Mr Fernando Samaniego > Prieto Abogados > Santiago, Chile > Lawyer Profile

The seven-strong disputes team at full-service Prieto Abogados, although small, nevertheless constitutes a core practice area for the firm. Consistently acting before arbitrators and ordinary courts in disputes involving energy, construction, real estate and retail, the practice has experienced an uptick in contentious matters, particularly in regulated sectors such as insurance, transportation, healthcare, telecoms and banking. The team is led by seasoned litigator Fernando Samaniego, who has a certain focus on real estate and construction conflicts and anti-trust litigation, while also fielding the highly experienced partners Alberto González V (arbitration, particularly in real estate, construction and energy disputes) and Claudio Undurraga (utilities, energy, infrastructure and anti-trust litigation). At associate level, the key names are Juan Pablo Riesco (civil and commercial litigation and arbitration, bankruptcy and competition) and Cristóbal Jiménez (administrative, civil and commercial litigation; civil responsibility; and arbitration).

Prieto Abogados‘ eight-member team is experienced in public law-related dispute resolution, sanctioning proceedings, reviewing the regulatory aspects of transactions, and relations with authorities, among others. The team’s key figures are litigation and arbitration head Fernando Samaniego, who also heads the real estate team, and experienced partner Benjamín Grebe. Further associate-level support is provided by litigator Juan Pablo Riesco and environmental team head Agustín Martorell.

The eight-strong team at Prieto Abogados is well known for insurance regulatory matters, in relation to the approval of new -or the acquisition of existing- insurance companies. The practice also fields experts in distribution agreements for insurance products, such as bancassurance agreements, mortgage-related policies, mobile-phone protection policies and extended warranty policies. In addition, it has broad litigation experience in claims and insurance recoveries that involve risk (including fire, earthquake, business interruption, insolvency and general liability). Senior partner Patricio Prieto L heads the insurance and reinsurance department, which also includes litigation and arbitration head Fernando Samaniego and associate María Cristina Ríos Llaneza.

Prieto Abogados‘ four-member department provides a full-spectrum service in relation to the acquisition, development and construction of large real estate projects, including assistance with tax planning, financing, corporate issues, land use, environmental law and construction matters. The team also handles due diligence and key contract negotiations. Fernando Samaniego heads the real estate team (as well as the litigation and arbitration department). At associate level, Camila Urzúa‘s practice is predominantly focused on real estate project development, and Alejandra Bañados is also active in real estate work. However, former partner Cristóbal Villarino and associate Juan Andrés Ilharreborde left to co-found Villarino e Ilharreborde in early 2020.