Bustamante Fabara

bustamantefabara.com

Gustavo Almeida

Gustavo is a Director at the Firm. He advises local and international companies, with an emphasis on energy regulation, oil & gas, mining, environmental law, and infrastructure. Additionally, he provides strategic legal support for the regular operations of businesses in Ecuador. In the energy sector, he has advised on project structuring and obtaining government authorizations for generation, self-generation, distributed generation, and self-supply. He has negotiated concession contracts, power purchase agreements (PPAs), and related infrastructure contracts. In the oil & gas area, he has accumulated extensive experience in all phases of the industry. He served as in-house counsel at the largest oil and gas exploration and production company in Ecuador. Gustavo provides legal advice on production sharing contracts (E&P), service contracts (E&P), integrated services with financing, and specific service contracts. In the mining sector, he advises on project structuring, granting enabling titles, royalty agreements, due diligence processes, and regulatory compliance. Gustavo’s environmental law practice includes performing due diligence, obtaining environmental permits, challenging sanctions, and advising on environmental compliance across sectors. He has also advised on landmark transactions with a significant environmental component. In addition, he has served as an adjunct professor of Administrative Law, authored academic articles, and participated as a guest speaker. He is the first president of the Ecuadorian Institute of Energy and Natural Resources Law (IEDERN).

Andrés Becdach

Andrés is a Partner at BUSTAMANTE FABARA with more than 15 years of experience in the areas of public procurement, mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial, life sciences and pharmaceutical. He currently leads the Regulatory and Life Sciences practice at BUSTAMANTE FABARA. Andrés has represented sellers, buyers, majority and minority shareholders, the company for sale, public or private, and financiers in transactions of this nature, in the most diverse operations, such as mergers, divisions, associations, public and private offerings of shares, reorganizations or other forms of restructuring.

Jesús M. Beltrán

With more than 20 years of professional experience locally and internationally, as a Partner, Jesús has unrivaled experience advising lenders and borrowers in various types of cross-border financing, such as syndicated and bilateral loans, club deals, project and acquisition financings. He also advises issuers and underwriters on bond and equity issues in capital markets, as well as on securitizations, structured financing, derivatives and repo transactions. Jesús has extensive experience in restructuring liabilities, and deep knowledge of insolvency and bankruptcy processes, as well as vast knowledge of the banking sector, particularly of the various laws in Latin America that impact the business of multi-jurisdictional institutional banking. In the Corporate area, he focuses on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, equity investments and other strategic cross-border transactions. Prior to joining BUSTAMANTE FABARA, he was a partner at a leading regional law firm, and prior to that he served as General Counsel for Latin America and the Caribbean, and as Senior Transaction Counsel for Corporate Banking and Investment Banking in Latin America at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (2010-2014). Prior to this role, he was an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, working out of New York, United States, and out of Rome, Italy (2000-2010).

Juan Carlos Bustamante

Juan Carlos has vast experience and in-depth knowledge of the law; factors that have earned him international recognition for his high level of competence in different categories of the legal field related especially to the corporate, tax and energy sectors. Throughout his career, he has advised local and international clients in several cross-border transactions covering a wide range of complex legal issues. In addition to his professional practice, he was a professor of Private International Law for 30 years at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Ecuador, based in Quito, and has had a successful participation in the management of the firm for decades. Former arbitrator of the National Mediation and Arbitration Center of the Chamber of Construction. Juan Carlos has provided legal advice in different areas of the law to individuals and to national and international companies from both the public and private sectors. Juan Carlos has also practiced in the field of business development, and in public procurement; has advised in matters of energy, insurance, contracts with banks, purchase/sale of movable and immovable property, grant of security, foreign investment, contracts for setting up trusts. Advisor in project financing and in drafting contracts related thereto.

Juan Felipe Bustamante

José Rafael Bustamante C.

