With ‘deep knowledge of the different aspects of labour law‘, full-service law firm Carey houses a 16-strong team that is sought out by both local and international companies for labour and employment advice. The group’s work scope ranges from corporate employment issues to labour litigation, union matters, and immigration and global mobility matters; recent mandates include cases before the Labour Courts regarding wrongful dismissals, sexual harassment allegations, violations of fundamental rights, anti-union practices, and work-related accidents. Co-heading the group, Oscar Aitken‘s practice incorporates collective bargaining, internal investigations, outsourcing, terminations, benefits, and compensation structures; Francisca Corti (‘great leadership and vision‘) specialises in employment and corporate immigration law; and recently-raised partner Francisco Arce predominantly assists employers with employment issues, union matters and collective bargaining, social security and labour litigation. At associate level, Valentina Kuscevic, Carla Karzulovic and Constanza Trisotti are all up-and-coming young practitioners of note. Since publication, Kuscevic has been promoted to counsel - effective as of November 2023.

The ‘highly-qualified work team' at Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos is routinely mandated to advise on the labour aspects of company restructurings, along with collective bargaining and immigration issues. Other areas of strength for the eight-strong team are stock-option plans, compensation packages, and the tax side of labour benefits. The firm’s international clients further appreciate its membership of L&E Global, a worldwide alliance of international employment law firms. Ricardo Tisi predominantly focuses on advice to companies on labour and social security matters; recently-elevated partner Bárbara Zlatar (‘great analytical skills') leads the group’s immigration practice; and Ignacia López, who oversees the firm’s labour advisory and litigation work, is a May 2022 returnee from Clínica Alemana, where she was human resources manager. Within the senior associate pool, Sebastián Krebs is an experienced labour litigator, while former legislative adviser at the Ministry of Labour, Daniela Valencia, returned to the firm in March 2022.

The ‘highly specialised and experienced lawyers' at international law firm Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría houses a nine-member team that routinely advises on employee hirings and terminations, unfair dismissal, HR company policies, due diligence, internal employment audits, and restrictive covenants. The group also comprises experts in subcontracting, outsourcing, labour taxation and compensation packages, along with collective bargaining, union relations, labour litigation, social security, and M&A-related employment issues. The practice is co-led by labour, employment, social security and immigration specialist Paulina Miranda, whose practice encompasses new areas such as "#MeToo" , gender pay gaps, gig economy work and AI, along with data privacy, internal investigations and compliance; and recently-raised partner Sergio Montes, who is a labour and social security law expert. Experienced senior associate Aref Cosma advises on the employment side to major transactions, including M&A deals.

‘Undoubtedly among the best labour law firms in Chile’, Safe Abogados Limitada’s 12-strong practice is highly regarded for its expertise in labour relations and litigation. The group’s experience covers conflict prevention, union negotiations, and judicial disputes; and the firm is well known for working with the country’s largest mining companies, as well as major players from the telecoms and transportation sectors. The group is jointly led by founding partners Felipe Sáez (‘the best support an internal lawyer can have when they have labour issues’, whose track record includes significant collective bargaining processes in the mining and banking industries; and Raul Fernandez, who acts for companies in lawsuits regarding contract terminations, fundamental labour rights, workplace accidents, and anti-union practices, among other matters. Former senior associate Pablo Fuenzalida  left the firm in June 2023. Since publication, Fernández has left the firm - effective as of January 2024.

Aguad Bañados Izquierdo Abogados (ABI Abogados)’ ‘very competent office’ routinely advises on hirings, employment terminations, compensation packages, labour disputes, and labour-related administrative and jurisdictional litigation. It also assists with collective bargaining, union relations, migration, subcontracting and due diligence work; the firm’s representative clients are predominantly from the mining, construction, hospitality, technology and manufacturing sectors. Founding partner and labour group director, Eduardo Izquiero Bacarreza, ‘always responds to queries with speed and quality’, while Francisco Bañados Geywitz is the firm’s litigation practice director. The senior associate to note, labour and administrative law expert Daniela Vidal Saldías assists with contract negotiations and drafting, as well as civil, labour, administrative and arbitration procedures.

The four-member labour and employment practice at Baker McKenzie Chile routinely taps into the wider firm’s global network of labour lawyers, particularly in relation to cross-border executive transfers and multinationals’ employment issues. The group’s expertise further encompasses employer-side litigation, including claims over unlawful dismissal, employee benefits, discrimination, and sexual harassment. Other key areas are collective bargaining, executive compensation, pensions, stock options, social security, workplace policies, and immigration. The department’s ‘specialised and experienced lawyers’ are led by Andrés Valdés, who acts for clients from the retail and mining sectors (among others); key associate support comes from senior José Ignacio Muñoz who handles labour, employment and employee benefit matters.

