DG&A-Abogados > Bogota, Colombia > Firm Profile

DG&A-Abogados
CARRERA 7 # 74 -21, PISO 6
BOGOTA
Colombia

Email firm Visit website 57 1 217 08 00

Colombia > Corporate and M&A Tier 5

Attracting strong reviews from sources, DG&A-Abogados secures acclaim for its ability to provide ‘solution-driven brainstorming focused on in-country realities’. The team additionally stands out for its niche strength in the retail sector, including in complementary areas such as franchising, which sees it provide ongoing corporate and commercial advice to major domestic and multinational brands such as D1, American Apparel Colombia and Tugo. Managing partner and department head María Del Rosario Gómez impresses with her ‘extensive experience in the retail business’, while former associate practice co-ordinator Maria Isabel Molinares - who provides ‘detailed and thoughtful analysis’ - was raised to the partnership in January 2023. Associate Juan Carlos Fresen, who supports the corporate and administrative law teams, is also noted. Associate Santiago Adarve left for Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas in June 2022.

Rising stars

Maria Isabel Molinares – DG&A-Abogados

Practice head(s):

María del Rosario Gómez; Maria Isabel Molinares

Testimonials

‘We value the team for its willingness and professionalism. Lawyers are very personable; their warmth and integrity makes them unique.’

‘The firm has always been attentive to solving any legal problem that we present to the organisation.’

‘I am the managing partner of an international law firm. DGA has acted as my Colombia office for the past 15 years. Together, we have handled corporate, government relations, litigation, real estate and regulatory issues. DGA is a small, woman-owned firm with superlative talent.’

‘Key strengths include : thorough, detailed and thoughtful oral and written analysis. Excellent negotiation skills. Solution-driven approach. Practical and pragmatic advice. Responsive (rare in Latam). Timely and deadline conscious. Across the board availability. Excellent English language skills.’

‘All my work is led by María del Rosario Gómez and senior associate Maria Isabel Molinares, who stand out for their detailed and thoughtful analysis tailored to the client’s specific situation and needs; and pragmatic, solution-driven brainstorming focused on in-country realities and challenges.’

‘The service and answers to the queries requested by the client are always answered in a timely and concrete manner. We appreciate the willingness of the team to meet customer requirements.’

‘I have a permanent relationship with Maria del Rosario Gomez, a partner of the firm. She has extensive experience in the retail business, which corresponds to the sector in which our company is located. Maria’s responses to our requirements are always very timely.’

Key clients

Outsourcing Servicios Informaticos

Schneider Electric de Colombia

Texmodas

Century Sports

Tugo

VFS Colombia

Selina Group

Eventos Efectivos y Producciones

Makita Colombia

Fit for all

Celplan Colombia, in liquidation

Terumo Colombia Andina

American Apparel Colombia

Atheltic Sport

SPLA Different

Bogotá Occidente

Bioempak

Chilco Distribuidora de Gas y Energía

Ochurus!

Yop Colombia

Translegal

International Tourism Group

Corporación de Crédito Contactar

Opciones Administrativas

Nuvant

Crep Protect

Work highlights

Provided ongoing advice to D1 (formerly Koba Colombia) on commercial contracts, including agreements with suppliers and lease agreements.
Advised Texmodas Group on various corporate, compliance and contentious matters, including commercial contract drafting.
Advised Outsourcing Servicios Informáticos on contracts with public entities, and other commercial and corporate matters.

Colombia > Labour and employment Tier 5

DG&A-Abogados is commended for its ‘excellent knowledge of the national labour regulatory framework’. The group handles a mix of collective and individual matters, with a prominent record in contentious work, including disciplinary processes and judicial proceedings. Department head Adriana Martínez specialises in labour and immigration law, with a focus on collective bargaining, labour audits and due diligence issues, among others. Karin Rojas heads the labour litigation unit, while of counsel Carlos Arturo Silva -a former auxiliary magistrate of the labour division of the Supreme Court- acts as an external advisor.

Practice head(s):

Adriana Martínez; Karin Rojas

Testimonials

‘The team demonstrates excellent knowledge of the national labour regulatory framework. The team’s availability and proactivity is very important to us.’

‘We value lawyers for their knowledge, availability, and opportunity in legal advice.’

‘The team knows the particularities of its clients. This allows it to provide comprehensive advice that keeps in mind not only legal issues, but also the implications within the framework of the client’s specific relationships.’

‘Adriana Martínez and Karin Rojas are two outstanding professionals, who are knowledgeable about legal issues, and also maintain very good service dispositions.’

Key clients

IBM Colombia

Termobarranquilla (TEBSA)

Outsourcing Servicios Informáticos

Fit for all

Banco Pichincha

Colviseg

Humboldt Institute

Schneider Electric

Indega (Industria nacional de gaseosas)

Eventos Efectivos y Producciones

Yop Colombia

American Apparel Colombia

Athletic Sport

Terumo Colombia Andina

Makita Colombia

Work highlights

Representing D1, which has more than 10000 employees, in disciplinary processes at the national level.
Advising IBM de Colombia on various labour litigation cases.
Advising Termobarranquilla on day-to-day matters concerning its relationship with its employees’ union, including collective bargaining.

DG&A – Abogados, is a multi-service Colombian law firm established in 1997 with the purpose of serving national and foreign companies with legal advice through a group of bilingual lawyers with experience and leverage in the mayor areas of legal practice.

