María Rosa Fabara Vera > Bustamante Fabara > Quito, Ecuador > Lawyer Profile

Bustamante Fabara integrates ‘an eclectic group of professionals into its team who undoubtedly make it a one-stop-shop firm like few others in the market’. The dispute resolution team draws on its expertise across civil, commercial, public and constitutional law to represent clients in high-profile judicial proceedings, including cases against the Ecuadorian state and the State Comptroller General’s Office. Public law disputes are a key strength for the department, which is also proficient in arbitration. The group is jointly led by María Rosa Fabara Vera, a reference in the market for litigation arising from public procurement issues, and Mariana Villagómez Álvarez, who focuses on corporate, banking, fiduciary and insurance disputes. Administrative, civil and arbitral conflicts are all key areas of activity for Francisco Dávila Caicedo, who shines in matters concerning public procurement.

Singled out for its strong track record in merger control and behavioural matters, Bustamante Fabara‘s competition group is particularly noted for its expertise in anticompetitive conduct mandates, including abuse of dominance, unfair competition issues and antitrust investigations. Noted for its ‘high level of commitment and professionalism‘, the practice is active in the pharma, retail, logistics, insurance, and food and beverage sectors, among others. María Rosa Fabara Vera, whose significant experience in this space covers abuse of dominant position issues, anticompetitive agreements and merger control matters, heads the practice alongside José Rafael Bustamante C., a key figure for merger clearance processes in Ecuador. Other noteworthy practitioners include Daniel Castelo, who excels in appeals against the Antitrust Authority, and Kirina González, who shines in merger clearance. Francisco Ochoa joined from the State Attorney General Office in August 2023.

Bustamante Fabara excels in the structuring of domestic and cross-border M&A, offering advice to a multitude of clients – including private equity firms and global conglomerates – on all aspects of corporate transactions. The firm has also facilitated the entry of foreign corporations into Ecuador, and demonstrates strength in joint ventures, capitalisations, and general corporate law matters. Juan Felipe Bustamante, who is singled out for his expertise in commercial contracts, corporate governance and business reorganisations, and José Rafael Bustamante C., who focuses on M&A deals, are noted for their ‘responsiveness’ and ‘timely and effective solutions‘. Managing partner María Rosa Fabara Vera is skilled at navigating complex cross-border transactions in the aviation, insurance, pharma, retail, banking and tech sectors, among others; Andrés Becdach offers key support in these matters. Kirina González plays a key role in the firm’s significant transactional mandates. Mariana Villagómez Álvarez is a key name from the firm.

Noted for ‘providing customised and strategic solutions‘, Bustamante Fabara is home to a ‘highly specialised team‘ with ‘vast experience in crucial areas such as patents, trade marks and copyrights‘. Trade marks work is a mainstay for the group, which is proficient in registration processes and infringement actions. In addition to its strong capabilities in IP rights protection, the firm is also active in sports and entertainment law mandates, as well as life sciences and regulatory issues. The practice is jointly led by a capable trio comprised of José Rafael Bustamante E., who excels in IP litigation, María Rosa Fabara Vera, who handles patent, trade mark, copyright, plant variety and unfair competition matters, and María Clara Bustamante. At the associate level, Pablo Fabara stands out for his involvement in IP disputes. Óscar Reyes, former president of the Ecuadorian Intellectual Property Committee, adds experience in administrative IP matters, and Sebastián Páez is particularly skilled in unfair competition issues.