Carolina Ariza > Ariza & Marin > MEDELLÍN, Colombia > Lawyer Profile
Ariza & Marin Offices
CALLE 7 SUR #42-70
EDIFICIO FORUM (OF. 1203)
MEDELLÍN
ANTIOQUIA
Colombia
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Carolina Ariza
Work Department
Dispute Resolution, Public Law and Projects
Position
Partner
Career
Lawyer, Master’s degree in public law from the University Panthéon-Sorbonne Paris 1, with specialization studies in tax law and civil liability and 12 years of experience in litigation and consulting in public law and civil and state liability. In 2018 she was considered by Dinero magazine as one of the most recognized lawyers in Colombia in the field of conflict resolution. She is an Associate Judge of the Administrative Court of Antioquia and a professor at the Universidad EAFIT.
She is noted for her skill in handling complex negotiations and high impact litigation. She is the concessionaire’s attorney within the concession contract under the Public-Private Partnership scheme of the Antioquia-Bolivar road, in two legal proceedings in which the final layout of the road project will be defined, as well as its financial stability. Represents the interests of various taxpayers in judicial proceedings where the legality of the substantial collections for valorisation purposes is analyzed. She intervenes as a proxy in various judicial and administrative expropriation processes.
She provides legal advice on the execution of various infrastructure contracts such as road concessions and public works, as well as consulting, design and auditing contracts. Since 2011 she is a legal advisor to the contractor (Spanish and Korean companies) in charge of the construction of the largest wastewater treatment plant of its kind in Colombia, which she successfully represented before the Dispute Board achieving a favourable decision of the financial disputes for COP 75,704,419,912 – EU 15,351,199 – USD 13,363,867. In the energy sector, closed a transaction concerning the contract for the construction, assembly, testing and commissioning of 500 kV transmission lines in 81 km (Medellin-San Marcos, Valle del Cauca) and currently she is legal counsel to various energy sector companies.
Her efficiency in closing transactions has allowed her to design and implement legal solutions to resolve issues of great social and economic significance. It is worth mentioning the agreement closed with Banco Colpatria and Acción Fiduciaria, on behalf of 44 buyers, which allowed the completion of a real estate project that could finally be completed and occupied in 2018. She has been empowered in dozens of processes for the effectiveness of the legal guarantee, being in progress today the processes initiated on behalf of two different Horizontal Properties conformed by 478 housing units, and 248 apartments, the latter was evacuated since October 24, 2019, due to risk of collapse.
She defends civil servants and former civil servants and engineering and architecture professionals before the respective disciplinary bodies. In this field, she defended the engineers linked to the CDO group, on the occasion of the partial collapse and implosion of one of its buildings and the evacuation of three others. She successfully defended the former Secretary of Security of the municipality of Medellín and is currently defending the former Secretary General (e) of the Medellín Metro, both of whom are being investigated by the Medellín Prosecutor’s office.
Languages
English, french and spanish
Education
Lawyer degree: Eafit University, 2006
Master degree in public law: University Panthéon-Sorbonne Paris 1, 2007
Specialization studies in tax law: UPB University, 2011
Specialization studies in civil liability: Eafit University, 2018
Lawyer Rankings
Colombia > Dispute resolution > Litigation
From its Medellín headquarters, Ariza & Marin’s litigation practice harnesses the wider firm’s robust public law and projects practices to focus on representing infrastructure companies in construction disputes. The group, which routinely appears before all levels of courts as well as before administrative agencies, additionally brings to bear skill sets in contentious employment, tax and insurance matters. Infrastructure and public law specialist Camilo Marin co-heads the team together with senior associate and litigation co-ordinator Tomás Cuartas Orrego. The department additionally benefits from the senior experience of co-founding partner Carolina Ariza.
Colombia > Public law
Ariza & Marin’s public law practice is primarily recognised for its record in contentious work. The team is chiefly focused on representing concessionaires and corporate clients in nullity claims, state liability proceedings, fiscal liability cases and administrative sanctioning proceedings, while it also advises on state contacts and regulatory matters. The department is led jointly by firm co-founder Carolina Ariza, who specialises in public law, projects and dispute resolution; and intermediate associate María Paz Restrepo, who specialises in administrative law.
Colombia > City focus > Medellín
From its Medellín headquarters, Ariza & Marin fields nationally recognised practices in projects, public law, litigation and insurance. Predominantly focused on contentious work, the group also handles infrastructure development in the roads, energy and sanitation spheres, among other areas. Firm co-founder Carolina Ariza contributes extensive expertise in public law and dispute resolution, where she represents local, national and multinational clients in contentious matters, with a focus on public project-related cases. Among Ariza’s recent highlights, she represented highway concessionaire, Desarrollo Vial al Mar, in administrative litigation concerning its alleged responsibility for a mass movement affecting local inhabitants’ homes. Fellow co-founder Camilo Marín specialises in public and private infrastructure projects and dispute resolution; he represented road consortium, Consorcio Vías del Centro, in legal proceedings related to disasters caused by heavy rainfall. The firm also benefits from the experience of senior associate Luis Felipe Estrada, who leads the insurance unit; senior counsel Tomás Cuartas Orrego, who serves as litigation co-ordinator; and administrative law-focused intermediate associate, María Paz Restrepo.