The firm is recognized as a boutique law firm committed to delivering its clients the highest quality services in complementary areas of expertise, dedicated to serving their needs and to satisfying the best interests of many local and foreign companies.

The firm has a team of over 15 associates in various practice areas. The partners are graduated from Colombia’s top universities and are fluent in at least one language other than Spanish.

The firm: DG&A is committed to the highest ethical standards. In its practice areas the firm is guided by the principles of transparency and the value of justice. It has a strong social commitment through which it strongly believes in contributing to the fulfillment of the noblest purposes of the country, Latin America and the international community. It is a signatory of the Pro Bono Declaration for Latin America of the Cyrus Vance for International Justice.

DG&A’s local and foreign clients value the firm as they receive a complete and comprehensive support for their businesses. The firm’s philosophy is to provide prompt, integral and highly reliable and qualified services. The search of excellence, understood as a constant and disciplined process, is the touchstone that guides DG&A’s work. To better serve the diverse interests of our clients, DG&A has correspondents within a network of specialized local and international firms and worldwide alliances.

An alliance has been signed with, one of the UK’s largest law firms that is ranked by UK Guide 2017.

Together with DWF LLP and other international firms, DG&A has participated in the elaboration of the second edition of the international Franchise Handbook.

In 2016 the firm, particularly the department of Corporate law was mentioned by lanota.com and ranked as one of the most recognized among clients: (http://lanota.com/index.php/CONFIDENCIAS/Ranking-2016-abogados-corporativos-de-Colombia.html)

The firm is a founding partner of the Chamber of Legal Services of the national Association of Industrialist in Colombia -ANDI-. Currently, this Chamber is presided by one of DG&A Partners.

Main areas of practice: The main areas or practice are Corporate M&A, Labour and employment, tax, constitutional and administrative law. Nonetheless, the firm carries out work in the areas of banking and finance, human rights for enterprises, energy and natural resources, foreign trade, real estate, litigation and international public law.

In its areas of practice, the firm is best known for its personalized attention to its clients, for its in-depth analysis and speed in its responses.

In the Corporate area of practice, one of the key areas of work is the specialized knowledge in franchising, in foreign investment procedures and the management of foreign exchange operations. Most recently the department has grown in the retail and mass sales sector.

The department of labor and employment also includes the area of migrations in which the firm is quite solid and highly recognized. This area is best known for the service given to employers more than to employees. The focus of its work practice is corporate.

The department has been growing in the area of legal counselling to companies subject to audit processes carried out by the Pension and Parafiscal Management Unit – UGPP: the objective is to ensure that the result of settlement resulting from such audits are close to zero.

In addition, as a boutique law firm, one of the areas in which extensive experience with positive feedback and a high percentage of success is offered is the one that corresponds to the handling of judicial proceedings before the jurisdiction on labour law matters. The same can be said of repeals of nullification of a court decision made by the highest courts of the nation, exclusively on substantive grounds of interpretation and application of law.

As for the public law department, its main area of work is advising on contractual matters with the state, litigation before the contentous- administravie jurisdiction and verificarion of compliance with standards. As part of the service offered b this Department and considering the type of clients, a new area has been developed, offering advice to companies for verification and support in the implementation of human rights stnadards at all levels.

The tax law department area from DG&A has a practical vision of the consulting needs of its clients. It understands the importance of conceptualization, but it is also aware that managers need concrete tools for its decision-making process. In that sense, the department offers agile and timely advice. Nevertheless, legal concepts are always appropriately supported legally and academically.

The firm’s clients include industrial, commercial and service companies as well as national and foreign investment agencies. The main sectors of the industry to which the clients belong are consumer product manufacturing, food and drink producers, retail, real estate, travel and leisure, automobiles and parts, banks, charities, chemicals, commercial and professional services, construction and materials, consumer product manufacturing, education, financial services, private clients and individuals, real estate finance, technology, hardware and electronics, transportation and travel and leisure, banks, charities, energy, health care, industrial engineering, media, pharmaceutical, private clients, software and computer services, and telecommunications, among others.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Corporate law	María del Rosario Gómez (mrgomez@col-law.com)	mrgomez@col-law.com	57 1 2170800
Labor law, social security, Migrations	Adriana Martínez (amartinez@col-law.com)	amartinez@col-law.com	57 1 2170800
Constitutional and Administrative law	Claudia Dangond (cdangond@col-law.com )	cdangond@col-law.com	57 1 2170800

Name	Position	Profile
CLAUDIA DANGOND GIBSONE	Partner. Head of the Public law Department	View Profile
Ms María Del Rosario Gómez	Partner. Head of the commercial and corporate Department. Managing partner	View Profile
JUAN CARLOS FRESEN	Senior Lawyer	View Profile
MARIA DEL ROSARIO GÓMEZ JARAMILLO	Partner. Head of the commercial and corporate Department. Managing partner	View Profile
ADRIANA MARTINEZ PIEDRAHITA	Partner. Head of the advisory in labor law, social security and immigration…	View Profile
Ms Adriana Martínez	Partner. Head of the advisory in labor law, social security and immigration…	View Profile
Ms Maria Isabel Molinares Saenz	Associate	View Profile
KARIN JEANNETTE ROJAS CALA	Associate. As part of the labor law, social security and immigration law…	View Profile
Ms Karin Rojas	Associate. As part of the labor law, social security and immigration law…	View Profile