Having grown from three to 20 lawyers in the course of six years, Diez Canseco Abogados is arguably the sector’s star performer of late. The firm acts for an impressive roster of large international businesses on both contentious and non-contentious competition and antitrust matters in Peru. On the non-contentious side it provides preventative and risk advisory expertise, particularly on the implications of new legislation; while on the contentious side it is well versed in litigation. The team is co-led by Luis Diez Canseco, Robert Venero and José Carlos Gonzáles. Diez Canseco has illustrious credentials, having previously served as President and Magistrate for Peru at the Tribunal of Justice of the Andean Community, and also served as a Member of the Appeal Tribunal at the Peruvian Institute for the Defence of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), he was recently added to the list of arbitral tribunal presidents of the European Union. Venero is the name to note for strategic litigation and competition disputes; and Gonzales is recommended for regulatory matters and has particular experience in the telecoms industry. Moreover, the team has been significantly reinforced over the course of the last year; firstly, with the arrival of Omar Alvarado -whose practice also takes in IP matters- from Miranda & Amado in February 2022; and subsequently (since research concluded), with the June-2022 hire of Roxana Arellano García, whose experience includes over 15 years at INDECOPI, most recently as the technical secretary of the organisation’s Competition Court.

With strong support from its compliance practice, Miranda & Amado is well known in the market for handling high-profile antitrust and unfair competition cases, as well as associated contentious matters, including litigation and the representation of clients before INDECOPI. Experienced senior figure Enrique Felices heads the team and leads on many of the firms’ top cases; indeed, despite the novelty of 2021’s Law N° 31112, he has particular know-how as regards merger-control filings as a result of his former roles as Chief of Advisors to the Peruvian Prime Minister and Special Presidential Envoy to the OECD. Raised to the partnership in January 2022, Fiorella Zumaeta is recommended for work pertaining to free competition, merger control and the elimination of bureaucratic barriers, along with regulatory matters. At associate level, the team has recently seen various changes, including the arrivals of Samuel Yábar and Jorge Contreras, who joined from Diez Canseco Abogados and INDECOPI in November 2021 and March 2022, respectively; and the departure of former senior associate Omar Alvarado for Diez Canseco Abogados in February 2022.

Payet, Rey, Cauvi, Pérez Abogados’ competition and antitrust team is well respected in the market and has a high-profile for its experience in a range of cross-border mandates, including advisory work, investigations, and administrative and judicial litigation. The team – which often acts for clients in class action and private enforcement cases relating to consumer protection, advertising claims and unfair competition matters – is co-lead by senior figure Carlos A. Patrón and  Julia Loret De Mola, who was promoted to the partnership in December 2021. Inordinately experienced, Patrón has had an illustrious career which included a stint at INDECOPI, the authoring of industry publications and working abroad at a large international law firm; Loret de Mola, in turn, is recommended for competition matters, and  administrative and commercial law. Principal associates David Kuroiwa and Giancarlo Baella both handle commercial and administrative law matters, with the former additionally focusing on antitrust and IP-related matters, and the latter on competition.

With the hiring of Ivo Gagliuffi , the former head of INDECOPI, in late 2020, Garrigues kickstarted the development of its competition and economic market regulation practice, to which the firm subsequently added economist Javier Coronado , another INDECOPI alumnus, further bolstering its unique capabilities. The result is a team that ‘exceeds expectations‘ and has attracted high-profile merger control mandates in the Peruvian market since the enactment of Law N° 31112 in mid-2021, and which also provides support with antitrust issues and other competition matters. Gagliuffi brings over 20 years’ experience in a broad range of competition and antitrust issues, including the elimination of bureaucratic barriers, unfair competition, advertising, consumer protection and international trade defence. An experienced second line is composed of principal associate Johanna Holz  and senior associate Maria Isabel Alvarado  are active on a range of cases; with Holz bringing ancillary expertise in public and regulatory law, while Alvarado’s practice is informed by experience in the public sector and in house, as well as in private practice.

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados offers a broad array of competition and antitrust advice, including unfair competition, consumer protection, anti-dumping and M&A-related matters. Practice co-head Pierino Stucchi is a name to note for risk prevention and compliance, as well as the representation of clients in administrative and judicial proceedings. Fellow practice co-lead José Antonio Bezada is experienced in the removal of bureaucratic barriers in a range of industry sectors and also handles competition litigation. Senior associate Carlos Rodas, whose previous roles include time at both OSIPTEL and INDECOPI, is particularly noted for preventative advice; while associate Maria Ramos, in turn, is recommended for antitrust work. The team also grew at junior level with the addition of Jose Quintana, who arrived as an associate from INDECOPI in early 2021.

Team co-head Maria Delia Oxley leads on the majority of competition matters at CMS Grau, which counts Unilever as a key client; the team is currently representing the UK-headquartered multinational in three claims against a competitor for misleading advertising. The practice also assists clients with compliance concerning free competition legislation, such as the Consumer Protection Code and merger control regulations; Oxley's fellow co-head, Ramón Huapaya, develops legal opinions regarding competition authority INDECOPI. Other recent matters include  providing day-to-day advice on competition matters for SK Berge; and advising multiple clients -particularly airlines, including Copa Airlines, Sky Airlines and KLM- on antitrust issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hernández & Cía has considerable experience of consumer protection litigation for clients from a range of industries, including banking, consumer goods and education. Led by Enrique Cavero with support by senior associate Carlos Holguín, the team manages consumer complaint cases for international companies such as Scotiabank, for which it has taken on 200 cases, as well as Procter & Gamble and Puma. A key client is Vietnam Telecom subsidiary, Bitel, which the firm defends in advertising litigation brought by competitors, as well as in trade barriers proceedings before INDECOPI, an area where the firm has strong experience, having handled a key case on illegal trade barriers against the government in recent years.

Rodrigo, Elías & Medrano – Abogados‘ long-standing competition and antitrust practice typically advises clients on complaints against government entities regarding barriers created by regulations, with recent work involving the team's representation of electricity company Luz del Sur and food production client San Fernando in complaints against ministries, regarding environmental protection and income tax regulations respectively. Compliance with antitrust regulations and adoption of preventive measures is also a key part of the practice group's caseload. Practice head Verónica Sattler is experienced in the energy and infrastructure sectors (such as electricity providers and airports), as well as providing general antitrust advice to mining companies. Sattler is assisted by Alejandro Manayalle, who co-led on the Luz del Sur matter; and telecoms head, counsel María Del Rosario Quiroga.

Santiváñez Abogados' focus on competition work is almost exclusively concerned with the power generation sector. The practice frequently represents electricity clients before authorities in complaints and Antitrust Commission investigations particularly regarding abuse of dominant position, as well as in claims of unfair competition; it is led by regulatory partner Fidel Rocha with support from specialist competition associate Percy Samaniego. Additional recent work includes helping electricity clients to design compliance programmes. Practice head and regulatory partner Roberto Santiváñez leads the team in merger control procedures, as well as antitrust compliance in private power purchase auctions.