Firm Profile > Claro & Cia. > Santiago, Chile

Banking and finance Tier 1

One of the oldest, most prestigious law firms in Chile, Claro & Cia.'s banking and finance group comprises 29 lawyers, including seven partners. It is well known for the design and structure of sophisticated financial products and innovative banking transactions, which have become standard in the Chilean banking and financial markets. The firm has several highly respected partners, including Rodrigo Ochagavía, who is experienced in regulated sectors such as energy, mining, pension funds, banking and insurance; and Jorge Martín, who is recommended for international infrastructure and transportation project financing. Other key partners include project finance specialist José María Eyzaguirre B and Cristóbal Eyzaguirre, who has a broad banking and finance practice, along with project finance specialists José Luis Ambrosy and Ariel Mihovilovic. At counsel level, Jaime Salas focuses on energy and project finance.

Capital markets Tier 1

The sophisticated practice at Claro & Cia. typically represent key parties in all types of significant local and international securities transactions, regulatory compliance and associated corporate governance issues. Handling public and private offerings (IPOs, equity and investment-grade and high-yield debt offerings), project bonds, securities exchange listings, exchange offers, cash and debt tender offers and hybrid securities, the team is praised for its design and structuring of securities transactions. Rodrigo Ochagavía has extensive capital markets experience, particularly in relation to regulated sectors such as energy, mining, pension funds, banking institutions and insurance companies; while José Luis Ambrosy's clients include leading corporates, banks and underwriting firms. Also key to the practice are experienced partners Felipe Larraín and Juan José León, along with counsels Cristián Lagos and Jaime Salas.

Competition and antitrust Tier 1

Fielding a 14-strong department, Claro & Cia. has long been a market leader for competition and antitrust matters and enjoys close relations with the antitrust authorities. Key areas of strength include high-profile cases involving horizontal and vertical integration, collusion, price discrimination, major merger control filings and settlement agreements, antitrust investigations, and regulatory compliance. Cristóbal Eyzaguirre, who has broad experience in complex antitrust litigation and investigations, including cross-border cases, co-leads the department with José Miguel Huerta, who has acted for clients in Chile, US and Europe in government proceedings and investigations involving mergers and cartels. Key contentious support is provided by Santiago Bravo, who was made partner in January 2020, and associate Álvaro Vives.

Corporate and M&A Tier 1

High-end market mainstay Claro & Cia. has participated in most of Chile's landmark transactions over the past 20 years. It fields a 33-strong department that advises on all aspects of M&A, including share and asset deals, cross-border mergers, takeovers and exchange offers. In corporate matters, the team assists with the negotiation of domestic and international agreements for the purchase and sale of goods, distribution strategies, imports and exports, and supply and engineering, procurement and construction contracts. Team head José María Eyzaguirre B is recommended for tender offers, public transactions and corporate governance issues; Cristóbal Eyzaguirre's broad expertise facilitates a constant role in complex M&A transactions; and Rodrigo Ochagavía has extensive M&A experience, particularly in the energy, pensions and insurance sectors. Also key to the group are energy law expert Matías de Marchena, Felipe Larraín, Hernán Felipe Valdés and José Luis Ambrosy, along with Ariel Mihovilovic, Juan León and recently promoted partner José María Eyzaguirre F. While more active on finance matters than M&A of late, counsel Jaime Salas is also noted.

Dispute resolution Tier 1

Disputes work has always been a core practice at market powerhouse Claro & Cia., which fields a heavyweight, 30-strong dispute resolution practice that specialises in complex commercial court litigation, arbitration and transnational litigation; the team's lawyers also regularly act (as counsel or arbitrators) in international arbitral proceedings. In addition, the firm has a robust white-collar crime practice. Senior partner José María Eyzaguirre G has acted in various renowned litigation and arbitral cases in Chile over the last 30 years. Other highly-rated partners include practice head Cristóbal Eyzaguirre, who has broad experience in complex antitrust litigation and investigations, and energy arbitration and litigation specialist, Nicolás Luco. Also integral to the practice are Felipe Ossa, José Miguel Huerta and Santiago Bravo, who made partner in January 2020. Vicente Portales, Javier Rodríguez, Álvaro Vives and Juan Pablo Celis provide strong support at associate level. Tania Villarroel left for Acción Educar in July 2019.

