Heka Law Firm > Quito, Ecuador > Firm Profile

Heka Law Firm Offices

Heka Law Firm
Edificio MOKAI
Paul Rivet N30-54
Piso 7
Ecuador
Visit website +593 02 500 1120

Heka Law Firm > The Legal 500 Rankings

Ecuador > Real estate Tier 3

With a ‘personalised service’, Heka Law Firm's real estate practice handles a variety of issues -particularly for large financial institutions and design and construction companies, such as Banco Pichincha and Rama Estudio- ranging from transactional matters to infrastructure projects. Santiago Albán acts primarily on financial issues relating to the sector, while fellow practice co-head Mauricio Subía is primarily focused on transactional issues. Also an integral member of the practice group, Juan Andrés Gortaire is well-regarded for his advice on the contractual and regulatory structuring of real estate projects.

Practice head(s):

Santiago Albán; Mauricio Subía

Testimonials

‘The personalised attention and knowledge of the issues has made Heka handle a large part of legal issues in the real estate line. They have captured our processes in other areas of constitutions, obtaining permits, trademark registrations, municipal procedures, including procedures in other jurisdictions.’

‘The prices are competitive with those of other groups of lawyers, but the added attention and personalization of the topics is much higher. It has a deep understanding of the law and ordinances.’

Key clients

Camara de la Construccion de Cuenca

Constructores Positivos

Fortaltriun

Monteolivo

Zion Trust and Funds Management

Proyectos Unidos Empresariales PRM

Ramaestudio

Banco Pichincha

Distribuidora el Mirador Dismirador

Work highlights

  • Advised Fortaltriun on various real estate projects wih an aggregate value of $4.1m.
  • Advised Banco del Pichincha in connection with the management of over 400 real estate sale contracts and mortgage securities; value, approx $30m.
  • Advised Distribuidora el Mirador Dismirador on the structuring of one of the most advanced apartment buildings in the city of Cuenca; value: $3m.

Ecuador > Corporate and M&A Tier 4

Heka Law Firm’s growing practice continues to provide advice to a range of local and international clients, with corporate restructurings and M&A transactions featuring as key areas of work for the firm. To facilitate these efforts, in May 2022 the firm announced its collaboration with Spanish legal-software company ElixTech to create ‘Heka Tech’, a management tool for data protection, compliance, digital transformation and the general facilitation of efficiency in legal processes. Juan Andrés Gortaire heads up both the corporate and competition practices and frequently undertaking business structuring, M&A and due diligence, along with general corporate matters and the implementation of corporate governance models; he primarily acts for clients in the insurance, logistics and real estate sectors. He is flanked by fellow partners Andrés Terán, who brings the firm’s corporate offering to the TMT sector (such as his ongoing advisory to Fintech company Paymovil); and Ramiro Jácome whose corporate practice includes specialisations in corporate governance, company structuring, and risk management. Associate Ana Victoria Cedeño left for Robalino in April 2022.

Practice head(s):

Juan Andrés Gortaire

Testimonials

‘Heka is a firm that has advised us since the beginning of our operation in Ecuador. The Corporate and M&A area is well structured. It is a highly trained team, which prioritizes customer service, optimizing processes leveraged by technology and that allows the advice to be excellent and agile.’

‘Its high level of knowledge, experience and agility. Juan Andrés Gortaire is very knowledgeable about the business and that allows his legal advice to be more accurate than that of his competition. In addition, having a cohesive and highly trained team allows the service to be comprehensive and with very agile responses and advice.’

‘We value the efficiency in managing projects by Heka, as well as the cohesive team with which they provide us with the service. Their rates are good, the processes they handle for submitting proposals, budgeting and charging are very well structured. It is a firm that prioritizes customer service.’

‘They are very ethical and efficient lawyers. Juan Andrés Gortaire leads our business projects from the legal field and is a brilliant lawyer who is very knowledgeable about the law and the commercial and economic field.’

‘Heka is a firm with a very high level of performance. Juan Andres Gortaire, is a brilliant professional with great management of Ecuadorian legal regulations and the commercial and economic sector.’

‘It is an efficient and high performance firm.’

Key clients

Marcimex

PLADECO

Paymovil

Prounem

Serinco

Dismirador

IPSec

Doctorisy

Agripac Boliviana Agroindustrial

Liftit

CarConnect

Annar Health Technologies

Colcan

Atlantic Asset Management Group

Kobranzcorp

RepuestoClick

3RC

Descartes Engineering

Mkp

Ipsos

Work highlights

  • Advised Marcimex on the analysis and review of its entire insurance department operation in its retail channel for $20m.
  • Advised PLADECO in corporate and tax matters for $20m.
  • Advised Paymovil on several matters for over $5m.

Ecuador > Labour and employment

Heka Law Firm's labour practice is particularly active in litigation, with an emphasis on defending corporations in connection with collective claims for wrongful dismissals; Daniel Fernández-Salvador is the name to note.    

