Colombia’s third largest city by population (approximately 2.4m in 2018), Cali houses a compact but significant legal market. Notable for being the location where the Raisbeck firm – the forerunner of the Colombian office of today’s Baker McKenzie – came to prominence, the city now primarily houses more locally focused firms, with some exceptions.Cali’s legal market remains more atomised than that of Medellín and fields fewer firms that have consolidated their institutional presence, although this is now increasingly taking place. Instead, the market has resorted to inter-firm (and sole-practitioner) associations – temporary or more long-lasting – to facilitate the coverage of clients’ requirements.Local corporate firm Caicedos Holguines Abogados, for example, has a co-operation agreement with Seguridad Legal for data protection and tech matters, but at the same time maintains a concurrent association with Advocat; the latter, in turn, is increasingly redefining itself as a  Bogota-based firm where the majority of its lawyers are now located. Of the Bogotá heavyweights, only Brigard Urrutia maintains a permanent presence in the city. Meanwhile, Gómez-Pinzón Abogados (GPA), however, maintains a platform in the region via its Cali desk in the Bogotá office.

Initially founded in Cali, Advocat‘s main office has since switched to Bogotá and the firm now maintains well-staffed platforms in two of Colombia’s most important business hubs by per-capita GDP. The young firm, which was founded in 2015, now houses a full-service legal platform, which acts for Colombian and multinational clients on the full spread of corporate, finance, competition, energy, infrastructure, labour, real estate and tax matters. On the banking and finance side, Nicolás Fernández De Soto  is noted for his broad regulatory and transactional experience, with growing strength in the private lending and fintech area. The firm’s corporate offering also continues to broaden under the joint leadership of María Isabel Rodríguez , who specialises in corporate, M&A and real estate, María Claudia Armenta , who brings to bear significant experience in corporate, M&A, real estate and infrastructure, and Francisco Cabal , who has a focus on corporate, M&A and energy and natural resources. On the non-transactional side, Camilo Bernal  is noted for labour and employment matters, while regulatory specialist Victor Ayalde  handles competition, consumer protection and data protection matters. Sources also single out tax partner Juan Guillermo Becerra , who is particularly recognised for tax planning and advisory work.

Long-established Cali firm Ayerbe Abogados has been a local force since it was founded in 1941. Servicing a mix of domestic and multinational clients from its Cali and — since 1997 — Bogotá offices, the group houses an increasingly broad legal offering, while remaining true to its partner-led business model. On the transactional side, the firm advises a diverse array of domestic and international companies on foreign investment matters, corporate and M&A deals, capital markets transactions, energy-related work and tax. The team also benefits from a solid regulatory and contentious capability, with experience in administrative law, competition, IP and litigation across all practice areas. Among the senior names to note, Rodrigo Ayerbe Muñoz  and Felipe Ayerbe Muñoz  spearhead the firm’s Cali and Bogotá offices respectively; both have an emphasis on corporate matters and strategic litigation. Andrés Rodrigo Flórez  is noted for his track record in labour and employment law, particularly collective bargaining; and Rodrigo Ayerbe Arango  is also recognised for his reputation in labour matters. Claudia Romero Estrada , who has over 20 years in practice, and Valentina Naranjo Tobar  are also key contacts.

Founded in 1990, Franco Murgueitio & Asociados remains committed to its one-site model, eschewing other national offices in favour of strong local and international law firm relationships; significantly, it enjoys close links with firms throughout Latin America and also in Europe, Asia and the USA. Primarily focused on tax and corporate matters, the practice is split into two standalone departments dealing with legal services and accountancy work respectively. Alongside its signature strength in tax, corporate and estate planning, it also has robust offerings in foreign exchange matters, labour and social security law, and international trade and customs. Founding partner Luis Hernando Franco Murgueitio  steers the estate planning practice and also advises major companies on corporate and tax matters, with support from director of legal affairs, Juan David Seba Gironza . The legal department was recently hit by the December-2021 departures of former corporate and tax head Santiago Meza Mafla and legal director David Ernesto Martinez, who both left for spin-off firm Santiago Meza Abogados & Asesores. Additionally, tax director Juan Camilo Acosta left in January 2022 to become a tax consultant.

