Santiago Rodríguez Senior
I’m a Venezuelan lawyer and I graduated from the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas in 2015. I have worked in Venezuela in international arbitration as well as administrative and constitutional litigation. At the end of my studies, I decided to pursue a Master of Laws in the United States at Northwestern University. Later, at the University of Miami School of Law, I earned my Juris Doctor degree, and it was there that I also specialized in international arbitration. In 2018 I moved to Madrid, and since then, I’ve been working at Uría Menéndez. Meanwhile, I teach subjects at IE University including Philosophy of Law and Alternative Resolution for International Conflicts.
"I think the university is something that I’ll always be connected to because I’m very interested to continue learning."
An international degree for a varied and diverse discipline
Santiago’s passion for international arbitration led him to specialize in this field, but also to become an adjunct professor at IE Law School, where he teaches related subjects. This passion emerged during his time as a student in Venezuela, where he participated in an investment arbitration case against national government expropriation. It was then that he discovered a different way of bringing to justice certain acts that would not otherwise have ended up in court. In his words:
“The international arbitration path offers investors an alternative route to ordinary justice.”
One thing that interests Santiago most about international arbitration is its usefulness in resolving conflicts in various parts of the world by applying laws from different countries. For him, international arbitration is a rich area of knowledge because it involves the resolution of very complex and dynamic conflicts—every case and solution is different. Thanks to this, it’s an interesting area that always presents new challenges.
The first steps Santiago took into the legal world were at D’Empaire Reyna, where he learned how to work under pressure and what it means to represent a party to a conflict. Santiago believes that this is a key factor in the sector, since in some cases the survival of a company may be at stake due to its solvency or insolvency. He then worked for the Venezuelan Penal Forum, where he represented persecuted politicians in their applications for asylum in the United States. This period was enriching for Santiago, especially in the human element that the position demanded.
While he was earning his Juris Doctor degree in Miami, Santiago worked as a research assistant for a professor at the University of Miami School of Law. In 2018, his professional journey continued in Spain at Uría Menéndez, the international law firm headquartered in Madrid.
At IE Law School, Philosophy of Law is one of two courses that Santiago teaches. It’s a subject that has always interested him. He believes that this class helps students understand law in a pluralistic way, where there isn’t always just one correct answer; fostering open-mindedness is an objective in each of his courses. In his Alternative Resolution of International Conflicts class, meanwhile, Santiago teaches students how to specialize in the field while offering them the tools to stand out professionally.
With regard to his adjunct professor role at IE Law School, Santiago acknowledges that he has always wanted to keep his university links. He may no longer be a student, but Santiago feels the need to continue learning even as a professor. That wish was granted with the opportunity to teach at IE University—an institution that Santiago values for its unique and diverse profile, international focus and mix of viewpoints.
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