Carey > Santiago, Chile > Firm Profile

Carey > The Legal 500 Rankings

Chile > Banking and finance Tier 1

With extensive experience in advising creditors, investors and borrowers on the full range of banking and financial transactions, Carey‘s 19-strong practice is consistently sought out for its expertise in bilateral and syndicated loans, liability management issues, and public and private offerings and placements of capital and debt. The group also houses specialists in project finance, structured products and derivatives. A raft of six principal figures includes: Diego Peralta, who advises on the creation and structuring of financial products and all aspects of business financings; Felipe Moro, a specialist in lending deals, project finance, structured products and derivatives; the highly regarded Salvador Valdés, who is particularly active with investment banks and asset managers; and Francisco Ugarte, who advises both corporations and financial institutions on financial matters. Partner-level bench strength has been notably deepened with the elevation to the partnership of Fernando Noriega (whose practice is centred on bank-lending, project finance and capital markets) and Alejandra Daroch (who routinely acts for banks, financial institutions and debtors) in April and November, respectively.

Chile > Bankruptcy, insolvency and restructuring Tier 1

Full-service market leader Carey fields a seven-strong insolvency and restructuring practice that is highly regarded for its experience in bankruptcy proceedings; the team consistently assists both creditors and debtors with liquidations, reorganisation agreements and restructurings. The department comprises several practice heads, namely: Ricardo Reveco; a renowned insolvency, bankruptcy and restructuring specialist; Salvador Valdés, who is highly rated for complex bankruptcy matters; Francisco Ugarte, whose track record includes representing both debtors and creditors in insolvency procedures; Cristián Figueroa, a specialist in transactions involving financial distressed companies; and Alejandra Daroch, who was promoted to partner in November 2021 and whose broad practice covers distressed M&A and debt restructuring. Roberto Villaseca is the associate to note, his dispute resolution practice encompassing bankruptcy and insolvency issues. Since publication, Villaseca has been raised to the partnership - effective December 2022.

Chile > Capital markets Tier 1

The ‘outstanding’ 40-strong department at market stalwart Carey has extensive experience advising issuers, bondholders and stockholders on corporate and securitised bonds, as well as both public and private securities. Other areas of strength include cross-border IPOs, capital increases, derivatives, debt issuances and securitisations. The team also has enviable regulatory compliance and corporate governance expertise. One recent highlight saw Diego Peralta lead advice to Deutsche Bank and other financial institutions on the Banco del Estado de Chile’s $5bn notes issuance. The deep bench of highly-rated practitioners also includes Salvador Valdés, who advises on local bond issuances and other capital market deals; debt and equity transactions expert Francisco Ugarte; Felipe Moro, whose broad experience includes US private placements and Rule 144A/Reg. S deals; the dual qualified (Chile/New York) Patricia Silberman, who has advised the likes of Goldman Sachs and BlackRock; and equity securities specialist Cristián Eyzaguirre. Jorge Ugarte (debt and equity issues and liability management transactions); Francisco Guzmán (capital increase transactions and secondary share-offerings, among other matters); and securities issuance expert Cristián Figueroa, are also integral to a practice that has been further strengthened with the raising to the partnership of Fernando Noriega and Alejandra Daroch in April and November 2021, respectively.

Chile > Competition and antitrust Tier 1

Fielding ‘a very strong free competition team that is constantly up to date‘, Carey‘s sizeable 18-strong antitrust practice consistently acts in the Chilean market’s most high-profile cases before both the Antitrust Court (Tribunal de la Libre Competencia/TDLC) and the Supreme Court. The group is also sought out for its assistance with investigations before Chile’s National Economic Prosecutor (Fiscalía Nacional Económica/FNE). Other areas of strength range from merger control processes to voluntary consultations with the TDLC, internal audits, regulatory compliance programmes and the development of codes of good practice. The practice is jointly led by Claudio Lizana , who routinely litigates major antitrust cases, as well as advising on merger control processes; Lorena Pavic, an ‘absolutely phenomenal‘ antitrust litigation and merger control regime specialist (and the current director of the Universidad Católica de Chile’s Centre for Antitrust Studies); and ‘excellent lawyer' José Pardo, who was promoted from associate to partner in November 2021. Since publication, Lizana has left to establish his own firm - effective as of December 2022.

