The 10-strong department at full-service legal giant Carey acts across the full spectrum of administrative and constitutional law, regulated markets, and public litigation. The team regularly assists in relation to administrative and constitutional litigation, constitutional rights, and public procurement and public concessions. Other areas of strength range from sanctioning procedures, regulatory compliance, and state-owned companies’ regulations, to legislative and regulatory enactment; and the group is particularly well known for its legal opinions on complex private-public conflicts. The practice fields a number of experienced partners, namely: Ignacio Gillmore, who has vast experience in administrative contracts, public tenders, and administrative litigation; litigation head Gonzalo Fernández, a regulatory disputes specialist; Juan Carlos Riesco, who focuses on administrative sanctioning procedures that are led by public entities; and senior counsel and renowned constitutional practitioner Patricio Zapata, who was hired in August 2021 from Zapata y Compañía and is a former President of the Citizen Council of Observers of the Constituent Process. At associate level, senior Juan Ignacio Alarcón, along with Sergio Cifuentes, Martin Canessa and Carolina Baeza, are all key public law group members. However, mid-2021 saw Camilo Lledó leave to co-found Chahuán Letelier Lledó, and Cindy Thorsen move in house at Copec.

Estudio Fermandois has an oustanding profile in the sector and a strong market reputation for its public law litigation credentials in particular, including major disputes before both the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court; the team is highly rated for its specialised legal opinions on significant private-public conflicts. The firm houses several constitutional and administrative law professors from the Catholic University of Chile and its principal figure, founding partner Arturo Fermandois, is a former Chilean Ambassador to the US; he specialises in public law, the regulated sectors and dispute resolution. Also integral to the practice are constitutional law specialist José Manuel Díaz de Valdés; and Domingo Poblete, whose experience includes high-stakes cases. Among the associate pool Cristóbal Zepeda‘s practice covers public law litigation, while Andrés Vodanovic‘s experience includes serving as Executive Secretary of the Constituent Process’ Council of Observers. In a significant development for a firm long specialised exclusively in public law matters, August 2022 saw the firm hire Ignacio Urbina -formerly a senior associate at Barros & Errázuriz- to head up its nascent environmental practice.

The public law and government department at FerradaNehme consistently assists clients with the public law aspects affecting their companies day-to-day activities; but it is also sought out for its experience in defending individuals facing administrative law proceedings and Supreme Court matters. The practice is jointly led by Luis Cordero  , who advises private entities on regulated industry issues and their interactions with the authorities, as well as assisting several governmental agencies on the preparation of new laws and regulations, and the implementation of government policies; and Josefina Court  , who leverages her previous experience at the Legislative Office of the Presidency of Chile (under different administrations) to advise on regulatory matters and public institutions’ internal systems. In key growth, José Tomás Correa , who acts for public agencies and private companies on administrative law, sanctioning procedures and regulated markets, was elevated to the partnership in April 2021; and senior associate Fernanda Skewes  is also a key public law and government team member.

The six-strong team at full-service firm Barros & Errázuriz handles administrative tariff-setting matters, contentious administrative proceedings, and administrative sanctioning procedures involving the natural gas, telecoms, electricity, water and wastewater, health and education sectors. Other areas of expertise range from administrative contracts, government liability and public procurement, to maritime concessions, government real estate and expert reports. The practice also houses experts in litigation (concerning government agencies), who act before the common tribunals and Courts of Appeals, as well as the Supreme Court and Comptroller General’s Office. The public, administrative law and economic regulation department is led by renowned Chilean arbitration expert José Tomás Errázuriz  , while administrative law expert David Cademartori    is the partner in charge of the public law team. Moreover, the firm has also significantly strengthened its constitutional practice, with the September-2022 hire of Juan José Romero , formerly a member of the Constiutional Tribunal from 2013-22 and the court’s President during the last two years of that period. At associate level, the dispute resolution practice of senior Andrea Batarce  also includes contentious administrative proceedings.

The 10-strong practice at full-service firm Guerrero Olivos covers public law litigation, judicial reviews and representing clients before the regulatory bodies. The team also assists with public-bid processes and public procurement, and obtaining permits and approvals; its recent caseload includes matters in the mining, real estate and utilities, banking and finance, TMT, aquaculture and transport sectors. The practice is co-led by Eduardo Cordero  , a specialist in constitutional and administrative law and regulated industries, who routinely assists with regulatory processes and transactional matters, and is experienced in filing reports before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court; and José Gabriel Undurraga , whose recent workload includes advising on competitive tendering, public procurement and sanctioning. Further support is provided by projects-related public law expert Martín Santa María  ; and associate Roberto Burgos , who assists with public procurement, litigation and transactional matters. In June 2022, the firm incorporated highly respected public law professor, Rosa Fernanda Gómez , as senior counsel in its public law and regulated markets practice.

Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría‘s nine-strong public law practice acts for a broad range of clients on a range of work, but it particularly stands out for its expertise in administrative law-related dispute resolution, including major litigation before the Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals and Public Procurement Tribunal. Other recent work includes successfully advising on a bid for a concession over land on which a wind farm will be constructed; and the team is increasingly active in public procurement matters. Practice leader José Luis Lara  focuses primarily on advising both public and private entities on administrative and constitutional law and public procurement issues; public law is also the main practice area of highly experienced senior counsel Guillermo Zavala . Dispute resolution director and counsel Jorge Femenías , a 2021 hire from ICFF Abogados; and experienced senior associates Matías Larroulet  and Florencia Portales , are the other team members to note.