José Rafael Bustamante C. co-leads BUSTAMANTE FABARA’s Corporate and M&A practices, with over 16 years of experience advising domestic and international clients on complex corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic investments in Ecuador. He has advised buyers and sellers on some of the country's most significant M&A transactions, including complex and precedent-setting deals. His practice encompasses corporate restructurings, joint ventures, shareholders' agreements, financing arrangements, project structuring, security packages, and legal due diligence, providing comprehensive advice throughout the transaction lifecycle. With a background in both law and business administration, José Rafael combines legal expertise with a strong commercial perspective, advising clients on the structuring, negotiation, and execution of sophisticated transactions. His transactional experience and strategic approach have earned him recognition from clients and international legal directories.

José Rafael Bustamante E.

Chairman of the Board at BUSTAMANTE FABARA and Co-director of the Corporate Department, José Rafael has earned market recognition for his enduring reputation in the business and commercial sphere. He boasts extensive experience in advising foreign clients conducting business in Ecuador and is highly esteemed by both clients and peers, having been a key figure in the legal market for over 35 years. José Rafael is a Member of INTA – International Trademark Association, American Society of International Law, International Bar Association, International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property – AIPPI, Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property – ASIPI, and Multilaw (President 1996-1999).

Francisco Bustamante Luna

Francisco has provided legal advice in commercial, corporate, banking, and financial sectors. He has a broad experience in loan agreements, project finance, security documents, structuring of security packages, administration and guarantee trusts, corporate matters, arbitration, and cross border commercial and financial transactions. Prior to joining Bustamante & Bustmante he acted as Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel of Corporación Financiera Nacional, a public sector financial entity. He also acted as a member of the board of directors of some private financial institutions. He has provided legal services to local and foreign financial institutions and multilateral entities in financing transactions with public and private sector entities. Since 1993 he is an arbitrator of the arbitration tribunals of the Quito Chamber of Commerce. Author of several articles for specialized magazines, including on foreign loan transactions and national and international arbitration.

Daniel Castelo

Daniel is a Partner at BUSTAMANTE FABARA, with 15 years of experience advising domestic and international clients on competition law, regulatory compliance, and complex administrative and judicial proceedings. He leads the firm's Data Protection and Compliance practices, combining extensive experience in competition matters with a comprehensive understanding of Ecuador's evolving regulatory framework. His competition law practice encompasses merger control, abuse of dominance, anticompetitive agreements, unfair competition, and competition-related investigations. He represents clients before Ecuador's competition authority and courts, advising on regulatory proceedings, competition compliance, and legal due diligence. In addition to his competition practice, Daniel has led the development of BUSTAMANTE FABARA's Data Protection and Compliance practices, advising clients on the implementation of regulatory frameworks, compliance programs, and ongoing legal obligations under Ecuadorian law. His experience across competition, data protection, and compliance enables him to provide integrated legal advice on regulatory risk management, helping clients navigate complex legal requirements and maintain compliance with applicable legislation.

Francisco Dávila Caicedo

Francisco focuses his practice on dispute resolution, representing and advising national and international clients in arbitration, administrative litigation, and civil proceedings. Since joining BUSTAMANTE FABARA in 2015, he has developed solid experience in complex disputes, particularly in public procurement and civil liability matters. For his dispute resolution practice, he has been recognized as an Associate to Watch by Chambers and Partners (Global and Latin America). In addition to his professional practice, he serves as an arbitral secretary at the Arbitration and Mediation Center of the Quito Chamber of Commerce.

Pablo Fabara

Pablo Fabara Vera is a Director at BUSTAMANTE FABARA, with over 19 years of experience advising and representing clients in intellectual property matters, with a particular focus on administrative and judicial proceedings. His practice encompasses intellectual property litigation and dispute resolution, representing clients in contentious proceedings involving the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Prior to joining BUSTAMANTE FABARA, Pablo led the Intellectual Property Litigation Department at Fabara & Compañía Abogados for several years, gaining extensive experience in the management and resolution of complex intellectual property disputes. Throughout his career, he has successfully represented clients in numerous intellectual property cases, combining litigation expertise with a thorough understanding of Ecuador's intellectual property legal framework.

