Ms Andrea Saffie > 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 seven-member practice at full-service firm Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos acts for entrepreneurs and emerging private companies during all growth stages. The team’s expertise encompasses corporate governance, long-term service contracts, and shareholder agreements; and it further leverages the firm’s expertise in related areas, such as new technology development, IP, data privacy and corporate law. The principal figures are IP, technology, privacy, start-up and VC expert, Rodrigo Lavados, who assists VC market players with expanding in Chile; and Andrea Saffie, whose industry specialisms include casinos, oil, agro-industrial, hotels, forestry, investment funds, and family offices. At senior associate level, Gabriel Pensa’s experience includes working as in-house counsel for a regional retail group, while Ernesto Eckholt is a recent departee.