From the election of  President Boric to the rejection of the proposed replacement constitution and the formation of a new Constitutional Council, Chile’s political pendulum has swung repeatedly as the country seeks to emerge from the combined impacts of the pandemic and the country’s ‘estallido social’. Nevertheless, ongoing foreign investment and a more pragmatic administration than initially expected have seen confidence return to the Chilean market, driving the demand for legal services on all fronts – particularly as regards projects and their associated financing and environmental aspects. In this busy scenario, we are delighted to launch The Legal 500’s inaugural Chile Awards, recognising the leading legal players from both private practice and the in-house sector, and whose work has ensured the continued vibrance of Chile’s highly competitive legal market.

These awards are based on The Legal 500’s market-leading independent research for our annual directory. Winners are selected by a judging team spearheaded by The Legal 500 Latin America editor Tim Girven and head of in-house research Joe Boswell, along with over 20 in-house and freelance researchers who have in-depth knowledge of their practice areas; this is the same team that is responsible for the annual production of the authoritative The Legal 500 Latin America guide, and employing the same evidence base. Some practice areas have stand-alone awards and others are thematic groupings of directory practice areas.