ECIJA Colombia > Bogotá, Colombia > Firm Profile

ECIJA Colombia
CARRERA 11A, Nº97A-19, OF 401
BOGOTÁ
Colombia

Visit website 0057 3108168169

Colombia > Competition and antitrust Tier 2

ECIJA Colombia impresses with its ability to address matters both from an ‘analytical and in-depth' perspective and also in a ‘practical and strategic way'. The team’s ability to link into the global firm’s international network is another significant advantage and positions it as a good choice for multinational matters, evidenced by its recent advice to Discovery on the Colombian competition aspects of its acquisition of AT&T’s WarnerMedia business. It also routinely handles domestic merger reviews, competition litigation and behavioural work. Former SIC antitrust superintendent Pablo Márquez led the Discovery work and co-heads the department alongside Julio Castañeda. The team also includes talented counsel Pablo Onofre — who provided sole support on the Discovery case — as well as associates Diana Lucía Castiblanco and Jorge Mario González.

Leading individuals

Julio Castañeda – ECIJA Colombia

Pablo Marquez – ECIJA Colombia

Rising stars

Pablo Onofre – ECIJA Colombia

Practice head(s):

Pablo Márquez; Julio Castañeda

Testimonials

‘It is a committed firm with excellent knowledge in competition law as well as on the management of strategies to address problems and find solutions.‘

‘The firm’s handling of competition law matters, coupled with its knowledge of how the regulatory entity (the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce) acts, makes ECIJA Colombia, led by Pablo Márquez, one of the best law firms in Colombia and LATAM.’

‘Lawyers provide personalised attention and support at all times, doing their work impeccably, while at the same time maintaining constant communication with the client to ensure everyone understands the entire legal panorama.’

‘The firm’s knowledge, ethics, intelligence and professionalism stand out from the rest of the market.‘

‘Pablo Márquez and Julio Castañeda, and their team, are excellent professionals with whom it is a pleasure to work. The firm’s knowledge of the area of competition, and its dealings with the regulatory body (in all instances), differentiates it from its competitors.’

‘ECIJA Colombia’s main virtue is its interdisciplinary team of lawyers and economists who, led by Pablo Márquez, manage to address in an analytical and in-depth way, as well as a practical and strategic way, the matters entrusted to them.‘

‘The use of technology in the analysis of precedents, and its collaborative approach to understand the needs and vision of the client, are also positive characteristics of the firm.’

‘We value the firm’s experience in matters related to competition law and economic regulation, mainly in the ICT sector, as well as its understanding and positive approach to the economic analysis of law.‘

Key clients

Organización Terpel

Airbnb

Airplan

Mercado Libre Colombia

Dipresco

Alima

Cementos Argos

Aerovías del Continente Americano (Avianca)

Westlake Chemical Corp

Discovery

Deere & Co

Ufinet Colombia

DiMayor

Calidra Colombia

Inmadica Adina

Talma Servicios Aeroportuarios (Perú)

Telefónica

Work highlights

Represented DiMayor (the major division of Colombian football) and it’s 36 football clubs in an investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices (no-poach agreements) to prevent the movement and labour freedom of football players.
Advised Discovery on the competition aspects of its acquisition of AT&T’s WarnerMedia business in the digital and content production markets in Colombia.
Represented Westlake Chemical before the Competition Authority in relation to its acquisition of Hexion Coatings and Composites (US).

Colombia > TMT Tier 3

ECIJA Colombia was formed through the May 2021 tie-up between legacy firm Márquez Barrera Castañeda Ramírez (MBCR) and Spain-headquartered TMT specialist ECIJA. Arguably best known for the strength of its media and entertainment law practice, the local office also packs a punch in regulatory matters regarding the telecoms, internet and e-commerce industries. The ‘friendly, competent and diligent‘ team is co-led by Patricia Renjifo -who specialises in IP, media and entertainment law- alongside regulatory specialist Pablo Márquez, who is a former chairman of Colombia’s Commission for Communications Regulation. Other key contacts include litigation and telecoms partner Julio Castañeda, of counsel Pablo Onofre, and senior associates Paula Gutiérrez de Piñeres and Andrés Paillié. Of counsel Victor Cuéllar Olarte left to become general counsel at EdgeUno in January 2022.

Practice head(s):

Patricia Renjifo; Pablo Márquez

Testimonials

‘It is a firm with strong knowledge and experience in TMT matters. The team provides complete support, which gives peace of mind to the client.’

‘Lawyers are friendly, competent and diligent. They are not pushy and are willing to listen to the client’s opinions and/or recommendations.’

