Mr Mario Gorziglia > Prieto Abogados > Santiago, Chile > Lawyer Profile

The eight-strong team at Prieto Abogados fields specialists in direct, indirect, municipal and inheritance taxes, as well as international taxation and the application of double taxation conventions. The firm also routinely assists with IRS matters (including during audits); and acts in tax litigation before the High Courts of Justice, as well as the Tax and Customs Courts. The team is co-led by Mario Gorziglia, who advises domestic and foreign clients on corporate reorganisations and business structuring; and Leonidas Prieto, who ‘has very detailed knowledge of tax regulation and practice’. At counsel level, Luz María Calvo is a former adviser to the Ministry of Finance’s tax policies department, while senior associate Beatriz Bustos is an April 2022 hire from PCM Abogados.

Well-known for its borrower-side credentials, Prieto Abogados‘ banking and finance team is also mandated by major lenders for significant financing transactions. The department is notably active in deals involving the energy and mining sectors, including project financing, corporate loans and acquisition financings. The group is co-led by project finance and tax specialist Mario Gorziglia (‘strong negotiation skills‘); and Isabel Monge, who was promoted to counsel in 2022, has extensive financing experience and is ‘always concerned with details‘. Also key to the group are finance lawyer Isabel Wolleter E, a partner since 2022; and ‘very clear‘ senior associate Aníbal Larrain, who advises on syndicated loans, project financings, revolving facility agreements and international debt placements.

Prieto Abogados’ large projects and infrastructure practice is consistently sought out to advise on the development, implementation, financing and acquisition of heavyweight projects. Recent workloads cover transmission lines, renewable energy, mining, construction and toll roads. A quartet of principal advisers co-lead the practice. Juan Tagle’s experience includes power plants (particularly renewables), transmission lines, ports, mining and desalination construction projects; banking and finance team leader Mario Gorziglia is a project finance expert; Nicolás Yuraszeck K has longstanding experience in construction projects, tender processes, project finance, regulatory issues, and related M&A deals; and counsel Isabel Monge is experienced in the financing of mining, electricity transmission and renewable energy projects. The associate to note, Emilio Del Real, advises on project financing, tender processes and construction projects.

Prieto Abogados’ ‘very solid and sharp team’ has a strong reputation for its telephony sector credentials. The 10-strong TMT practice encompasses experience in SUBTEL actions (Chile’s telecoms agency), negotiations with telephony concessionaires, and telephony-related regulatory issues. Recent TMT mandate’s also include major M&A deals. Group head Mario Gorziglia is particularly noted for his telephony industry expertise; and media, entertainment and technology specialist José Andrés Pascual, who ‘stands out for his negotiating skills‘, advises on cinema and television production agreements, sport rights management and the implementation of audiovisual services. Associates Diego Madariaga and Catalina Bruner both maintain active compliance practices.