Professional profile

Elena Otero-Novas is an arbitrator and legal adviser with more than 30 years of experience in dispute resolution.

Her career spans service as Spanish State Attorney —currently on leave of absence—, private legal practice, general counsel and secretary to the board of listed and multinational companies, senior executive roles and independent directorships.

For more than ten years, she has served as arbitrator in proceedings administered under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce, the Madrid Court of Arbitration, CIMA and other Spanish and international arbitral institutions.

This combination of legal, institutional and business experience enables her to approach complex disputes with technical and legal rigour, and a clear understanding of economic and commercial realities.

She works in Spanish, English and French.

Areas of expertise

• Corporate, shareholder and post-M&A disputes.
• Disputes involving regulatory, institutional or public-private dimensions.
• Technology, telecommunications and regulated sectors.
• Complex commercial contracts and joint ventures.
• Construction, engineering, procurement and construction —EPC— contracts, and concessions.
• Infrastructure and energy.
• Corporate governance and directors' liability.
•  

Current positions

ICSID Conciliator

Designated by the Kingdom of Spain to the Panel of Conciliators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes —ICSID— for the 2026–2032 term.

President of the Spanish Court of Arbitration (Link)

Since 2019, she has served as President of the Spanish Court of Arbitration, an arbitral institution within the Spanish Chamber of Commerce.

Executive Vice-President of CIAM-CIAR (Link)

Since 2020, she has served as Executive Vice-President of the Madrid International Arbitration Center–Ibero-American Arbitration Center —CIAM-CIAR—.

Specialist Mediator at the Singapore International Mediation Centre

Member of the Singapore International Mediation Centre —SIMC— panel of Specialist Mediators (2025-2027 term).

Independent Director (Link)

Independent Director of Tinsa España, part of the international Accumin Group, since 2025.

Professional and business experience

Vodafone Spain (Link)

Director of Legal Affairs, Regulation and Corporate Security | 2017–2024

She was a member of the Executive Committee, several boards of directors and various board committees.

She led complex commercial litigation and arbitration involving corporate matters, distribution agreements, joint ventures, technology collaborations and information technology projects.

She participated in negotiations with public authorities and regulators concerning regulatory and tax reforms, as well as in strategic transactions, foreign investment processes and the integration of the telecommunications tower business into Vantage Towers.

Sacyr, S.A. (Link)

General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Directors | 2012–2017

As General Counsel of one of Spain’s leading multinational infrastructure groups, she was a member of the Executive Committee and various board committees.

She managed complex litigation and arbitration concerning concessions and infrastructure contracts, as well as refinancing transactions, strategic divestments and particularly complex corporate situations.

San Pablo CEU University Foundation (Link)

General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Trustees; subsequently Trustee | 2005–2019

She was a member of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee. She led matters relating to corporate governance, regulatory compliance and the resolution of corporate and institutional disputes.

Spanish Government Attorney Office (Link - LinkedIn)

Spanish Government Attorney | 1993–2012

For more than fifteen years, she represented the Spanish Government and other Spanish public bodies before the National Court and the Supreme Court, handling several thousand highly complex proceedings.

Her practice focused particularly on economic regulation, taxation, competition law and other areas of public economic law.

Among other institutions, she represented the Bank of Spain, the Spanish Securities Market Commission, the Directorate-General for Insurance and Pension Funds, the Spanish competition authority and the Spanish tax authorities.

Línea Directa Aseguradora (Link)

Independent Director and Member of the Audit Committee | 2021–2025

She served on the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee of this listed Spanish insurance company.

Institutional leadership in arbitration

Elena is a co-founder and the first President of the Women’s Commission of the Spanish and Ibero-American Arbitration Club. She remains a member of its Steering Committee.

She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the International Centre for Arbitration, Mediation and Negotiation —CIAMEN—, part of the Royal University Institute for European Studies at San Pablo CEU University.

She regularly participates as a speaker, lecturer and author at conferences, seminars and academic programmes, and contributes to publications on arbitration and other legal matters.

Education

She holds a law degree from the Complutense University of Madrid, where she received the Extraordinary Degree Award in 1991.

She joined the Spanish Government Attorney Office(Abogacía del Estado) in 1993 after passing the competitive entrance examination.

She completed the Senior Management Programme —PADE— at IESE Business School during the 2024–2025 academic year.

Her business and financial education also includes the Corporate Finance Programme at IESE Business School and a Diploma in Banking and Finance from the Polytechnic of London (London Metropolitan University).

Languages

• Spanish: native speaker.
• English: full professional proficiency, C2 level and Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English.
• French: advanced proficiency, C1 level and Niveau Supérieur certificate from La Sorbonne.

Professional memberships and appointments

• Member of the Madrid Bar Association since 1991.
• Member of the ICSID Panel of Conciliators for the 2026–2032 term, designated by the Kingdom of Spain.
• Specialist Mediator at the Singapore International Mediation Centre for the 2025–2027 term.
• Included on the rosters of arbitrators of CIMA, the Madrid Court of Arbitration and CIAM-CIAR.
• Included on the rosters of arbitrators of the International Chamber of Commerce and the London Court of International Arbitration.

Publications, speaking engagements and teaching

Elena Otero-Novas is the author of publications on arbitration and other legal matters and regularly participates as a speaker and lecturer at national and international conferences, seminars and academic programmes: