Robalino > Quito, Ecuador > Firm Profile

Robalino > The Legal 500 Rankings

Ecuador > Real estate Tier 1

With it’s ever growing network of offices across the country serving to further facilitate the practice, Robalino‘s real estate team handles a range of high-profile work for clients across the agricultural, urban and industrial real estate segments. The team, which is led by Daniel Robalino in Quito, divides its time between contentious and non-contentious work, characterised by a range of construction disputes on the contentious front, and investment structuring, regulatory advisory, creditor negotiations and contractor management on the non-contentious side. The agricultural sector, in particular, is a key pillar of the team’s work, Weisson recently acted for the owners of Agrinag on its sale of the company to FlowerInvestment CF Holding. Martín Pallares Sevilla is also noted for his transactional expertise in the sector; however, former practice co-head Ernesto Weisson departed for Deloitte in October 2022, taking much of the Guayaquil team with him.

Ecuador > Tax Tier 1

In keeping with it’s full-service offering, the multi-office Robalino fields a team that has ‘deep knowledge‘ and the ‘ability to analyse complex tax issues‘ across the planning, controversy and transfer pricing segments, as well as general tax advisory. With extensive experience of cross-border transactions as well as interactions with the tax authorities, practice head Paola Gachet leads the team, often liaising with the firm’s corporate department on relevant matters. Javier Robalino is another key member of the practice, adding to the firm’s ability to advise clients on the tax aspects of cross-border M&A transactions. Heading the team in the Guayaquil office, senior associate Emilio Aguayo‘s past experience includes a number of years at Servicio de Rentas Internas (SRI), the Ecuadorian tax authority and the Ministerio del Trabajo; he also has particular expertise in procedural law. Fellow senior Victor Murillo is further noted for his work on international trade and customs matters. Bolívar Figueroa left the firm in June 2021 to become an advisor at the Ministerio de Producción, Comercio Exterior, Inversiones y Pesca. Since publication, Gachet has left the firm, effective as of June 2023.

Ecuador > Banking and finance Tier 2

Robalino remains firmly established as a leader in the banking and finance space following its separation from the Ferrere network in December 2020, maintaining its active role in a range of high-profile matters. With a focus on cross-border transactions, the team acts for domestic and international actors in bank lending, capital markets matters, project financings, bond offerings, secured and unsecured loan arrangements, and debt restructurings. Leading these endeavours, Jesús Beltrán  (a former Bank of America General Counsel) is noted for his experience in multi-jurisdictional investment banking and strategic transactional work. Among recent highlights, the practice advised IDB as an investor, in relation to a $50m ‘sustainable’ bond to be issued by Produbanco for the financing of social/green projects that meet the relevant criteria – a first of its kind in Ecuador. Beltrán can also call on significant strength at senior associate level, including Belen Jaramillo (insurance and fintech), financial and corporate transactional specialists Daniel Peré and Juan Bernando Guarderas. Since research concluded, the September 2022 departure of Beltrán has seen the firm hire Carol Riofrio as counsel and director of the banking practice. Riofrio’s in-house experience includes stints at Banco Pichincha, Banco Internacional and -most recently- as GC at Banco Finca (Ecuador); she is also known for her role in promoting the development of microcredit operations in the country.

Ecuador > Competition and antitrust Tier 2

Since its departure from the Ferrere network in January 2021, Robalino has consolidates its position as an independent firm at the forefront of the Ecuadorian market. In the competition segment it fields a team that has ‘deep technical knowledge’ in a range of litigation, pre-merger control and unfair competition matters. Leading the team is ‘strategic’ litigator Daniel Robalino, hwo has experience acting before the Ecuadorian Competition Authority and expertise in merger control and regulatory issues. He frequently works in conjunction with special counsel Fausto Alvarado (the first Competition Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce), who is noted for his work on an array of competition policy matters across Latin America. Counsel Sebastián Saa moved to Spingarn in June 2021.

Ecuador > Corporate and M&A Tier 2

Now operating from offices in Quito, Guayaquil, Manta, Machala and -since November 2021- Cuenca, Robalino continues to grow its participation in a range of complex corporate, commercial, and M&A matters. Clients highlight the team’s ‘level of commitment and attention to detail by the partners‘, ‘agility in response‘ and ‘excellent attention to and follow-up on the topics‘, suggesting the lawyers ‘become more than advisors, a true partner‘. The practice group -over 30-strong and including six partners- is a near-constant presence in significant transactions in the market; recent matters include acting for the shareholders of Avesca on the company’s sale to Pronaca, via a seller’s financing scheme. The advisory was co-led by Martín Pallares Sevilla and Jesús Beltrán, who also jointly lead the corporate and M&A practice; both have extensive experience in the full range of corporate transactional matters, including private equity projects. Other key members of the team include senior partner Javier Robalino, whose multifaceted practice takes in high-end M&A work; and -heading up the Guayaquil office- Ernesto Weisson, who is recommended for his work on restructurings and joint ventures. At associate level, senior Juan Bernando Guarderas and Daniel Peré are key contacts for corporate and transactional matters. Since the conclusion of research, Beltran and Guaderas have left the firm for Bustamante Fabara (effective as of September 2022), as have Weisson and Peré, the following month, the latter pair moving to Deloitte.

Ecuador > Dispute resolution Tier 2

Robalino’s ‘extensive experience’ ensures it retains its place as one of the prominent firms in Ecuador for disputes matters. With a broad and sophisticated offering, the practice is active in complex local (administrative and judicial) and cross-border litigation, local and international arbitration, expropriation cases and mediation, Managing partner Javier Robalino (currently first Vice-President of Ecuadorian chapter of the ICC Arbitration Commission) is highly active in investment and commercial arbitral disputes before panels constituted under ICSID, UNCITRAL, IACAC and ICC rules. He co-leads the practice alongside Luis Carlos Fernández, an expert on civil, commercial and labour litigation cases. Also from the senior associate ranks: Verónica Arroyo is regarded as doing an ‘exceptional job’ in investment arbitration cases; and Emilio Aguayo (local litigation concerning regulatory, tax, labour, civil and commercial disputes), heads up the litigation practice in the Guayaquil office. However, former associate Gonzalo Santillán moved to Ecuador’s Superintendencia de Bancos in April 2022; while seniors María Teresa Borja, Esteban Baquero and Juan Carlos Darquea all exited in October 2022. Since publication, the firm has hired Cristina Viteri, an administrative law and dispute resolution specialist, from Heka Law Firm – effective as of November 2022.

Ecuador > Energy and natural resources Tier 2

Robalino has established itself as one of the leaders in the energy and natural resources sector over the last few years, consistently acting for high-profile clients in the renewables, mining, and oil-and-gas sectors, and earning a strong reputation for its handling of project finance matters, M&A and the structuring of projects. The team is jointly led by Andrés Donoso, who is active in structuring for oil and mining projects; Rafael Valdivieso, whose practice centres on oil-and-gas matters; and Javier Robalino, who has a long established reputation for both his transactional and contentious work. Recent highlights saw the team act for Frontera Energy on gaining approval of its environmental licenses so as to begin exploratory drilling. However, since research concluded, Valdivieso has left the firm, taking specialist former seniors Gustavo Almeida and Bruno Pesantes with him – effective as of September 2022.

Ecuador > Labour and employment Tier 3

Robalino acts for high-profile domestic and foreign clients on a broad range of labour and employment matters, playing a particularly active role in mediation hearings and inspections brought by the Ministry of Labour. Led by Luis Carlos Fernández and senior associate Esteban Baquero , who both have experience in complex labour proceedings, the team additionally advises on the labour aspects of corporate transactions, and also handles internal labour policies and contracts. Noted for his active role in employment matters in Guayaquil, Ernesto Weisson is another key member of the team. However, since the conclusion of research, Baquero has departed for Pérez Bustamante & Ponce, while Weisson has moved to Deloitte, effective September and October 2022, respectively.

Ecuador > Intellectual property