Key clients

CMO Producciones

Jaguar Bite

MediaPro-Televideo

Raw Content Studios

Mico Media Producciones

Miracol Media

Mercado Libre Colombia / Mercadopago Colombia

Airbnb

Samsung Electronics Colombia

TikTok

Work highlights

Advised CMO Producciones on international productions for clients such as Netflix and Telemundo, from the development of the audio-visual work through to post-production.
Advised MercadoLibre, and the payment processor MercadoPago, on e-commerce regulation, privacy law and consumer law, among other matters.
Advised Samsung Electronics Colombia on regulatory matters affecting the company’s operation.

Dispute resolution > Litigation Tier 5

ECIJA Colombia has ‘unparalleled experience in regulatory and competition matters for the ICT sector‘, according to sources. Naturally, this formidable offering ensures a steady stream of competition-related litigation, but the group has also recently acted on litigation arising from consumer protection, directors’ liability and contractual disputes. Pablo Márquez is an antitrust expert with a robust record in contentious competition matters; in a notable mandate, he is acting alongside antitrust, litigation and telecoms partner Julio Castañeda to represent Conalvías Construcciones in one of the largest unfair competition lawsuits ever filed in Colombia, worth approximately $65m. Other key names include Camilo Ramírez Zuluaga , who has a focus on private law litigation and arbitration, and supporting associate Nasser Obando .

Practice head(s):

Pablo Márquez; Julio Castañeda; Camilo Ramírez

Testimonials

‘The firm has unparalleled experience in regulatory and competition matters for the ICT sector, this facilitates the understanding of the challenges and the cases to review, by understanding the impact it has on business strategy.’

‘Pablo Márquez has experience in the ICT sector combining public, private and competition law, thus giving a very complete vision of all the aspects that must be managed in a given project. He is a professional who enjoys recognition and credibility in the sector.’

Key clients

Organización Terpel

Flash Mobile (Logística Flash Colombia and Oportunidad Flash Colombia)

Conalvías Construcciones

OPP Graneles

American Towers Corporation

Data Control Portuario

Mercado Libre Colombia and Mercado Pago Colombia

Bogal Vet

Mazda de Colombia

Class action against Frontera Energy Corp

Work highlights

Representing Flash Mobile in $40m litigation related to unfair and anti-competitive acts.
Advising Organización Terpel on $3m litigation relating to an alleged environmental infraction generating competitive advantages in the wholesale fuel distribution market.
Acting for Conalvías Construcciones in one of the largest unfair competition lawsuits ever filed in Colombia, worth approximately $65m.

Dispute resolution > Arbitration Tier 1

Firms to watch

Following the former MBCR’s integration into the Spain-headquartered ECIJA network in April 2021, ECIJA Colombia is likely to become one of the key offices in the firm's regional presence; this is particularly evident in arbitration, where the legacy firm’s strong regulatory skill set is combining well with its new international platform.

ECIJA is a European law firm with headquarters in Spain and offices in Portugal, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and El Salvador. ECIJA has a multidisciplinary team of over 800 professionals with exceptional experience in their fields of practice, working in different jurisdictions, with extensive knowledge of the various industries and international markets. ECIJA is a client-focused law firm with the agility and personal service of a high-end boutique firm and the multidisciplinary experience of a large firm. ECIJA is a full-service firm with significant experience and specialized in the practice areas required by international clients to invest and operate globally.

ECIJA’s international capacity is outstanding, and the firm offers integrated cross-border advice. Since 2019, ECIJA has merged with 16 law firms and has become the largest Spanish law firm in Latin America. Nowadays ECIJA has 29 offices in 16 countries. Furthermore, in 2019 ECIJA signed the most significant strategic joint venture agreement with the 4^th largest Chinese law firm (Grandall Law). The agreement brought together 3,500 lawyers and 54 offices in Iberia, Latin America, and Asia.

“To put that in perspective, that is comparable with CMS and Norton Rose Fulbright, some of the biggest firms in the world by headcount.” Law.com.

ECIJA Colombia and various of its partners are recognized as leaders in their fields of practice by the most prestigious international legal ranking platforms such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, Best Lawyers, Who’s Who Legal, among others. ECIJA Colombia has a team of over 20 capable lawyers in Bogotá, with wide experience in various legal fields.

Main areas of practice
Antitrust: ECIJA Colombia advises large companies at a national and international level in antitrust, merger control and unfair competition cases. Our clients come from a wide spectrum of economic sectors, including finance, oil and gas, energy, retail, telecommunications and media, healthcare, agriculture, among others. ECIJA’s practice in antitrust has been consistently ranked as a leading firm in Colombia, by Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500 and Who is Who Legal. Moreover, its leading partners, Pablo Márquez and Julio Castañeda, have been ranked as some of the best antitrust lawyers in the country.