The ‘very strong team' at full-service firm Barros & Errázuriz provides ongoing employment law advice to over 100 different clients from a range of industries, including manufacturing, education, retail, mining, automotive, telecoms, and finance; the group is also increasingly active in both employment litigation and contentious administrative claims against the Labour Authority. The seven-strong department further comprises experts in immigration, global mobility, and expatriation-for-work purposes. The labour and employment practice is led by Juan Cristóbal Iturrate, who assists with both day-to-day matters and collective bargaining processes. In April 2023, María Fernanda Espinosa, an expert in the labour aspects of M&A deals, was raised to partner. Senior associate Pavel Alvarez , in turn, specialises in complex employment trials.

Arising from Bofill, Mir & Álvarez Jana’s dissolution during 2022, Bofill Mir Abogados’ five-member labour and employment practice covers domestic and cross-border transactional advice, as well as hirings, terminations and collective bargaining. The ‘always available’ team also assists with compliance work, while the department’s litigators act in claims involving anti-union practices, violations of fundamental rights, unjust dismissals and labour benefits. The team is co-led by Pablo Gutiérrez, who has over 20 years’ experience in labour, employment and social security matters; and recently-elevated partner Luis Alberto Cruchaga O, who advises on hirings, dismissals, immigration and corporate labour matters. At senior associate level, Rafael Sandoval’s broad practice includes labour litigation.

The ‘reliable team’ at CMS Carey & Allende advises on day-to-day contractual, pay and compliance issues, along with high-stakes litigation, international employees’ immigration requirements, and the employment side to corporate deals. The seven-member team also advises on redundancy programmes, senior employee dismissals, and health and safety issues; and it is particularly experienced in union and collective bargaining matters. Employment and pensions group head Enzo Canales ‘knows his clients and the industries in which they operate’; and within the senior associate pool, Julio Frías assists with both contentious and non-contentious employment work, while Constanza Yáñez also maintains a wide-ranging employment law practice.

DLA Piper Chile‘s ‘quality and professionalism are perfect’. The Santiago office’s five-member group is particularly well known for advising on gig-economy employment matters, employer-side collective bargaining, and compensation and benefits; and the group’s sector expertise ranges from manufacturing, healthcare and banking, to leisure, cosmetics, energy, construction and real estate. With ‘extensive experience in labour matters’, the broad experience of practice head Luis Parada covers stock option plans, collective bargaining, anti-union practices, harassment and discrimination. Parada also assists with company restructurings, labour due diligence, high-level terminations, restrictive covenants, executives’ expatriation agreements and migration issues. Within the office’s associate pool, seniors Diego González and Ignacio Abogabir are both names to note. Former senior Iñaki Irisarri  left the firm in July 2023.

The four-member team at Fontaine & Cía covers individual and collective employment contracts, social security benefits, collective bargaining processes, and union relations. The team is also experienced in claims involving accidents, work-related illnesses, violations of fundamental rights, anti-union practices, and dismissals, as well as remaining active in labour lawsuits brought by former workers of companies that terminated operations because of the pandemic. The group is led by Diego Marín, who assists with construction sector-related labour matters, while Georgo Peftlouloglou advises on work accident and occupational disease-related liability issues. At associate level, Rodrigo Palacios and Sebastián Rodillo both maintain active labour law practices, but Felipe Navarro moved in house at CMPC in September 2022.

The ‘highly trusted’ seven-member labour, employment and migration practice at Guerrero Olivos covers pre-emptive labour advice, disputes, and M&A and reorganisation-related labour issues. On the contentious front, the group assists with unfair dismissals, anti-union practices, fundamental rights and work-related accidents; and it also undertakes collective bargaining processes. In migratory and expatriate matters, the team is highly active in relation to the mining and energy industries. Heading the department, the ‘accurate and highly knowledgeable’ Rocío García de la Pastora’s workload incorporates labour litigation, collective bargaining, and corporate labour issues; and within the associate ranks, Tomás Garnham is ‘empathetic, efficient and always available’, while Sergio Fuica is an expert in fundamental rights and labour disputes.

