José Rafael Bustamante C. > Bustamante Fabara > Quito, Ecuador > Lawyer Profile

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.

A strong performer in traditional cross-border and domestic financings, Bustamante Fabara demonstrates notable expertise in secured and unsecured corporate lending and project finance matters. On the capital markets front, the team excels in multijurisdicitonal securitisations and stands out for its strong track record in green, blue, social and sustainable bonds issuances in the Ecuadorian market. Co-head Jesús Beltrán focuses on cross-border finance, capital markets and investment banking deals, while fellow co-leader Diego Ramírez Mesec brings together experience in banking and finance, international trade, and commercial matters. José Rafael Bustamante C. handles secured and unsecured corporate loans; Juan Felipe Bustamante assists with the financing of infrastructure projects; Kirina González shines in corporate finance; and Patricio Santos is singled out for his banking regulatory expertise.

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.

Bustamante Fabara acts for a variety of clients, including major construction companies, developers and investors, in the full range of real estate matters. The group leverages its close connections with municipalities, property registries and other governmental agencies to advise on regulatory, transactional, zoning, land use and environmental matters concerning real estate projects. Key areas of strength for the team include the sale, restructuring, financing and leasing of real estate assets, including commercial, residential, agriculture, and industrial properties. Practice head Juan Felipe Bustamante is skilled in large-scale project development, financings and acquisitions in the real estate sector. José Rafael Bustamante C., a key point of contact for telecoms, manufacturing and infrastructure clients, is another name to note for transactional work in this space. At the associate level, Pedro Gómez de la Torre focuses on the financing and structuring of real estate projects, and Kirina González specialises in cross-border real estate transactions.