‘One of the leading insurance firms in Chile‘, boutique outfit Acuña & Compañía Abogados is ‘the best option when it comes to insurance‘. Predominantly focused on insurance work for approximately 40 years, the five-member practice is routinely involved in large insured losses occurring in Chile during the adjustment and settlement stages, along with subsequent judicial proceedings, arbitrations and subrogation actions. Key clients include Chubb, Lloyd’s of London Southbridge and Swiss Re. The practice is co-led by senior partner and insurance, reinsurance, arbitration and litigation specialist, Alejandro Acuña, ‘one of the best-known figures in Chile for insurance law‘; and Felipe Hoetz, who ‘stands out for his great negotiation skills‘ and is consistently involved in claims involving large losses in Chile. Providing additional expertise, fellow-founding partner Luis Cifuentes is a civil, commercial and criminal litigation expert, while associate Whitney Silva regularly assists with complex, high-value cases. Since publication, Hoetz has left the firm, effective as of January 2023.

The sizeable insurance practice at Estudio Carvallo routinely advises both domestic and foreign insurance businesses on insurance policies, coverage analysis and agreements. It also regularly defends headline casualty claims, in addition to assisting with the development of large insurance products and registering insurance-related entities. The department is also increasingly active in relation to corporate and regulatory insurance services. General manager Manuel Carvallo is an insurance law specialist, whose practice includes assisting with the development and implementation of insurance products; Marcelo Simian is casualty division head; dispute resolution expert Francisca Román is the lead property recovery litigation partner; María Elena Rivera is the Valparaíso office’s principal contact; and Francisco Bauer‘s career includes over two decades at Seguros Generales Suramericana. In September 2021, former associate Fernando Arancibia left the firm to become a claims specialist at insurance firm Gallagher.

The Chilean arm of London-based international law firm DAC Beachcroft LLP, DAC Beachcroft Chile is well known for its representation of insurers and reinsurers across the Lloyd’s, London, European and US markets, and has enviable expertise in substantial and large-value claims. Leading the Santiago office’s insurance team, Andrés Amunátegui assists both the international and local markets with property, casualty, liability and financial institutions-related claims; while fellow partner Guillermo Amunátegui heads the local corporate team. Within the associate pool, Nicolas Le Blanc specialises in assisting the London market with claims control processes; Javier Moya is a litigation and arbitration specialist; Andrés Faraggi routinely acts for US and LatAm-based reinsurers; and María Jesús Pérez is active in relation to the local market. Consultant Edmundo Agramunt is a former MAPFRE Chile legal head.

The Santiago office of UK-headquartered Kennedys has a broad insurance and reinsurance practice that assists with regulatory matters, claims management and insurance company defence-side work, policy writing, coverage reports, and insurance sector-related corporate law matters; the ‘highly specialised team' is particularly noted for its claims expertise in relation to property, construction, mining, finance and retail sector-related business interruption policies. Leading the practice, Mario Diemoz consistently assists reinsurers (predominantly the London market) and local insurers with claims, litigation and advisory work; and litigation head Gian Carlo Lorenzini acts almost exclusively on insurance matters. At senior associate level, Pia Parmar is a regulatory expert, while Daniel Silva assists both national insurance companies and foreign insurers with coverage claims and control issues.

The seven-member insurance practice (including four partners) at Pumpin, Dorfman, Nasser, Diaz (PDND) acts for companies that provide damage, credit and life insurance policies. Clients also turn to the group for its experience in representing brokers and loss adjusters, as well as for its interactions with the CMF. The firm also has a robust insurance disputes practice. The insurance department is jointly overseen by Marcelo Nasser (current Academic Director of the Insurance Law Diploma at the Chilean Association of Insurers’ School of Insurance); Gabriel Pumpin, a maritime transportation expert; and commercial, transport, insurance and consumer protection law specialist, Ignacio Díaz. Mauricio Dorfman is also on hand to provide additional partner-level support.

RA Abogados (Ríos Abogados) fields eight practitioners who are particularly highly regarded for their experience in insurance regulations, while also handline insurance and corporate law, supervisory issues and relevant consumer law matters. The team also has a strong market reputation for its expertise in defending the interests of both insurance companies and the insured before Chile’s courts. The practice is jointly led by Roberto Ríos, the author of numerous insurance law publications and Alonso Garcia, who leads the firm’s practice in labour liability insurance and medical liability claims. Stefanie Ramdohr has now left the firm.

Vergara, Fernández, Costa & Claro's insurance group consistently acts for policy holders in sizeable insurance disputes, as well as providing ongoing assistance with insurance programmes; providing advice exclusively to assureds, the practice stands out in the market for its independence from insurers. The principal figures within the team are insurance and civil liability leader Gloria Claro; and Sergio Fernández, who heads the commercial group, in addition to jointly leading the insurance practice. The second line of key advisers comprises counsel Manuel García de los Ríos, whose track record includes over two decades at Germany’s Allianz Group; and associates Catherine Campbell and Andrés Schlack, who are both active in insurance work.

Molina Ríos Abogados' ‘excellent' seven-member insurance practice routinely acts for major insurance sector players such as Mapfre and Caja Reaseguradora de Chile. Representative work ranges from the risk analysis aspects of transactions, litigation and arbitration, to advising on all-risk construction insurance, civil responsibility issues, and guarantee and life insurance. The firm is also one of the principal legal practices promoting a new Centre of Insurance Arbitration (ARIAS LATAM), which will establish specific procedures for insurance disputes. Co-leading the department, the practice of founding partner and prominent insurance law author Carlos Molina covers major insurance-related litigation and negotiations; and Felipe Correa, who regularly assists with the litigation, arbitration and mediation of insurance matters.

Peralta Sandoval Llaneza Gutiérrez is predominantly focused on insurance and reinsurance matters. The four-member practice, which fields lawyers, who are ‘outstanding professionals with extensive knowledge in insurance and litigation', assists both domestic insurers and international reinsurers with adjustment of casualty, property and cargo-related issues. It is also active in litigation before the civil and arbitration courts, in relation to coverage, losses and other insurance claims. The firm’s senior partner and ‘great strategist', Luis Sandoval, consistently represents the interests of insurers, reinsurers and brokers, while associate Mildred Barrientos  is experienced in both insurance and litigation work.

Dentons Larrain Rencoret‘s insurance and reinsurance department fields experts in claims involving the pharma, construction, energy, retail and infrastructure sectors. The practice also represents foreign insurers and reinsurers -particularly from the London market- in claims involving political risks, physical damage, business interruption, D&Os and general liability. Other key areas cover contract interpretation, adjustment processes, acting as claim controllers, and leading settlement negotiations. The team is led by insurance specialist José Miguel López González, with key senior associate-level support provided by insurance regulatory expert Elio Castro. Litigators Marcelo Alarcón and Ignacio Vargas were elevated to the partnership in January 2022.