Mr Cristián Urzúa > Urzúa > Santiago, Chile > Lawyer Profile

Urzúa
Avda. Apoquindo 6410, oficina 1405
Las Condes
Santiago
Chile

Work Department

Projects, engineering, and construction; and claims, litigation and arbitration on those fields.

Position

Cristián Urzúa is partner of Urzúa Abogados.

He advises owners and contractors in infrastructure projects, in engineering and construction, from the idea of ​​developing a project, through the preparation of contracts and their performance, to litigation or liquidation, including claims.

Career

Mr. Urzúa has been partner at Urzúa Abogados since 2017 and, previously, was director of the Arbitration and Litigation Group and engineering and construction specialist, at Carey & Allende – currently CMS Carey & Allende, Santiago (2015-2016); and senior associate (2009-2015); associate of the arbitration and litigation firm, Ortúzar, Águila & Concha -today Ortúzar Vergara & Boetsch, Santiago (2006-2008); and associate of the Arbitration and Litigation Group at Álvarez, Hinzpeter & Jana -now Bofill Mir & Álvarez Jana-, Santiago (2006-2008).

Mr. Urzúa usually writes about Construction Law topics in newspapers like El Mercurio Legal and Diario Financiero. Also, he teaches the subject at the most reputable universities in the country.

Some of their representative experience:

  • A mining company with global presence, in the contractual support of the construction of an expansion of mining infrastructure that required the performance of five packages of contracts, in various modalities, for USD 2,000 million.
  • A construction company of power transmission lines, in the contractual support of the construction of one of the most important power transmission lines of the decade, for USD 250 million.
  • An engineering company with global presence, in a domestic arbitration for USD 7 million, in a conflict related to impacts on term, costs and scope of the work, obtaining one of the few judgements that awarded a complaint against an arbitrator ex aequo et bono, in the last 15 years in Chile.
  • A photovoltaic solar energy company, in a domestic arbitration for USD 8 million, in a dispute in connection with impacts on term, costs and scope of the work, obtaining a favorable ruling, despite the fact that the award issued by the first arbitrator was challenged before the Santiago Court of Appeal.
  • An engineering company with global presence, in the determination of its environmental contingencies and in the early preparation of its environmental defense, in a project of USD 1,000 million, for contingencies amounted to USD 40 million.

Languages

  • Spanish.
  • English.

Memberships

  • Member of the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation.
  • Member of the Chilean Bar Association.

Education

  • LLM., University of California, Berkeley (cum laude, 2012).
  • Certificate in Contracts and Torts Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (summa cum laude, 2005).
  • Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (summa cum laude, 2005).

Personal

  • Professor at Pontificie Universidad Catolica de Chile, “Construction and engineering Law” course (since 2022).
  • Professor at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, “The Construction Contract before the Civil Law” course (since 2018).
  • Columnist of El Mercurio Legal, in matters of projects, engineering and construction, and in litigation and arbitration (2019-).

Leisure

He enjoys his family and his dogs, as well as skiing, dirtbiking and swimming and following the chilean soccer team Universidad Católica.

Lawyer Rankings

Chile > Projects and infrastructure

(Next Generation Partners)

Cristián UrzúaUrzúa

The five-strong team at sharply focused projects, construction and engineering law boutique, Urzúa, undertakes matters across all relevant segments, notably mining, aquaculture, energy transmission and generation (including water, solar and wind) and industrial projects. It also handles associated contentious matters -including claims, ADR, arbitration and litigation- related to projects, construction and engineering disputes. As such, the firm has experience with all parties related to projects work (owners, construction and engineering contractors, and EPCM agents), at all projects stages, from pre-feasibility to operation and closure. The firm has seen healthy growth of late, particularly as regards participation in bidding process in the mining, energy and hydrocarbons sectors. Founding partner and key contact Cristián Urzúa is one of the most prominent figures of his generation in the sector and handles the gamut of projects work and related disputes.