Mr Sergio Díez > Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos > Santiago, Chile > Lawyer Profile

Full-service firm Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos houses a practice group 44-strong (including 11 partners) that covers the full range of corporate and M&A work. The group’s representative expertise ranges from joint ventures and private equity / venture capital deals, to the acquisition of private and public companies, domestic and cross-border transactions, corporate mergers and spin-offs, and corporate restructurings. The firm fields multiple highly-rated partners, including: corporate law and contracts specialist Sergio Díez; Gerardo Varela, whose M&A track record includes energy, retail and aquaculture sector deals; Cristián Herrera, an adviser on corporate and transactional laws (as well as foreign investment and securities regulations); corporate, commercial, real estate and M&A expert, Juan Pablo Matus; and Carlos Pérez-Cotapos, who assists with corporate, natural resources and mining law matters. Senior partner Francisco J Illanes, José Luis Letelier and Gonzalo Grez are additional key practitioners, along with younger partner Andrea Saffie. The first line of advisors was further strengthened in July 2023 with the hire of Nicolás Lustig, who returns to private practice after more than 15 years in various in-house positions – most recently some eight years at BHP. Within the firm’s senior associate ranks, María Francisca Salas and Sergio Balharry both advise on M&A deals.

The longstanding track record at full-service firm Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos covers gas pipeline and coal-fired power plant developments, along with the development and financing of marine natural gas regasification terminal projects. The nine-member practice’s experience also encompasses negotiating power purchase agreements and arbitrations involving breach of energy supply contracts. The experience of regulatory law department head Gonzalo Jiménez, who ‘provides great support during energy transactions‘, includes advising electricity-consuming companies on tenders; Sergio Díez assists with greenfield wind farm projects; and Martín Astorga advises on the environmental issues surrounding energy projects. Within the firm’s associate pool, senior Verónica Cuadra maintains an active regulatory, environmental and energy law practice.

Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos’ sizeable projects department is widely respected for its experience in mining, energy and telecoms projects. The firm also houses specialists in infrastructure and real estate; and its full-service offering comprises planning, development and construction issues, along with M&A and financing work. Among the group’s several active advisers, Carlos Pérez-Cotapos acts on mining projects; Sergio Díez’s broad practice includes PPP, EPC and O&M contracts; managing partner Juan Pablo Matus is a real estate and infrastructure project expert; and Cristián Herrera has notable infrastructure project experience. Also integral to the group are Mining law specialist Gonzalo Grez is also integral to the group, as are regulatory law department leader Gonzalo Jiménez and Rodrigo Sepúlveda, whose practice covers renewable energy and Public Works’ Concessions law-related infrastructure financing. Associate Verónica Cuadra is active in regulatory, environmental and energy law work.