Felipe Mariño > Cuatrecasas > Bogotá, Colombia > Lawyer Profile

Valued for its ‘deep knowledge of the critical aspects of transactions’, Cuatrecasas continued to make inroads into Colombian M&A during 2023/24 and added 12 new clients, including Macquarie Capital and GFT Technologies. Juan Felipe Vera co-heads the department and contributes broad industry knowledge, with experience in deals involving private equity, financial services, energy, life sciences and infrastructure, among other areas. Fellow co-head Felipe Mariño cemented his reputation as an up-and-coming corporate specialist with leading roles on a string of matters during 2023/24, such as advising Two (a special-purpose acquisition company) on a $578m merger with LatAm Logistic Properties in relation to certain subsidiaries in Colombia and Peru. The team additionally benefits from a strong second line of senior associates: Carolina Trejos Robledo possesses ‘excellent knowledge of Colombian law and international law’; Natalia Villamizar ‘gets into operational detail without losing perspective of the client’s objective’; and Fabio Ardila is recommended for energy-related work. Former senior associate Andrés Felipe Saldarriaga moved in house at GeoPark in December 2023. Since publication, the practice has been further strengthened with the hire of Jaime Moya as a partner – effective as of November 2024.

Cuatrecasas’ real estate offering continues to gain traction in the market, following its establishment in 2021, and it added ten new clients during 2023/24, including CCLA Group and LatAm Logistic Properties. In another strong sign of growth, department head and practice director Camilo Cardona was promoted to partner in April 2024. Cardona’s promotion doubles the number of partners in the group to two, with corporate and M&A specialist Felipe Mariño also dedicating a significant portion of his practice to real estate transactions. Intermediate associate Laura Pinzón is additionally noted for her ‘extensive knowledge in real estate’.