ECIJA Colombia > Bogotá, Colombia > Firm Profile

ECIJA Colombia Offices

ECIJA Colombia
CARRERA 11A, Nº97A-19, OF 401
BOGOTÁ
Colombia
Visit website 0057 3108168169

ECIJA Colombia > The Legal 500 Rankings

Colombia > Competition and antitrust Tier 2

ECIJA Colombia is distinguished by its ‘professionalism, competitiveness and application of new technologies’, according to clients. Competition and antitrust is a key pillar of the firm’s Bogotá offering and its practice expertise encompasses a wide range of merger reviews, administrative investigations and competition litigation. A former Deputy Superintendent of the SIC, department co-head Pablo Márquez ‘understands the functioning of competition authorities’; he successfully represented Colombia Telecomunicaciones in a business integration with Colombia’s second-largest telecoms company, UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones. Fellow group co-head Julio Castañeda is also a highly regarded competition specialist, with extensive expertise in contentious administrative law cases. The group additionally benefits from the experience of merger review-focused counsel Pablo Onofre, who co-ordinates the competition and merger control team, and intermediate associate Camila Cadavid. Associate Jorge Mario González left in June 2023.

Practice head(s):

Pablo Márquez; Julio Castañeda

Testimonials

‘When deciding on ECIJA to represent our interests we took into account its specialty in this area of law; the proven experience of the team, especially Julio Castañeda; the positioning of the firm in different industries; references from colleagues; and the organised way in which it presents its proposals.’

‘Although we have had contact with several lawyers from the firm, we highlight the qualities of Julio Castañeda and Camila Cadavid. Julio has a great ability to define the legal strategy, explain it to the client in a clear and concrete way, build it with the client and put the entire defined strategy on paper.’

‘Knowledge, experience and ethics are definitely strong points of the firm.’

‘The ECIJA team is distinguished by its professionalism, competitiveness and application of new technologies and AI — it is a pioneer in the use of digital tools. It balances its practice in litigation with the teaching and training of new talent.’

‘Partners ensure inclusive participation of young people without distinction of their preferences or ideologies, nourishing the team with diverse and progressive views. Communication and integration of interns, paralegals and junior students is encouraged to contribute to their effective training.’ 

‘The outstanding partner is Pablo Márquez. In addition to being an excellent lawyer, knowledgeable about regulations in Colombia and the world, he is a person who understands markets from an economic perspective and understands the functioning of competition authorities.’

‘The team is very professional and has technical expertise superior to other firms. Always looks for a different angle to the problem and proposes “outside of the box” solutions, which allows the generation of alternative and novel solutions.’

‘Each of the partners has specialised knowledge and together they generate very great value for us. Pablo Márquez is an expert in regulation, economic law and technical aspects of the communications area. Julio Castañeda has the broadest knowledge of competition and regulation issues.’

Key clients

Colombia Telecomunicaciones (Telefónica)

Dispresco

División Mayor del Fútbol Colombiano (DIMAYOR), Tigres Fútbol Club, Bogotá Fútbol Club, Real Cartagena Fútbol Club, Fortaleza Fútbol Club, Cúcuta Deportivo Fútbol Club, Club Atlético Bucaramanga and others

OPP Graneles, Datacontrol Portuario, Asociación Colombiana de Operadores Portuarios (ACOP) and others.

Biomax Biocombustibles

Team Trainer Sports

Bavaria

Talma Servicios Aereoportuarios

Work highlights

  • Successfully represented Colombia Telecomunicaciones (Telefónica) in a business integration with Colombia’s second-largest telecommunications company, UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones (TIGO).
  • Successfully represented OPP Graneles in an appeal before the Civil Chamber of the Superior Court of Bogotá against Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Buenaventura (SPRBUN), the administrator of Colombia’s primary port on the Pacific Ocean.
  • Represented nine out of the thirty-six  football teams and individuals under investigation by the SIC for alleged anti-competitive practices in Colombia’s professional women’s football league.

Colombia > TMT Tier 3

‘Dedicated to finding the best solution to client needs’, ECIJA Colombia’s TMT group is distinguished by its prominent media and entertainment offering, where it counts CMO Producciones and Miracol Producciones among its longstanding clients. The team also advises telecoms and technology companies on regulatory matters, while it additionally houses an active data protection practice. Pablo Márquez, who focuses on TMT regulation and dispute resolution, co-heads the department alongside and IP and TMT specialist Patricia Renjifo. Also noted are Julio Castañeda, who contributes niche expertise in matters related to the radio spectrum, and senior associate Paula Gutiérrez de Piñeres.

Practice head(s):

Patricia Renjifo; Pablo Márquez

Testimonials

‘We recommend the team for its knowledge and expertise. In particular, Paula Gutiérrez de Piñeres stands out for her availability and knowledge of the subject.’

‘An excellent team of professionals, dedicated to finding the best solution to client needs. The firm’s TMT practice is very innovative. Its presence in more than 17 countries gives it the coverage and quality that multinational companies require.’

‘In the TMT space, Pablo Márquez and Patricia Renjifo combine all their experience and recognition to provide high-quality work, with a focus on efficient processes and high-value generation. Its work teams function in an integrated manner and with the contribution of knowledge.’

‘The availability of service when required and its timely response make this team something special.’

‘The team’s technical knowledge in technology regulation is very extensive. This allows it to have a great strategic vision to strengthen its public policy strategies.’

Key clients

CMO Producciones

Televideo Mediapro

Screen Colombia

Miracol Producciones

Thema America

Mercado Libre

Airbnb

Samsung Electronics Colombia

TikTok

Work highlights

  • Advising Miracol Producciones on its international productions for clients such as Netflix.
  • Advising TikTok on regulatory and public policy matters.
  • Advising Airbnb on TMT-related regulations and public policy matters.

Dispute resolution > Arbitration Tier 4

ECIJA Colombia fields an experienced arbitration team that is particularly active in disputes related to TMT and public contracts. During 2023/24, the group mainly handled domestic cases, including proceedings under CCB rules — that being said, it also brings to bear significant international arbitration expertise. The multidisciplinary group is led jointly by Camilo Ramírez, who specialises in dispute resolution and real estate law; and Pablo Márquez, who additionally sits in the TMT, competition and public law departments. Associate Jaime Andres Díaz is also noted.

Practice head(s):

Camilo Ramírez; Pablo Márquez

ECIJA Colombia > Firm Profile

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 4th 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.

Main Contacts

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

Languages

Spanish
English

Memberships

ABA (American Bar Association)
MCIArb