Environment in Argentina

Marval O’Farrell Mairal is ‘unique in the level and quality of support in sensitive and complex issues, such as litigation in environmental matters’. The seven-strong team works across the full environmental spectrum, from regulatory issues and litigation to due diligence and M&A, with a special focus on the manufacturing, infrastructure and energy sectors. It is well regarded for its ‘excellent coordination between the different members of the team as well as between the different elements that make up the case’, and has particular strength in both litigation and due diligence processes. Practice head Francisco MacÍas combines strengths in environmental and natural resources law with oil-and-gas industry knowledge. Other key names include senior associate Gabriel Fortuna, who ‘understands the technical reality of each project beyond its regulatory aspects’; and associate Jimena Montoya, who has particular skill in environmental regulatory matters, audits and due diligence. The team can also call on a specialist team of in-house technicians and engineers, as necessary.

Allende & Brea’s environment practice combines ‘knowledge of the subject,' with 'understanding of the client and the context' and 'adaptation and communication skills’. A key area of work is advising on compliance with Argentine environmental regulations, including the obtaining of industrial, air, water and hazardous waste permits. The team is also experienced in assisting with environmental audits and due diligence procedures, as well as drafting environmental provisions for capital markets, project finance, public offerings and M&A. On the contentious side, the practice handles a range of litigation and conciliation agreements arising from environmental administrative and civil proceedings. María Morena del Río ‘stands out for her excellent treatment of the client, commitment to business, corporate vision and for possessing the required knowledge, versatility and creativity’. She co-leads the team with energy and natural resources expert Florencia Heredia. Key associate support comes from senior associate Martín Alejo Prieto, a dedicated administrative and environmental practitioner who undertakes individual and collective environmental disputes and litigation, as well as advisory on environmental regulatory compliance.

Recommended as ‘one of the outstanding environmental teams in Argentina’, Beccar Varela excels in environmental due-diligence and advising on the environmental aspects of complex corporate transactions. Clients range from power, renewable energy, mining, oil and gas operations, to food and agribusiness, TMT, real estate and manufacturing companies. As well as advising on regulation, the firm provides assistance with preventative civil, criminal and administrative litigation in the area. Administrative law and project finance expert Oscar Aguilar Valdez co-leads the team with counsel Angeles Murgier, who demonstrates ‘commitment to the work entrusted, and agile and quick responses to the client’s requirements‘. Indeed, regarded as ‘one of the leaders of environmental law in the region’ by clients, Murgier is virtually a one-woman-department, handling environmental counselling (including regulatory, permitting and compliance issues), the environmental law aspects of corporate transactions (including associated due diligence), compliance audits and environmental litigation. Since publication, the practice has been considerably strengthened with the February-2022 hire of the former regional head of environmental matters at Tenaris, Manuel Frávega, as partner-in-charge of the department.

Bruchou, Fernández Madero & Lombardi’s key strengths in the environmental law area include commercial transactions, preventative advice, management of environmental conflicts and litigation. The practice is well regarded for its ‘good relationship with the authorities’, as well as being ‘deeply involved in the issues, not limiting their participation to the strictly legal’. Mining and environment specialists Sergio Arbeleche and Sebastián Vedoya are department co-heads and can call on the expertise of specialist senior associate Pablo Crimer, who ‘stands out for his conceptual solidity, commitment and professionalism’. Crimer handles environmental liability, compliance, permitting, litigation, public policy and project development, as well conducting environmental due diligence and audits.

The small practice at Nicholson y Cano Abogados is arguably best known for three core specialisms, namely litigation at the Federal Supreme Court, environmental legal compliance audits and preventive legal advice on environmental compliance issues. The team advises on these issues for clients from a range of sectors, including energy, mining, agribusiness, steel and construction. Another key area of work is conducting preventative, in-house environmental-training and environmental legal compliance audits for oil-and-gas industry clients. Indeed, practice head Horacio Payá spent 15 years’ in-house in the hydrocarbons sector (at Petrobras Argentina); a longstanding practitioner, today he is regarded as something of a pioneer in environmental matters. Key associate support comes from senior Martín Osvaldo Rodriguez who is focused on environmental, administrative and regulatory matters and associated administrative representation.

Oriented primarily towards public law and economic regulatory matters, O'Farrell provides comprehensive advice across the regulated sectors, including environment and natural resources. The bulk of the practice group's environmental mandates come from the natural resources -and specifically energy- sector, in relation to hydrocarbons extraction, power generation, fuel production, or transportation and distribution. Also active in the automotive manufacturing segment, the team has an additional niche specialisation in environmental issues related to non-ionizing radiation from mobile-telephony network antennas. Head of the firm's public law and economic regulation department, Jorge Muratorio, focuses on constitutional, administrative and environmental law, urban planning regulations, consumer protection and antitrust. He co-leads the team with regulatory expert Agustin Siboldi and public law specialist Agustina Fanelli Evans.