Projects and infrastructure Tier 1

With one of Chile’s most experienced project finance and project development practices, Claro & Cia.'s 20-strong department is highly rated for its assistance with the construction and development of power plants, transmission lines and sub-stations, as well as the financing of greenfield and brownfield projects on a non-recourse project finance basis. Additional areas of note are the negotiation and drafting of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts, operation & maintenance (O&M) agreements, interconnection contracts, and supply and power purchase agreements. Rodrigo Ochagavía's projects experience includes the regulated sectors, notably energy, ports and concessions; Jorge Martín also has a strong concessions sector background; and Luisa Núñez is a cross-border transactions specialist who is active on projects matters. Other highly-rated partners include José Luis Ambrosy, who advises leading project sponsors and developers; and energy and project finance expert, Ariel Mihovilovic. Experienced associate Gerardo Otero is noted.

Intellectual property Tier 2

Claro & Cia.'s full-service IP practice group is experienced in advising on traditional areas such as brands and patents. Other notable areas include advertising, software, data protection, and IP-related unfair competition and transactional IP-matters, along with consumer law, and food, technology and healthcare sector-related regulatory issues. The team has also developed a strong presence in relation to the agricultural, clothing and footwear, cosmetics, mining, pharmaceuticals and tobacco sectors. Unsurprisingly, given the firm's broader dispute resolution capabilities, it has a significant IP litigation track record. Department head Felipe Claro advises on highly complex -and frequently novel- IP matters; key support is provided by counsel Paulina Bardón, senior associate Claus Krebs, and associates Mahish Sadarangani and Bryan Kernitsky.

Mining Tier 2

Elite firm Claro & Cia.'s broad service offering includes an eight-strong mining practice that is well-known for its assistance with mining-related financing, project development, M&A procedures, and contentious matters in the industry. It also advises on mining regulatory matters, including the environmental law aspects of mining projects. The broad practice of the firm's natural-resources group head, Nicolás Eyzaguirre, covers advice to local and foreign companies developing projects in the mining, energy, water, forestry and oil sectors; key associate-level support comes from Joaquín Rodríguez, an experienced senior in the natural resources group, whose practice is primarily transaction-driven.

Tax Tier 2

Claro & Cia.'s 11-strong group, plus a further three tax accountants, advise on a broad range of tax advisory and transactional matters, along with an increasing number of tax cases before the recently created tax courts. The practice is particularly active in relation to the banking, retail, aeronautics and maritime sectors. Clients also benefit from the firm's full-service expertise in M&A, capital markets and project finance. Regularly advising both corporate and family office clients, Jorge Carraha is the experienced tax department head; while at senior associate level, the tax focused Nicolás Maturana has been active in transactional and litigation matters of late - and also has knowledge of wealth management.

Environment Tier 3

The eight-strong team at full-service law firm Claro & Cia. consistently advises on environmental law-related judicial procedures, transactions and contracts in relation to the mining, sanitary and energy sectors, among others. Experienced partner and natural resources group head Nicolás Eyzaguirre's broad practice includes environmental law expertise. Senior associate support is provided by Joaquín Rodríguez.

Electricity/oil and gas

Claro & Cia. has longstanding experience in advising several of the largest national and global players in the energy generation, transmission and distribution market. Representative work includes the development, construction, operation and financing of hydroelectric, solar, wind and thermoelectric power plants, along with the project financing and construction of oil and gas pipelines. The highly-rated team's scope of work covers corporate, regulatory and litigation issues, along with power purchase agreements (PPAs); it also has expertise in water law, assisting clients from across the mining, electric, industrial, agricultural and finance sectors with projects requiring significant water consumption. Rodrigo Ochagavía, Ariel Mihovilovic, José Luis Ambrosy, Nicolás Eyzaguirre and Luisa Núñez are all experienced partners.