Alejandro Garcia de Brigard > Brigard Urrutia > Cali, Colombia > Lawyer Profile

Antitrust lawyers at Brigard Urrutia ‘continually search for alternative solutions’, according to satisfied clients. The competition group is arguably best known for its prowess in merger reviews, where it benefits from its ability to team up with the wider firm’s top-tier corporate practice. Notably, it handled 30 merger filings during 2023 – including complex cross-border filings for multinational names such as Farfetch Holdings and Brookfield. Alongside its strength in transactional matters, the team additionally packs a punch in complex antitrust investigations and competition disputes, while it is also active in the increasingly prominent area of leniency agreements. Department head Alejandro Garcia de Brigard secures strong reviews for his ‘practical approach to competition law’; he represented major Colombian airline Avianca in the antitrust investigation, launched by the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC), into alleged gun-jumping with Viva Colombia. The team also benefits from the strong public sector-side experience of director Nicolás Cardona, who is a former officer at the Colombian Competition Authority; and intermediate associate Natalia Amado Pérez, whose practice focuses exclusively on competition and antitrust law.

Headquartered in Bogotá, national powerhouse Brigard Urrutia continues to consolidate its five-lawyer strong Cali platform, where it provides a range of corporate, international trade, competition and employment law services. High-profile competition specialist Alejandro Garcia de Brigard — who also maintains a significant corporate practice — has led the office since its launch in 2017 and splits his time between Cali and Bogotá; he recently acted alongside the Bogotá office to advise Cali-based Carvajal on its COP$468bn bond issuance in the alternate market. At associate level, the Cali team also draws on senior Jimena Rincon, who focuses on corporate and M&A; and intermediate Rafael Reyes, who is noted for labour and employment law. Additionally, as demonstrated by the Carvajal deal, Cali-based lawyers routinely team up with specialists in Barranquilla, Bogotá, and Medellín to provide seamless national coverage. Former of counsel Maria Eugenia Lloreda left to become senior adviser to the new mayoral administration of Cali city in October, 2023.