With its 22-year trajectory, exclusively Cali-based Hurtado & Gandini has grown into a specialist, and thriving, local player. The medium-size firm specialises in contentious matters, with notable offerings in technology controversies, transport disputes, corporate litigation, contentious labour and employment matters, administrative law, and insurance litigation, among others. The firm numbers 22 lawyers in total, including five partners, all of whom bring to bear significant cross-practice experience. Managing partner Francisco José Hurtado steers the litigation practice and is noted for his broad focus, with experience in civil, commercial, administrative and criminal proceedings. Fernando Gandini directs the corporate and commercial group and advises on general corporate matters as well as conflict resolution, including arbitration. Julián Dávalos manages the labour and social security practice and is recognised for his record in labour proceedings, union immunity cases and collective labour disputes. Rounding out the partner group is Ana María Olave, who focuses on real estate and estate planning, and Gloria Inés Hurtado, who is a specialist in maritime and port law. Among the firm’s up-and-coming associates, senior Christián Camilo Vallecilla and intermediate Orlando Arango are noted for litigation, insurance and civil liability.

With a marked focus on the local region, the entrepreneurial Kärner, Botero, Segura & Valdivieso Abogados is committed to the support and development of Cali-based clients, as well as domestic and multinational companies located in the vicinity. The firm maintains a dynamic corporate practice, which is supplemented by solid offerings in real estate, labour, consumer law and -leveraging the city’s proximity to the Port of Buenaventura- international trade and customs. Key contacts include managing partner Eduardo José Botero, who advises on a wide range of corporate, tax and real estate matters. Fellow firm co-founders Felipe Valencia Serrano and Pedro Jose Valdivieso specialise in real estate and urban planning, and commercial and finance law respectively. Julián Andrés Segura left the firm to become a legal analyst at CIAMSA.

New entrant to the table for 2023, five-lawyer strong Mora Abogados S.A.S.  secures rave reviews from satisfied clients due to its ‘great ability to generate close relationships‘ and its lawyers’ ‘proactive attitude and quick responses‘. Since its establishment in 1999, the firm has specialised in general business law, primarily corporate and commercial matters, with notable strength in the agroindustry, construction, financial services and hospitality (hotels / tourism) sectors. The firm’s emphasis on providing ‘direct communication with partners‘ is a recurring theme among sources, with managing partner Luis Alfonso Mora Sarria  highlighted as ‘focused on problem solving‘; he brings to bear two decades of experience in supporting clients on corporate and commercial law, including restructuring. Founding partner Luis Alfonso Mora Tejada  (‘very resourceful and creative‘) is a former Executive Vice President of the Corporación Financiera del Valle and continues to oversee the practice; he is noted for his strong record in corporate finance matters.

Now solely based in Bogotá, Saavedra Becerra Abogados‘ historical strength in Cali and the wider region is evidenced by its strong local relationships with clients such as Metro Cali, Zona Franca del Pacifico and Consorcio PST, among others. The five-strong boutique is primarily recognised for its record in public law issues, with its broad practice experience spanning a range of state contracting, infrastructure projects and dispute resolution, including arbitration. Managing partner and key contact Carlos Saavedra specialises in public law and commercial law, bringing to bear robust projects expertise honed during roles at both the Institute for Urban Development (IDU) and the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI). Fellow partner Ramiro Becerra combines strength in administrative law, public procurement, torts, state liability and arbitration; he is a former justice of the Administrative Tribunal in the Valle del Cauca, and also a former Justice and President of the State Council. At associate level, senior Ana Marcela Albarracín is well versed in public law, projects and litigation.

A new entrant to the Cali market, Santiago Meza Abogados & Asesores   was established in December 2021 following the spin-off of a group of tax lawyers from Franco Murgueitio & Asociados  , including Santiago Meza Mafla   and David Ernesto Martinez  . Meza, who was tax and corporate head at his former firm, now spearheads a legal, tax, accounting and audit-focused boutique composed of a nine-strong team of lawyers and accountants. Martinez — who was legal director at his former firm — provides key support as a counsel and leads the tax and litigation team. Other names to note include legal co-ordinator Oscar Martinez Marin  , who heads the labour department and also provides support on corporate, tax and litigation, as well as corporate lawyers Pablo Andrés Meza Plata and Juan Pablo Mosquera Mosquera Idarraga. The breakaway firm has hit the ground running and has recently undertaken work for leading companies such as Refinadora Nacional de Aceites y Grasas and MM Packaging Colombia — among others.

A firm ‘dedicated to advising on data protection', Seguridad Legal scores highly with clients for its ‘extensive knowledge of current regulations in Colombia and auxiliary regulations, especially GDPR'. Despite its compact size, the Cali-based boutique’s exclusive focus on privacy, data protection, cyber risk and digital business pays dividends and it is a popular choice to represent domestic and multinational companies on regulatory IT issues. Key partner Andrés Felipe Ángel founded the firm in 2014 and brings to bear strong expertise in advising an array of private and public-sector entities on the implementation of data protection programmes. The three-lawyer strong team was recently boosted by the hire of consultant Lina Fernanda Ángel, whose broad regulatory experience includes stints as a lawyer at the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Colombia, the SIC and the Colombian National Superintendence of Health.