eelaw > Santiago, Chile > Firm Profile
eelaw Offices
AV. APOQUINDO 3910, PISO 7 LAS CONDES
CP 7550029
Chile
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eelaw > The Legal 500 Rankings
Chile > Environment Tier 2
The large, 12-strong team at boutique law firm Eelaw routinely acts on the environmental law aspects of significant projects; and it stands out in the market for being specialised in mine closure regulations. The group is also routinely sought out to advise on the environmental impact assessment of projects and the management of permits, as well as acting in defence-side environmental and sectoral sanctioning proceedings, particularly before the Superintendence of the Environment. The practice is additionally experienced in litigating matters before the Environmental Courts, Courts of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. The wide-ranging practice of department leader Paulina Riquelme includes environmental compliance strategies, waste regulations, contaminated site remediations, emissions-related compensation, and litigation and administrative procedures. Key support comes from senior associates Jorge Brower, who focuses on the environmental law aspects of mining projects, and Camila Martínez, a former Superintendency of the Environment lawyer.Practice head(s):
Paulina Riquelme
Testimonials
‘Great for personalised attention, perseverance, and monitoring of environmental issues.‘
‘Solid availability – there is always a team member that will attend to clients’ requirements.‘
Key clients
Mainstream Renewable Power
Lithium Chile
Sociedad Nacional de Minería
Haldeman Mining Company
Grupo Minero Las Cenizas
Mitsubishi Corporation
Compañía Minera del Pacífico
Cerro Negro Mining Company
Dell Chile
Marimaca Copper Corp
KDM
Minera Tres Valles
Confederación de Producción y Comercio
Continental Compañía de Seguros
Aguas CAP
Puerto Las Lozas
Work highlights
- Provided Mainstream Renewable Power with environmental legal advice on the permitting for the construction and operation of renewable energy projects in Chile.
- Advising Compañía Minera del Pacífico on environmental regulation compliance and environmental project management issues (in relation to its mining sites).
- Assisting Sonami associates (small, medium and large-scale mining companies) on different environmental matters, such as mining exploration, water resources, community issues and environmental regulations.
eelaw > Firm Profile
#WeAreEnvironmentalLaw
Commonly, in every setting and in any class of industry, situations arise that may result in environmental problems. Particularly, at present given that regulatory requirements on productive, manufacturing, mining and energy industries are more demanding.
The world is changing rapidly at an unprecedented pace, rendering EELAW’s services crucial for a timely and suitable reaction.
We are pioneers in the field, as a firm exclusively dedicated to environmental law and at the forefront of the regulatory developments both national and international, through high level incisive legal analysis required for the development and implementation of all types of projects.
#WeAreEnvironmentalLaw, we are up-to-date with issues and offer high quality and advanced legal services to clients in a range of fields related to the sustainable use of natural resources.
We provide legal advice on environmental regulatory issues to industry associations such as the National Mining Society (SONAMI). Also, we engage as active participants in the drafting of environmental regulations providing comments and policy proposals related to these matters.
We firmly believe in the total compatibility between economic activity and the sustainable development of countries, supporting our clients in the search for paths which allow them to fulfill their goals, while complying with existing regulations and creating positive bonds with nature, the territory and the communities within.
Main areas or practice
Project development and permitting
“Our approach is prevention“
We provide legal advice to companies and associations of different productive sectors with the focus of offering strategic regulatory and technical-environmental point of views. At EELAW we are prepared to provide comprehensive environmental legal advice by collaborating intensively with our clients’ technical teams and professionals.
We are specialists in the elaboration of strategies for designing and undertaking the environmental impact assessment of projects, permits management and the successful implementation of projects during their life cycle stages: construction, operation and closure.
Our approach is prevention. We understand our clients’ needs and we provide advice aligned with their goals, striving to prevent and effectively minimize the risks and costs associated with the development of investment projects.
- Environmental aspects of investment projects.
- Environmental assessment of projects.
- Facilitation of citizen participation processes.
- Maritime concessions.
- Pollution control.
- Communities.
- Environmental permits.
- Closure of mining operations.
- Due diligence.
- Regulatory support to the energy and natural resources industry.
Environmental litigation
“We are prepared to face complex scenarios”
At EELAW we are acquainted with the scientific and technical issues of the industries we advise. Based on our experience and professional training, we seek to integrate various disciplines and are prepared to face complex scenarios, which allows us to deliver solid and integral defenses to our clients.
