Hughes Hubbard & Reed has expanded its Latin America practice with the addition of Diego Durán de la Vega as partner and James Alford as counsel.

Durán de la Vega jumped from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and will co-chair Hughes Hubbard's Latin America disputes practice along with Luis O'Naghten, who joined the firm in March. His practice focuses on international disputes, including white-collar defense matters, internal investigations, commercial litigation and international arbitration cases. He mainly advises and represents non-U.S. clients in U.S. litigation and U.S. clients that are facing litigation abroad.

Alford joins Hughes Hubbard from Stinson and advises U.S. and foreign private and public sector clients in the design, development, financing and implementation of clean and renewable energy and infrastructure projects, corporate operations and transactions worldwide, with a particular focus on Central and Latin America and Mexico.

Durán de la Vega will be based out of Washington, D.C., and Alford will split his time between Washington and Miami.

“We are committed to the Latin American region and our clients there, and Diego and Jim's professional and personal accomplishments fit perfectly with our expanding practice and our plans for the future,” Ted Mayer, chair of Hughes Hubbard, said in a statement.

Three years ago, Hughes Hubbard bolstered its ability to serve clients with needs in South America by establishing a strategic cooperation agreement with Saud Advogados, a Brazilian law firm based in Rio de Janeiro. That same year, Hughes Hubbard also welcomed as partner Ruben Diaz, the former general counsel of Grupo Pellas, a conglomerate of financial, industrial and commercial companies based primarily in Central America, who now serves as co-chair of the Latin America practice.

Quinn Emanuel and Stinson did not immediately return a request for comment.