María Rosa Fabara Vera

María Rosa Fabara Vera is the Managing Partner of BUSTAMANTE FABARA, with over 25 years of experience advising domestic and international clients on complex legal, regulatory, and commercial matters. Her practice encompasses intellectual property, competition law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, public procurement, and public-private partnerships. She has extensive experience advising clients across highly regulated industries, including pharmaceuticals, insurance, healthcare, construction, and infrastructure. Her expertise is particularly focused on competition law, unfair competition, and intellectual property, including trademarks, patents, copyright, plant varieties, and emerging technologies. She also represents clients in complex litigation and disputes involving these areas. In addition to her legal practice, María Rosa brings a strong commercial and institutional perspective through her participation on the boards of private corporate groups and her leadership of prominent business organizations. She has served as President of the Ecuadorian-Colombian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President of the Federation of Binational Chambers of Ecuador (FECABE), and Chair of the Council of Chambers and Associations of Production of Ecuador. Recognized for her strategic approach and negotiating capabilities, María Rosa has been praised by The Legal 500 for her “great negotiating skills,” reflecting her experience advising clients on significant legal and business matters in Ecuador.

Pedro Gómez de la Torre

Pedro is a Director at BUSTAMANTE FABARA, with over nine years of experience advising domestic and international clients on corporate, commercial, and financing matters. He is actively involved in the firm's Corporate and M&A, Banking & Finance, and Real Estate practices, providing legal advice on complex transactions and investment projects. His practice focuses on corporate restructurings and cross-border financing transactions. He regularly advises international lenders on financing arrangements supporting the development of projects in Ecuador's strategic sectors, combining corporate and transactional expertise with a strong understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks governing these operations.

Kirina González

Kirina is a Partner at BUSTAMANTE FABARA, with over 10 years of experience advising domestic and international clients on complex corporate and commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, financing matters, and real estate investments. Her practice encompasses mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, share and asset acquisitions, public tender offers, and cross-border transactions. She has participated in some of Ecuador's largest M&A transactions, advising clients throughout the transaction lifecycle, including deal structuring, legal due diligence, contractual negotiations, and shareholders' agreements. Kirina also advises on project finance transactions involving private financial institutions and multilateral organizations, as well as corporate and regulatory matters arising from complex investment structures. Her multidisciplinary practice extends to real estate transactions and investments, providing clients with integrated legal advice on corporate, financing, and transactional matters. With a background in both law and finance, Kirina combines legal expertise with a strong commercial understanding of complex transactions, advising clients on the structuring, negotiation, and execution of strategic investments in Ecuador.

Sofía Gordillo

Sofía has more than 10 years of experience in tax practice and is currently a Director in the tax division at BUSTAMANTE FABARA. She has extensive knowledge in administrative, tax and constitutional matters. She provides legal advice to different sectors of the economy and new investors; local and international tax planning, as well as has significant experience in the technical defense of taxpayers in administrative and tax litigation with effective results. She has provided support and sponsorship in important tax assessment and corporate insurance processes. She is co-author of “Manual de Derecho Tributario Formal”, published by Ediciones Legales. She has been recognized as “Associate to watch in Tax”, in Chambers & Partners LATAM Guide 2024 rankings; and “Notable Practitioner in Corporate General Tax”, by ITR World Tax. Currently, she is vice-president of the tax table of the Young Ecuadorian Attorneys – YEA of the ICC, Ecuador Chapter.

Vanessa Granizo

Vanessa Granizo is a Senior Associate at BUSTAMANTE FABARA, specializing in Labor & Employment law. She advises domestic and international clients on a broad range of employment matters, including employment contracts, internal workplace regulations, labor compliance, and employment-related disputes. Her practice encompasses labor litigation, mediation, and administrative proceedings before Ecuador's Ministry of Labor and the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS). She also provides ongoing legal advice to corporate clients and human resources departments on employment regulations, workforce management, and the prevention and resolution of labor disputes. Vanessa holds a law degree from Universidad de las Américas, a Master's degree in Labor Law and Social Security from Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, and is a certified mediator accredited by the Mediation Center of Universidad San Francisco de Quito.

