Catherine Bratic

Catherine Bratic

Counsel Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment

Houston

+1 713 632 1434

[email protected]

Languages

English, French

Catherine Bratic

Overview
Experience
Credentials
Insights and events

Clients appreciate Catherine’s work and have praised her as “exceptional.”
Legal500 Latin America: International Firms, International Arbitration

When litigation spills across multiple jurisdictions, clients rely on Catherine Bratic’s knowledge of both civil and common law, and her experience managing complex, high-value, international disputes, to develop and implement a coordinated, global strategy to get clients back to business. She provides strategic and practical guidance to global clients in the energy and technology sectors as well as to states and state-owned entities, helping them prevent disputes, negotiate solutions, and – when all else fails – pursue legal action.

Catherine is adept at navigating cross-cultural issues that arise in international disputes, drawing on her professional experience working at the legal department of UNESCO in Paris, clerking for the Honorable Lee H. Rosenthal (Chief Judge, Southern District of Texas), and first-chairing arbitrations and federal court proceedings over the past decade. Catherine is praised by her clients as “a star in the Houston arbitration community and beyond,” and has achieved dozens of successful multi-million- and multi-billion-dollar arbitral awards, settlements, and court judgments for her clients.

Clients appreciate Catherine’s work and have praised her as “exceptional.”
Legal500 Latin America: International Firms, International Arbitration

Representative experience

Representing a European energy company in an ICC arbitration for a gas price review, leading to a successful partial arbitration award that drove a multi-billion dollar settlement.

Representing an American company in a contract dispute involving the operation of a chemicals plant in France, resulting in full victory and an award of fees.

Representing a European company in various disputes under ICC Rules relating to the purchase of helium under long-term supply contracts.

Representing one of the world’s largest constructors in an UNCITRAL arbitration related to a US$8bn mining project in the mountain borders of Chile and Argentina.

Representing Canadian and US investors in disputes against Mexico under NAFTA.

Advising two American companies in respect of ICSID claims against the Kingdom of Morocco under trade and investment treaties.

Representing a French company and its American subsidiaries in breach of contract and antitrust litigation in federal court related to the supply of aircraft engines.

Advising an American oil and gas company on the negotiation of concession agreements for four oil blocks in Colombia.

Representing a media group in three ICC arbitration proceedings in relation to breaches of several agreements in connection with their business in the Middle East.

Representing a U.S. energy company in ICC arbitration against a Mexican company relating to the lease and operation of defective gas turbines.

Representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo in ICSID claims brought by Swiss and Cameroonian investors.

Representing a French engineering company in a breach-of-contract dispute under SCAI rules, relating to a former consultant's claims arising out of multiple EPC projects in Saudi Arabia.

Representing a Hong Kong company in ICDR arbitration related to the breach of a distribution agreement with a Brazilian company.

Representing a Cameroonian investor in LCIA proceedings relating to a telecom concession agreement granted to a South African partner.

Defending a Canadian investment fund in securities litigation in the Southern District of New York.

Representing a Japanese bank in Texas state court proceedings brought by American investors related to notes for the purchase of a drillship in Brazil.

Representing the Republic of Venezuela in ICSID annulment proceedings brought by an investor seeking to challenge an award in Venezuela's favor.

Representing a Japanese pharmaceutical company in ICC proceedings relating to the overseas commercialization of a medical device.

Representing the Navajo Nation in U.S. federal court proceedings regarding the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act.

Credentials

Education

J.D., Columbia Law School, 2013
Masters in Economic Law, Sciences Po, 2013
B.A., Political Science and French Studies, Rice University, 2010

Bar admissions and qualifications

Texas
Paris

Court admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas

Memberships

Board Member, ArbitralWomen
Past Chair and current Council Member, Houston Bar Association, Federal Practice Section
Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
Board Member, Heights Interfaith Ministry Food Pantry
Member of the Executive Committee, Institute of Transnational Arbitration
Past Chair, Young ITA (Institute of Transnational Arbitration)