María Isabel

Ortiz

Lawyer

María Isabel focuses her practice on arbitration and dispute resolution. She brings experience in arbitral case administration, supported by advanced academic training in international arbitration.
María Isabel is an associate at Coronel & Pérez, where her practice focuses on arbitration and dispute resolution. Before joining the firm, she served as an arbitral tribunal secretary at the Arbitration and Conciliation Center of the Guayaquil Chamber of Commerce, assisting with the administration of more than 70 arbitrations, including emergency arbitration proceedings. Her experience spans both institutional case management and proceedings before arbitral tribunals. She is included on the Center's roster of mediators and has been actively involved in arbitration-focused professional organizations. María Isabel earned an LL.M. from Harvard Law School, with a focus on international arbitration. While at Harvard, she served on the editorial team of the Harvard International Law Journal and served as LL.M. representative in the Harvard Law and International Development Society. She obtained her law degree from Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, graduating at the top of her class.

Experience

Arbitraje y Mediación

Served as secretary to arbitral tribunals in more than 70 arbitrations, including emergency arbitration proceedings, administered by the Arbitration and Conciliation Center of the Guayaquil Chamber of Commerce.
Assisted arbitrators and the Center's management throughout all stages of arbitral proceedings.
Included on the roster of mediators of the Arbitration and Conciliation Center of the Guayaquil Chamber of Commerce for the 2025-2027 term.
Coordinated the Center's journal and assisted in organizing academic events featuring Ecuadorian and international speakers.

Derecho Administrativo

Completed an internship with the Administrative Litigation Chamber of Ecuador's National Court of Justice.
Compiled a database of more than 80 administrative-law judgments and provided academic research support in this area.

Credentials

Memberships

Young ITA, Member (2025-present).
Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje, Member (2024-present).
Instituto Ecuatoriano de Arbitraje, Member (2024-present).
Ecuadorian Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (ECUVYAP), Executive Committee Member (January 2024-August 2025).
Licensed to practice law in Ecuador (2023).

Member of:

Academic Career

Career

Harvard Law School, LL.M., with a focus on international arbitration (2026).
Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Law Degree (2023).
Harvard Law School Online, Certificate in Financial Analysis and Valuation for Lawyers, completed in conjunction with the LL.M. program.

Education

Languages

English
Spanish

Awards

Publications

"Online Arbitration in E-Commerce Disputes: An Appropriate Option for Consumers," Revista Ecuatoriana de Arbitraje, No. 15, May 2025 (co-authored with Edwin Solórzano Samaniego).
"AI-Powered Ocean Protection and Sustainable Trade: The Galápagos Islands as a Case Study," Harvard International Law Journal Online, May 5, 2024.
"Prior Consultation in Ecuador: A Right Yet to Be Fully Developed," Novedades Jurídicas, July 2024 (co-authored with Andrea Silva Sierra).
"Applications to Set Aside Arbitral Awards: The Experience of the Arbitration and Conciliation Center of the Guayaquil Chamber of Commerce," Arbitraje al Día, February 2025 (co-authored with Lourdes Alvarado Albán and Nohely Castro Hidalgo).

Rankings

Published Articles