Xavier Palacios

Xavier focuses his practice on dispute resolution, advising and representing domestic and international clients in constitutional and administrative litigation, as well as arbitration proceedings. He has extensive experience in constitutional and public law disputes, representing clients in complex contentious matters and proceedings involving public authorities. His expertise in constitutional law extends beyond his litigation practice, as he regularly participates as a speaker, lecturer, and trainer in specialized legal forums and is frequently consulted on constitutional matters. In addition to his legal practice, Xavier serves as President of the Constitutional Law Committee of the ICC Young Ecuadorian Attorneys and is a member of the organization's Compliance and Dispute Resolution Committees, contributing to professional discussions on constitutional law, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution.

Bruno Pesantes

Bruno is a Director at the firm and advises national and international clients. His practice is primarily focused in energy and natural resources, with special enphazis in regulatory law in mining, oil & gas, as well as environmental and corporate law. He has extensive experience in all stages of the oil & gas industry, particularly in regulatory, environmental, and day-to-day operational matters. He actively participates in major contract negotiations with the State and the National Oil Company. In the mining sector, Bruno assists clients in obtaining government authorizations and advises in environmental, regulatory, and project structuring matters. He also has experience in complex negotiations with the State for the signing of strategic agreements and in international disputes. In environmental law, Bruno advises companies from various sectors on regulatory compliance, environmental permitting, regulatory audits, and due diligence. He has worked on high-impact projects, helping to mitigate environmental risks, manage community conflicts, and implement new regulations to ensure legal compliance in their activities.

Diego Pino

Diego has over 20 years of experience in tax law; he's currently Partner at the Tax and Customs Area at BUSTAMANTE FABARA. Diego has extensive experience in matters related to his area of practice, such as providing assistance in determination processes and representing clients in administrative claims before the internal, sectional, and customs tax authorities. He also handles tax litigation before the Tax Litigation Court, the Fiscal Chamber of the National Court of Justice, and extraordinary protection actions before the Constitutional Court. Additionally, Diego provides comprehensive corporate and personal advisory services on topics such as tax planning, corporate restructuring, estate planning, mergers and acquisitions, as well as general tax advice.

Patricia Ponce

Patricia Ponce is a Partner at BUSTAMANTE FABARA, with over 38 years of experience advising domestic and international clients on complex commercial, corporate, and regulatory matters. Her practice encompasses commercial and corporate law, labor law, banking and finance, public procurement, and insurance, combining extensive legal expertise with a comprehensive understanding of Ecuador's business and regulatory environment. She has significant experience in commercial litigation and contentious administrative proceedings, advising and representing clients in complex disputes involving commercial and regulatory matters. Her longstanding practice enables her to provide strategic legal advice across a broad range of industries and legal disciplines. In addition to her legal practice, Patricia has an extensive academic background, having taught Family Law, Corporate Law, and Insurance Law at Ecuadorian universities. She has also participated as a speaker at national and international legal conferences, including events organized by the Inter-American Bar Association.

Diego Ramírez

Diego Ramirez is a Partner at BUSTAMANTE FABARA and Co-Head of the firm's Banking & Finance practice, with extensive experience advising domestic and international clients on complex financing transactions, capital markets, and cross-border investments. He has advised on commercial and financial transactions with an aggregate value exceeding USD 20 billion, including landmark sovereign financing operations. Notably, he advised Credit Suisse on the structuring of the historic Galápagos debt-for-nature swap, involving the issuance of a blue bond to support marine conservation while reducing Ecuador's public debt. His experience also includes the issuance of Ecuador's first sovereign social bond and other sophisticated financing structures. Diego brings a distinctive international perspective shaped by his legal practice and nearly 20 years in Ecuador's diplomatic service, including assignments in Bogotá, Washington, D.C., and Quito. He participated in negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas and the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, developing extensive experience in international trade, investment, and cross-border regulatory matters. His practice spans banking and finance, foreign investment, international arbitration, competition law, and telecommunications. He advises clients from the Americas, Europe, and Asia, combining transactional expertise with a deep understanding of international regulatory and institutional frameworks.

