Mr Agustín Martorell > Prieto Abogados > Santiago, Chile > Lawyer Profile

‘One of the best with which clients could work‘, Prieto Abogados‘ energy-focused-environmental law team consistently participates in environmental assessment processes throughout Chile. The team additionally houses real estate industry experts, while also being active in environmental law-related sanctioning proceedings. The practice group’s recent mandates include assisting with environmental damages actions before Chile’s environmental courts in relation to soil, underground water and infrastructure, among other matters. Recently-promoted partner and practice head Agustín Martorell is an ‘exceptional lawyer‘, whose experience encompasses the mining, energy, infrastructure, and fishing and aquaculture sectors; while counsel and former Environmental Assessment Service legal department head, Romina Tobar, is an April 2023 recruit. In the associate pool, Ignacio Matte advises on environmental law and regulatory issues. Former associates Andrés Maldini and Isabel Becerra both departed the firm during 2022.

The ‘very responsive‘ 10-member mining practice at full-service firm Prieto Abogados advises an array of domestic and international clients (including investment funds) on mining rights – particularly since these have become increasingly critical to the funding sought for the development of energy, infrastructure and real estate projects. The mining department also assists with a range of judicial proceedings and private arbitrations. The team is jointly led director of the firm’s environmental and public law practices, Agustín Martorell (who was raised to the partnership in January 2022), whose broad expertise covers environmental law and project development, in relation to the mining, energy, infrastructure, and fishing and aquaculture industries; and M&A leader Juan Tagle, who is also experienced in mining projects. Associates Ignacio Matte (environmental, regulatory and mining law) and Ignacio Quintana (a 2022 hire from BEC Abogados) complete the team. Former seniors Andrés Maldini and Jorge Echeverría left the firm for Solek Holding Chile and Rockville Capital, respectively, during the course of 2022.

The ‘proactive, committed and responsible’ 10-member public and administrative law department at full-service practice Prieto Abogados covers public law disputes, sanctioning proceedings, transactions-related regulatory reviews, and interactions with authorities; the team’s recent caseload includes public law matters involving healthcare, telecoms, infrastructure, and  environmental sector clients. The group is led by the ‘very innovative’ counsel Juan Pablo Riesco, who acts for both national and international companies on regulatory and administrative matters. Partner-level support is provided by Fernando Samaniego, whose disputes practice covers proceedings before administrative and regulatory authorities; and Agustín Martorell, a recently-promoted partner who is increasingly active in administrative, public and regulatory law-related work.

Recent highlights for Prieto Abogados‘ ‘very responsive‘ and 23-strong energy and natural resources team include regulatory work, major M&A transactions, the construction of a large energy generation portfolio, and desalinisation projects. Its current caseload also includes the sale of a sizeable distributed generation portfolio and the acquisition, development and construction of non-conventional renewable energy projects (including the associated due diligence processes). The practice is co-led by M&A leader and energy and natural resources specialist, Juan Tagle; and corporate team head Fernando Bravo, who routinely acts for major energy sector clients. The second line of active advisers features Nicolás Yuraszeck K, who has longstanding experience in construction projects, tender processes, project finance, regulatory advice, and energy M&A; and Agustín Martorell, who acts on energy and natural resources-related projects and regulatory matters. At counsel level, Andrea Von Chrismar brings antitrust expertise to energy-related regulatory issues; and Federico Rodríguez‘s wide-ranging practice covers negotiations with developers, corporate matters, financing, and renewable generation projects.