The Legal 500

Barros & Errázuriz's real estate head José Ignacio Ovalle has a versatile ten strong practice covering the full range of real estate, city planning, construction and regulatory matters. As well as major construction and development projects, the team is well versed in administrative actions against before regulatory authorities and also provides strong advice on the tax implications of real estate transactions. The firm was counsel to investment bank Celfin Capital on its acquisition of nine shopping centres owned by Grupo Israel Sinay. Ovalle recently advised Socovesa and Grupo España on the land purchase for a mixed office and residential development project in Santiago, as well as acting for BCI Administradora de Fondos de Inversión on the due diligence and $63m purchase of a Class A commercial building. Other highlights included due diligence for the purchase of a listed building, advising on a social housing development, and the negotiation and $43m purchase of a residential development project.

Juan Pablo Matus heads the team at Cariola Diez Perez-Cotapos y Cia and advises clients from a range of sectors, with a slant towards retail, mining and infrastructure. The firm is advising Ripley Corp on the negotiation, purchase transaction, development and urban planning aspects of a shopping centre project in Concepción. It also recently assisted Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi with the development of its industrial facilities; and acted for construction and engineering company Salfacorp on the due diligence process of acquisition target Empresas Tecsa's real estate assets.

Appointed partner in 2011, José Tagle heads the growing department at Philippi, Yrarrázaval, Pulido & Brunner, which has been involved in a number of major real estate transactions in recent years. He is praised for his ‘experience and the variety of cases he is able to handle', and jointly with fellow partner Federico Grebe, he provides a comprehensive service to leading international and local clients including real estate developers, lenders, funds, retail companies and asset management firms. The six-lawyer team advised Deka Immobilien on its $200m acquisition of 55% of the Titanium building, the tallest in Chile, from Inmobiliaria Titanium. It is currently assisting real estate fund Las Americas AFI on its agreement with Accor for the development of Ibis Hotels in Chile, as well as advising Cencosud on the development and management contracts for two hotels at the Costanera Centre in Santiago. Another highlight was assisting Xerox on the restoration and leasing of its Chilean headquarters after the 2010 earthquake.

Gonzalo Errázuriz is the key contact at Urenda, Rencoret, Orrego y Dörr, which has four experienced lawyers devoted full time to the practice. The team advises real estate developers, investment funds and insurance companies on large residential, retail and office development projects, and is particularly adept at structuring, developing and managing real estate businesses. It is currently involved in the Santiago urban expansion project Valle Grande, where it is assisting on land purchase transactions and administrative issues, among other legal matters. It also advised Inmobiliaria Santa Anita on a $110m real estate project involving the construction of six luxury apartment buildings. Errázuriz has also been instructed by Inmobiliaria Punta Piqueros on the development of a luxury hotel in the Valparaíso region, involving advice on the land purchase transaction, the corporate and tax structure, obtaining the necessary administrative authorisations, and the construction and business operation.

Alvaro Rosenblut heads the team at Albagli, Zaliasnik & Cia, which fields eight lawyers and draws upon the firm's strong litigation team to assist clients on zoning, regulatory issues, and other property disputes. The practice has vast experience in advising companies in the retail sector on a wide range of matters including the selection, negotiation, leasing, financing and purchase of properties. The team also represents a number of real estate developers, with Rosenblut advising Grupo Prados on the negotiation, acquisition, development and sale of a commercial and residential building worth $12m.

Aninat Schwencke & Cia has solid real estate expertise and advises developers and equity investors on the full range of matters including acquisitions, sales, commercial and financial leasing, developments, land use regulation and water rights transactions and litigation. Luis Aninat assisted Mediterráneo on the development of its hydroelectric plant project, which involved land acquisition transactions, easement agreements and government authorisations. He also represented a local investor in the acquisition of a stake in the real estate rights of Hacienda Pucheguín for $100m, and acted for fruit producer and exporter Verfrut on the $1.5m acquisition of land in Peru for grape growing and production.

Baker & McKenzie's Andrés Wagner and his small team have an excellent track record in negotiation of land purchases, with recent experience advising clients on major projects in both the retail and agricultural sectors. A highlight included advising Agricola y Forestal El Dorado on the $15m sale of two agricultural properties with an attendant water rights agreement. Other key clients include Motorola, international fruit exporter Exportadora Unifrutti Traders and construction company Tribasa Chile.

Marcos Ríos heads the ‘very responsive and available' real estate and construction team at Carey. In addition to the firm's own significant real estate project, which saw the firm relocate to the top floors of South America's tallest building Titanium La Portada, the team advised a number of real estate development companies on agro-business, retail, office and residential projects. Ríos was instructed by a US multinational company in a comprehensive real estate due diligence process as part of a $1.4bn stock acquisition, involving the title searches, permits, land use and zoning matters of more than 40 properties. He also advised Chilean IT company I.O. Group on the acquisition and financing of its new commercial offices.

Carey & Allende's real estate practice head, the experienced Pabla Gainza, served on the legal panel for the modification of Santiago's metropolitan zoning plan. The practice specialises in land use regulations, territorial planning and real estate development associated with major projects. It is advising American Tower on the purchase of telecommunication towers involving hundreds of due diligence processes; and acting for Petróleos Trasandinos on zoning matters, building permits and administrative issues regarding its gas stations. Another highlight was the team's instruction on the urbanisation, development, zoning and regularisation process of the rural town Estancia Punta Delgada, involving the exchange and assignment of land for roads, green areas and housing. The firm also assisted Fundación Coanil on the complete regularisation of all its property titles on a pro-bono basis.

Claro y Cia's practice is especially experienced in sale and purchase transactions involving real estate assets from sectors as varied as retail, residential housing, commercial, hospitality and tourism, and power generation. Highlights included José María Eyzaguirre B instructing Patagonia Virgin on a multimillion dollar development project; Felipe Larraín advising Zulueta on the negotiation and $5m acquisition of several real estate properties in the Valparaíso Region for the development of a shopping center; Eduardo González acting for Bayona on its disposal of four properties worth $12m; Jorge Martín representing Santander Global Venture Capital on a due diligence of real estate assets and the structuring of a wind-farm project; and Sebastián Eyzaguirre advising on the $6m sale of a property for a hotel project.

Urban planning and zoning specialist Martín Santa María is in charge of the small yet comprehensive real estate practice at Guerrero, Olivos, Novoa y Errazuriz. The team developed its activity in parallel with the growing presence of foreign real estate funds in the country; it is adept at real estate transactions, project developments and acquisitions, urban planning and zoning as well as real estate due diligence processes. Highlights included advising water company Aguas Andinas on zoning plan restrictions in relation to a number of sites in Santiago, and acting for Ripley on building authorisations in connection with a shopping centre.