Óscar Reyes

Óscar is a Senior Associate at BUSTAMANTE FABARA, with over 22 years of experience in intellectual property law across both the public and private sectors. He advises domestic and international clients on intellectual property matters, drawing on his extensive experience in administrative proceedings, regulatory frameworks, and the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights. His professional background includes representing Ecuador as a delegate to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Committee on Enforcement and participating in international negotiations on intellectual property provisions in trade agreements with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and South Korea. In addition to his legal practice, Óscar is a professor in the advanced Intellectual Property specialization program at the Central University of Ecuador and regularly participates as a speaker and trainer in academic and professional forums, contributing to the development of intellectual property expertise in Ecuador.

Patricio Santos

Patricio is a Director in BUSTAMANTE FABARA’s Banking & Finance practice, with over 20 years of experience in the public and private financial sectors. He advises domestic and international clients on banking regulation, structured finance, capital markets, and fintech matters, combining extensive transactional experience with a strong understanding of Ecuador’s financial regulatory framework. His practice encompasses complex domestic and cross-border financing transactions, including green, social, and sustainability bonds, securitizations, and diversified payment rights (DPR) financings. He advises financial institutions, multinational companies, multilateral organizations, lenders, and borrowers on financing structures, regulatory compliance, contractual arrangements, and capital markets transactions. Patricio also has significant experience advising fintech companies on their establishment, regulatory authorization, and operations in Ecuador, with a particular focus on payment systems and innovative financial products and services.

Francisco Vacas

Francisco Vacas, partner at BUSTAMANTE FABARA, is a legal professional with extensive experience in labor and employment law, public administration, and regulatory matters. His professional background combines senior government leadership with legal advisory experience in the private sector, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of Ecuador's labor and regulatory framework. He previously served as Minister of Labor Relations of Ecuador, following his appointment as Vice Minister of Labor and Employment. His public sector experience also includes serving as Advisor to the National Secretary and the Undersecretary of Policies and Regulations at the National Technical Secretariat for Human Resources Development and Public Sector Remuneration (SENRES). In the private sector, Francisco has served as Legal Advisor and Special Representative for Stanford Casa de Valores S.A. and Stanford Trust Company and Trust Fund Management S.A., contributing legal expertise across corporate and financial services environments.

Rafael Valdivieso

Rafael, Partner at BUSTAMANTE FABARA, advises oil and gas companies on various strategic matters to channel their investments through viable legal structures. He is an expert in drafting and negotiating contracts in the oil and mining industry, corporate structuring, project financing, operational agreements, and local and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. He works with major clients in the oil and mining industry in Ecuador, advising International Oil Companies (IOCs), independent companies, and service companies on project structuring and implementation in Ecuador, Cuba, Venezuela, and Guatemala. Rafael has advised several mining companies on their entry into Ecuador and the development of exploratory projects. He has been recognized by leading law magazines in the Energy and Natural Resources area for several consecutive years. In 2016, he won the Latin Lawyer’s Deal of the Year (Regulatory) award. Rafael was also appointed Director of the Ecuador chapter of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN), where he led and organized various events with different government authorities in recent years. He is an expert in Administrative Law and has extensive experience in telecommunications regulation matters. Currently, he leads the Energy and Natural Resources department at BUSTAMANTE FABARA.

Mariana Villagómez Álvarez

Mariana, Partner at the Firm, has 33 years of experience in corporate, banking, trust and investment business. Her vast experience includes domestic and international clients in fund raising and acquisition transactions. Due to her ability to propose and implement creative and alternative strategies and her effectiveness in delivering excellent results, her clients continually retain BUSTAMANTE FABARA for the resolution of their legal matters in her practice areas. Mariana builds great trust with her clients and for this reason, they have been working with us for more than 20 years, being Director of Insurance Companies and several multinational companies.