Recent areas of focus for Porzio Ríos García’s ‘excellent team of lawyers’ range from internal investigations, to golden parachute proposals and employee wrongdoing-related criminal assessments. The five-member labour, employment, social security and immigration law practice is also highly active in court litigation, while flexible working from home is another growth area. Name partner and department head Ignacio García has longstanding experience in labour and employment work, his practice covering litigation, global mobility, collective bargaining, cross-border executive transfers, and transactional labour issues; and the work of fellow partner and labour and employment specialist Fernando Villalobos is ‘outstanding’. At associate level, Camila Quiroz is an experienced litigator, but Laura Kottmann departed the firm in July 2022 to pursue an LLM.

‘One of the top law firms in labour law matters’, Prieto Abogados’ labour, employment and immigration department is routinely sought out for complex labour litigation. The six-member group regularly assists with the labour aspects of corporate matters, as well as maintaining a robust collective bargaining practice. It is also increasingly active on behalf of foreign clients, particularly in relation to immigration work. The team is jointly led by collective bargaining and labour litigation specialist, Christian von Bergen, who acts for companies from the port, mining, electricity and casino sectors; and the ‘outstanding’ Cristóbal Raby, whose broad practice covers defence-side labour litigation. The practice of experienced associate Valentina Flen takes in litigation, social security, immigration, and individual and collective law.

Highly focused on labour litigation and collective bargaining, Albagli Zaliasnik’s labour and employment practice is ‘very innovative and practical in the solutions it proposes’. The team’s coverage further extends to hiring processes, compensation, employment terminations, subcontracting, due diligence, and corporate policies. The four-member department is led by Jorge Arredondo, who has ‘extensive knowledge of labour law’; and at associate level, senior Jocelyn Aros has significant experience in labour and pension law, while Felipe Neira advises on both the individual and collective aspects of labour matters.

Headed by labour law and dispute resolution specialist, Andrés Garrido, Allende Bascuñán & Cía’s longstanding labour and employment practice acts for employers from a range of sectors, including mining, agriculture, aviation and construction, on employment, social security and occupational health issues. The team has notable experience in employment terms and conditions, routinely working alongside clients to avoid dismissal claims or manage contract termination processes. It also assists with collective bargaining involving large company unions, deceit complaints during negotiations, unfair labour practices, and strikes and lockouts.

‘Solid and constantly growing’, Barros Silva Varela & Vigil’s six-member labour and employment department covers equity, gender, sexual harassment and discrimination issues, as well as fundamental rights’ violations, and the implementation of policies and best practices. Team leader Roberto Lewin advises on labour-related restructurings, subcontracting, collective bargaining, employment litigation, immigration and compliance. At senior associate level, Paulina Rivera (‘a great professional’) focuses on labour and employment-related litigation, collective labour law issues and labour auditing, but Nicole Lüer left the firm in January 2023.

Deloitte Legal Chile’s labour practice focuses on collective bargaining negotiations, complex labour litigation, and compliance investigation processes concerning sexual harassment and mobbing. The 13-strong team also provides clients with labour training on post-pandemic legislative modifications (such as teleworking). Other key areas are executive personnel transfers, immigration, due diligence reviews, labour restructuring solutions, and mining sector labour issues involving contractors and subcontractors. Co-office founder Ruby Soteras is a former FerradaNehme senior lawyer; director and former immigration group leader at Carey, Monserrat Nova, is a November 2022 hire; and manager Santiago Swett is the labour advisory head in Chile.

The five-strong labour and employment practice at Garrigues Chile is increasingly advising on the recently-enacted Chilean immigration law. The team also specialises in collective bargaining, its advice covering assistance with unions, federations and unfair practices, as well as providing a robust labour litigation offering and routinely assisting with transactional labour due diligence matters. In a significant boost, group head Bárbara Vera, a specialist in collective bargaining and union issues, was raised to partner in early 2023; and senior labour law associates Ricardo Eckardt and Juan Ignacio Chamorro were recruited during 2022 from Grupo Vial Abogados and the former Aylwin Mendoza Luksic & Valencia – AMLV, respectively. Former senior associate Tomás Larrain recently departed for Equitat Abogados Laborales.

Larrain y Asociados Abogados is particularly well known for its representation of mining and education sector clients. The four-member team’s scope ranges from litigation, recruitment and cross-border employment and migratory issues, to collective bargaining, M&A-related employment issues, and general advice on employment and social security matters. The team is led by Andrés Silva, an expert in collective bargaining and general labour-related corporate advice; and -in a boost to the practice- labour law litigator Jorge Parro became the firm’s first-ever director in September 2022. Within the associate ranks, Consuelo Misle and Valentina Calderón both focus on labour law.