We focus on supporting and defending our clients in environmental and sectoral sanctioning proceedings, particularly before the Superintendence of the Environment, where we advised on the filing of the first Compliance Program in our country. Likewise, we also have experience in handling cases and litigating before the Environmental Courts, Courts of Appeals and the Supreme Court.
- Defense before Environmental Courts and Ordinary Courts.
- Defense in sanctioning administrative proceedings before various Governmental agencies.
- General defense strategies, before the Superintendence of the Environment, General Water Bureau and the National Geology and Mining Service.
- Drafting, filing and monitoring of Compliance Programs.
- Prevention strategies to avoid/minimize sanctioning administrative proceedings.
Environmental compliance
“Environmental compliance is prevention, reaction and adaptation”
At EELAW we have deep knowledge of the environmental and sectorial compliance frameworks applicable to the regulated community, and of the possible consequences associated with non-compliances. We focus not only in the development of reactive compliance strategies, but most importantly in the design and implementation of preventive and proactive compliance strategies.
Our counseling in matters of environmental compliance allows us to deliver a strategic analysis to the work of consultants and in-house professionals, aiming at identify gaps, anticipating and preventing regulatory non-compliance scenarios, seeking that the client may understand and adapt to regulatory changes and encouraging adoption of corrective actions to address compliance gaps. We educate and train our clients, their managers, technicians and professionals, in an effort to promote a culture of environmental compliance.
- Preventive counseling on environmental matters.
- Regulatory risk analysis.
- Strategic compliance planning.
- Environmental legal strategy.
- Compliance audits.
- Compliance analysis of the environmental compliance performance of an activity.
- Education and training in environmental compliance.
Regulations: Monitoring, development and trends
“We actively participate in the development of environmental law”
At EELAW we actively participate in the development of new environmental regulations. We have advised State agencies and private actors in the design and implementation of public policies in environmental matters and actively participate in the creation of proposals and regulatory projects. Thus, we permanently attend Congress sessions and we are always updated in the parliamentary discussions of all the relevant bills for our professional practice.
In addition, we prepare briefings, monthly reports, presentations and training for managers, professionals and technicians who work with our clients.
In this context, one of our most recent experience was our participation in the process of drafting the Tire Targets Decree for the implementation of the Extended Producer Liability Law (as known as the “REP Law”), providing the mining sector´s vision making known the challenges it faces and its experience in some valorization initiatives.
Continuous improvement is in our DNA, thereby with the purpose of maintaining the continuous education of our legal team, our lawyers attend and participate in different instances of academic discussion, contributing with a critical, constructive and practical point of view.
We keep our clients up to date with all the relevant advances in environmental legal issues, with emphasis on innovation and the development of their interests and businesses.
- Environmental education to regulated sectors.
- Regulatory analysis of mining industry.
- Monitoring of regulatory changes.
- Advice on environmental legislative and administrative issues.
- Update on trends and regulatory processes
Pollution control and circular economy
“We know the regulatory instruments, their form of compliance and its report to the authority”
At EELAW we know in depth the regulatory instruments associated with pollution control of various environmental components. We advise our clients in the compliance with the associated regulations, their report to the authority, as well as in the regulatory framework applicable to the remediation of contaminated components. In this way, we provide pioneering environmental advice in the country, not only focusing on compliance, but also on supporting our clients in their efforts to raise their environmental standards.
On the other hand, our firm actively participates in the discussion of international environmental regulations, as is the case with the Minamata Convention, for which we have highly qualified lawyers.
Aware of the challenges and new regulatory trends, EELAW has paid special attention to Law No. 20,920 and the process of preparing its goal decrees, which will allow the implementation of the REP Law. Our team fully understands the relevance of this Law and its impacts on the market, so we are experts in subscribing to all those initiatives that incorporate its relevant concepts, beyond what is regulated by Law Nº 20.920, allowing us to offer avant-garde service.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Paulina Riquelme | priquelme@eelaw.cl | +56222077896 |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Ms Paulina Riquelme | Founding Partner | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Senior associate : Astrid Francke Associate : Jorge Brower Associate : Stefanie Hochstetter Associate : Ivonne Miranda Associate : Pedro Bravo Associate : José Miguel Abarca Associate : Maximiliano Alfaro Associate : Constanza Muñoz Associate : Michelle Taylor Paralegal : Matías Barraza Paralegal : Felipe Arellano Paralegal : Diego Bascuñán Paralegal : Valentina Fernández Paralegal : Martín Benavides Paralegal : Catalina Núñez Paralegal : Javiera Rosales Paralegal : Débora BascurLanguages
English Spanish- Environment