Corporate: ECIJA Colombia provides corporate and M&A services for both local and international clients. The firm’s practice in M&A, led by Carlos Hugo Ramírez, is multijurisdictional, focused on transactions with a regional component in Latin-American markets.

Dispute resolution: ECIJA Colombia has a strong practice for dispute resolution both in local and arbitration courts, including commercial, civil, investment and public law cases. As for arbitration, the firm has a regional practice of several partners with strong experience and skills in international arbitration, using the ICC, AAA and UNCITRAL rules.

Labor law: ECIJA Colombia has a specialist team led by Carlos Hugo Ramirez, with extensive experience in providing labor law advice on all aspects related to the company, management, and employees, both at a national and international level. The firm has a strong practice on employment matters form the employer perspective. The practice includes litigation, technology issues related to employment, company’s restructuring, compliance, among others.

Media and intellectual property: ECIJA Colombia is one of the leading firms in Colombia in the media and entertainment law field. The team, led by Patricia Renjifo, advises national and international participants of the entertainment industry on a daily basis, especially regarding audiovisual productions. The lawyers of this team have acquired specialized practice and knowledge in copyright, business affairs, government incentives and clearance for productions held in Colombia. Our clients vary from international production companies and distributors to local and arising talent, which has allowed the team to get to know the entertainment industry from all perspectives. In addition, the team has broad experience in IP matters and the prosecution of trademarks and other distinctive signs in Colombia.

Real estate: ECIJA Colombia is a well-known player in the Latin-American real estate market. The firm has a specialized legal practice in urban real estate law, arbitration and dispute resolution led by Camilo Ramirez, professor at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana of Bogotá and a renowned lawyer in arbitration, acting as attorney, arbitrator and secretary of Tribunals. Clients include the construction, industrial, extractive and services sectors, tourism and investment funds.

Telecommunications: ECIJA Colombia has a strong practice in telecommunications and information technologies, led by partners Pablo Márquez and Julio Castañeda. The firm has specialized knowledge in radioelectric spectrum matters. The firm’s ongoing activity in this market and close relationship with regulatory entities enables it to offer the best possible solution for each case.

Technology and data privacy: ECIJA Colombia is one of the leading firms in LatAm for technology and data privacy practices. The team, led by Pablo Márquez, focuses on complex transactions pertaining to the technology industry, including M&A and software developments.

Regulatory and government affairs: The public and regulatory law department provides its services under the guarantee of consolidated experience, giving advice on matters such as the processing of licenses and permits in regulated sectors, attainment of grants and subsidies, due diligence, protection of fundamental rights, administrative sanctions and infringements, tenders and contracting committees, relations with public administrations and other bodies. More specifically, the firm has been directly involved with the national government in the design of public policies and regulations associated with land-use planning that are currently being implemented.

Agrarian law: ECIJA Colombia has a specialized legal practice and reputable knowledge in agrarian law (or rural real estate law), including regulation on the financing of investments in rural areas. The leading partner in this area is Lorena Garnica de la Espriella who, due to her expertise, is a consultant for the design of rural public policies and regulations for government entities and multilateral banks. Clients include the financial sector, agribusiness, extractive sector, tourism, and investment funds.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Managing Partner- Antitrust, Information Technology, Dispute Resolution: Litigation & Arbitration, Regulatory and Government Affairs	Pablo Márquez	pmarquez@ecija.com	+ 57 310 816 8169
Partner – Corporate / M&A, Advisory and Labour Law at ECIJA Colombia	Carlos Hugo Ramírez	chramirez@ecija.com	+ 57 1 7551352
Partner- Antitrust, Litigation and Telecommunications	Julio Castañeda	jcastaneda@ecija.com	+ 57 1 7551352
Partner of Media, Intellectual & Industrial property; Entertainment Law; Startups, innovation and entrepreneurship	Patricia Renjifo	prenjifo@ecija.com	+ 57 1 7551352
Partner Agrarian law, Real State, Public policy, Public and Regulatory, Human Rights	Lorena Garnica	lgarnica@ecija.com	+57 1 7551352
Partner - Dispute Resolution:Litigation and Arbitration , Real Estate, Private Client & Trust	Camilo Ramírez	cramirez@ecija.com	+ 57 1 7551352

Name	Position	Profile
Julio César Castañeda Acosta	Partner	View Profile
Pablo Márquez	Managing Partner at ECIJA Colombia	View Profile
Carlos Hugo Ramírez	Partner	View Profile
Camilo Ramírez Zuluaga	Partner	View Profile
Patricia Renjifo	Partner	View Profile
Michael Veintimilla	Partner	View Profile