Heka Law Firm > Firm Profile

HEKA Law Firm was created with the aim of offering legal services through intelligent solutions, all in a proactive, ethical and efficient way.

We are a team of highly-qualified professionals with multidisciplinary expertise for attending to the wide-ranging requirements of our clients.

The firm has offices in Quito and Cuenca, as well as strategic partners in the most important cities of the country.

We have been nominated to prestigious legal directories such as Leaders League in the areas of: Corporate, Labor, Tax, Real Estate, Banking & Finance, and TMT.

At HEKA, we work in the following areas:

Administrative Law and Public Procurement

HEKA provides legal advice in administrative law processes against any public entity or authority.

We sponsor clients in administrative processes and administrative contentious processes before the Central Government and Decentralized Autonomous Governments.

HEKA also advises clients on their interrelation with State and public policies as it may have an impact on their businesses. We also provide legal and technical support in various public procurement processes, including those that follow special regimes.

Competition / Antitrust

The firm provides its clients with preventive advice through guidance in the strategy, in the decision-making and legal acts of its clients in order to comply with the regulatory framework of the antitrust regime; as well as through the performance of due diligence aimed at adapting the business conduct of its clients to the antitrust law. In addition, the firm advises and represents its clients in proceedings before the Antitrust Authority (abuse of dominant position, cartels, unfair practices and operations of economic concentration)

Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions

HEKA advises national and foreign companies on complex corporate matters that encompass the following areas: corporate, commercial, labor, consumer, tax and regulatory. HEKA`s counsel includes structuring of M&A`s, implementation of corporate governance, preparation of national and international commercial contracts, restructuring and business reorganization, among other matters.

Dispute Resolution

HEKA advises large and medium-sized companies, as well as individuals, in the search for agile solutions to disputes that arise in various matters. When clients cannot find a solution through extrajudicial means, HEKA will provide the necessary guidance, so the correspondent actions are initiated before the local courts or arbitration tribunals. Additionally, we provide assistance, with the help of foreign law firms, in judicial processes that must be filed in other jurisdictions.

Financial and Stock Market

Our team has extensive experience in advising financial institutions, brokerage houses and investors on a variety of matters. HEKA`s main objective is to advise our clients in their search of financing for future investments through the securities market and over the counter, as well as other strategic transactions.

Immigration

Our team advises clients on processes that determine their migratory status in Ecuador. HEKA´s services include guidance in naturalization processes, in obtaining visas and on immigration control processes. We also accompany companies in their process of hiring foreign personnel and legalizing their stay in Ecuadorian territory.

Intellectual Property

HEKA provides advice on Intellectual and Industrial Property, especially on matters related to its protection, opposition processes, feasibility analysis, and others.

Labor

HEKA advises clients from various industries on employment matters. Aware of the complexity of personnel management, the firm focuses its service on risk prevention and mitigation through advice that prioritizes practical and technical solutions which translate into savings for our clients in the short and long run.

Additionally, the Firm has the necessary equipment to advise, accompany and sponsor the defense of its clients in labor, individual and collective negotiations and litigation.

Real Estate and Infrastructure

HEKA has led large-scale Real Estate projects in the country. These developments have been carried out through mixed-use projects with equipment, housing and offices; as well as small, medium and large-scale infrastructure projects, with different types of regulatory frameworks.

The firm concentrates its practice on guiding clients in their search for financing, on the management of their real estate projects and with municipal compliance.

Additionally, HEKA has established a ´´mortgage factory“ service where domain transfer processes have been standardized in order to improve times of response and minimize errors.

Technology Media, and Telecommunications

HEKA provides its services to national and foreign companies on complex issues in the application of disruptive technologies in regulated sectors.

The firm also offers specialized consulting services in the telecommunications sector specially on matters related to commercial agreements, regulatory compliance, and relationship with the regulatory entity.

Likewise, HEKA has led projects related to the implementation of computer security and protection of personal data.

 

Main Contacts

DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
Finance & Foreign Investment, Tax, Foreign Trade & Customs Law José Manuel Albornozj.albornoz@heka.com.ec+593 2 500 1120
Administrative & Public Procurement, Real Estate, Santiago Albánsalban@heka.com.ec+593 2 500 1120
Corporate and M&A, Labor Daniel Fernández- Salvadordanielfs@heka.com.ec+593 2 500 1120
• Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) • Competence Juan Andrés Gortairejgortaire@heka.com.ec+593 987 360 801
ax, Foreign Trade & Customs Law Ramiro Jácomerjacome@heka.com.ec+593 2 500 1120
Intellectual Property and Regulatory, Technology, Media and Telecommunications Andrés Teránateran@heka.com.ec+593 2 500 1120
Dispute Resolution, Immigration Cristina Vitericviteri@heka.com.ec+593 2 500 1120

Staff Figures

Partners : 8
Associates : 6
Administrative : 8

Languages

Spanish
English
français
portugais