Regularly acting for both foreign and local companies in high-stakes administrative matters, Allende Bascuñán & Cía fields specialists in regulatory matters, litigation, public contracts and procurement. The broad sector expertise of the six-member practice covers utilities, mining, agriculture and food production, as well as power generation, distribution and transmission matters. Heading up the group, public law expert Felipe Bascuñán Montaner has substantial experience in regulatory matters involving energy, natural resources and electricity law; the associate to note, Joaquín Corvalán, routinely advises on constitutional and procedural law. Former partner Mauricio Vinuela departed the firm in July 2021.

Further to the departure of former practice head Guillermo de la Jara in June 2021, Bofill Mir Abogados was one of three firms to emerge from the dissolution of Bofill, Mir & Álvarez Jana in March 2022; its public law department is now led by name partner Octavio Bofill. The team regularly assists with judicial reviews and litigation before the constitutional courts, as well as handling public procurement issues. Bofill oversees regulatory matters; and the practice of recently promoted director Cristián Franetovic includes urban planning and the regulation of sanitary and electrical public services. At senior associate level, Pablo Nogueira is the key figure and acts in constitutional and administrative litigation. Former practice head Jorge Barrera left in October 2022 (he is currently teaching in the US); and senior associate Daniela Severin also departed, moving into the public sector at Sistema de Empresas Públicas (SEP) in June.

Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos‘ six-member regulatory law department comprises experts in the relationships between private companies and governmental agencies and institutions. The team is particularly focused on environmental matters and energy projects, while also offering assistance with matters ranging from gas distribution, water regulations, telecoms and retail, to medical devices, public procurement, urban planning, and the food and beverage sector. The practice is co-led by regulatory law specialist Gonzalo Jiménez  , and Martín Astorga  , whose track record includes sanctions proceedings before the administrative authorities, as well as related legal claims. At associate level, senior Verónica Cuadra , as well as Miguel Ortiz , Raúl Alvarez  and Beatriz Prieto  are all active team members.

‘Capable of proposing solid solutions', DLA Piper Chile's public law practice provides assistance with the obtaining of operational authorisations; administrative procedures before various authorities and agencies; regulatory reports; and public entities’ bidding processes. Additional key areas include food product labelling, consumer claims and public law litigation. The team is led by regulated markets and administrative law specialist, Felipe Bahamondez; while senior associate and regulatory expert Paulina Farías is ‘a lawyer who has great knowledge of various regulations', and whose recent track record includes assisting several companies with allocations of services, and telecoms and electricity sector-related bids.

Prieto Abogados' ‘very good' ten-strong practice has broad experience in public law-related dispute resolution, sanctioning proceedings, regulatory-review issues during transactions, and clients’ relations with authorities. Clients additionally benefit from the team’s ongoing analysis of new rulings and regulations. Elevated to the partnership in January 2022, environmental law specialist Agustín Martorell regularly assists companies before governmental authorities and agencies, including advising on permitting issues, administrative procedures, environmental judicial actions and environmental assessment processes. Former counsel Juan Pablo Riesco (‘an exceptional lawyer with in-depth knowledge') was promoted to director of the firm’s administrative litigation practice in December 2021, and routinely advises national and international companies on contentious regulatory and administrative matters.

Formed following the merger of Halperin Pino and Grasty Quintana Majlis (which alread had an association with the London-based insurance giant) in August 2022, Clyde & Co  fields a public law and regulatory practice with expertise across a broad range of industries, including securities, insurance, pharmaceuticals and retail. It is particularly active in assisting clients (on a day-to-day basis) with their interactions with public agencies, and the team routinely acts in administrative proceedings and related litigation. Regularly acting in complex and high-profile cases, practice head Jorge Meneses combines his strong dispute resolution credentials with public law expertise. The practice of senior associate Andrés Cabello also covers public and administrative law proceedings.

Led by of counsel and public law and administrative law specialist, Claudio Moraga, Garrigues Chile's practice routinely advises concessionaire companies on concession contracts with the Ministry of Public Works. It also assists clients with public tenders and the implementation of public-private partnerships in the toll roads, telecoms, public transport and airports sectors. The team additionally represents clients in administrative proceedings and litigation with public bodies. Key support is provided by principal associate Sebastián Hassi, who advises on public tenders, administrative sanctions and administrative procedures; and senior associate Francisco Irarrázaval, who assists with energy and natural resources-related administrative law matters.

Lembeye recruited Guillermo de la Jara in July 2021 (from the former Bofill, Mir, Álvarez & Jana) to head up the firm’s TMT, public law, regulated markets and competition law practice. De la Jara routinely advises on administrative law, as well as contentious administrative disputes before the higher courts of justice, special courts and decision-making bodies, such as the Constitutional Court. He also has extensive experience in assisting public and private sector clients with regulated matters concerning state powers, public contracts, administrative sanctions, and interactions with public agencies.