Guide to: International Arbitration.
• Co-author of Chapter on “Building on Progress”, IBA e-book: Promoting Further Mediation.
• Contributor to Resolving Corporate Governance Disputes, International Finance Corporation.
• Co-author of Chapter on “Opening Statements,” IBA e-book: Mediation Techniques.
• Author of Succeeding in ADR: The Importance of Buy-in and Mindset, Inside the Minds: ADR Client Strategies in the UK, Aspatore Books.

Recent Articles on ADR

• Author on “Mediation and Arbitration: Living together in perfect harmony?”, Oman Commercial Arbitration Centre newsletter 2022 (pending).
• Co-author on “The Full Protection and Security Standard: A view from Latin America”, IBA Arbitration Committee Newsletter, October 2022.
• Author on “Investor-state Mediation: A New Way To Deal With Old Problems”, Mediate.com, October 2022.
• Co-author on “Lex Cryptographia: Guidelines for ensuring due process in transnational blockchain-based arbitration”, IBA Arbitration Committee Newsletter, March 2022.