Chile > Compliance Tier 1

Acting for a wide range of foreign and local clients, Carey‘s ‘very specialised and flexible‘ compliance and anti-corruption practice is widely respected for its advice on corporate governance, regulatory and compliance matters. The group handles both compliance advice on the Chilean Corporate Criminal Liability Act (including compliance programmes), and allegations of corruption and money laundering (frequently requiring multi-jurisdictional perspectives). The firm further stands out for its role as the Chilean legal partner of TRACE Anti-Corruption Bribery Systems, with the compliance team -working alongside the firm’s white-collar crime practice- consistently representing clients facing criminal enforcement actions. The compliance practice of department head Guillermo Acuña (who also co-heads the firm’s corporate and M&A group) focuses on designing and implementing tailored anti-corruption compliance programmes, as well as bribery allegations and internal investigations. ‘Always personally involved in the work‘, associate Pablo Albertz‘s practice covers criminal compliance, anti-corruption, money laundering prevention, corporate crime risk management, and white-collar criminal litigation. Former senior associate Francisca Franzani left the firm in December 2021, since when Rodrigo Aldoney  has been hired (from BCP Abogados) as a senior counsel in the firm’s criminal practice – effective as of February 2022.

Chile > Consumer and advertising law Tier 1

The advertising and consumer law practice at full-service legal giant Carey is particularly active in voluntary collective procedures before SERNAC; advertising, marketing and recall campaigns; safety and warranty policies; and importing and commercialising products in the Chilean market. Another area of strength is e-commerce, while the group also has broad litigation experience in class and individual actions surrounding product liability, misleading advertisements, consumer safety and contractual compliance. The practice co-heads are Guillermo Carey  and Aldo Molinari  , whose recent activities include co-leading the defence of General Motors Financial Chile against a SERNAC-filed class action for allegedly infringing consumers’ rights in relation to extrajudicial collection practices. At associate level, Mónica Pérez's broad litigation and commercial arbitration practice includes consumer protection mandates, and Kureusa Hara  is an up-and-coming lawyer who focuses on advertising legislation and consumer regulation. Former senior associates María José Martabit and Eduardo Reveco both exited the firm in late 2021 (for an academic role at the University of Washington and PAGBAM Schwencke Chile, respectively).

Chile > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

‘On par with major New York law firms‘, Chilean behemoth Carey houses ‘an outstanding group of partners and associates‘ who are ‘experienced, knowledgeable, accessible and responsive‘. The 54-strong practice is sought out for its expertise in a broad range of M&A deals, such as takeovers via public offerings, minority share purchases, acquisitions of companies and asset packages, private equity transactions, and insolvency and reorganisation-related acquisitions. Within the large partner pool, Jorge Carey is a go-to adviser for both government institutions and private industry; managing partner Jaime Carey T is a tax expert with deep knowledge of M&A and foreign investment transactions; Claudio Lizana  focuses on corporate law, M&A, antitrust regulation and merger control; Pablo Iacobelli is a deeply experience  corporate and transactional specialist; while Salvador Valdés is highlighted as ‘very skilled‘, and Francisco Ugarte and Cristián Figueroa are also true M&A experts. Additional key partners include Marcos Ríos and Patricia Silberman, who are both Chile and US-qualified; corporate aviation expert Guillermo Acuña; Cristián Eyzaguirre and Jorge Ugarte, both of whom act on M&A and private equity matters; and Francisco Guzmán, who leads the firm’s commercial office in Miami. The senior bench was further strengthened with the raising of Jaime Carey A and Alejandra Daroch to the partnership; and senior associate Josefina Marshall is also noted. Since publication, Lizana has left to establish his own boutique practice - effective December 2022.

Chile > Data privacy Tier 1

The data protection practice at legal giant Carey fields ‘lawyers who are very good at describing things in a simple way‘, with its longstanding experience encompassing a wide array of privacy matters, cybersecurity issues and technology-related work. In addition to its assistance with the application of local data protection regulations, the seven-strong team advises on privacy by design, data processing agreements, employees’ use of technological devices, cookie policies, international data-transfers, codes of conducts, and privacy policies. Heading up the practice, the broad IP and technology expertise of Guillermo Carey (a past president of the American-Chilean Chamber of Commerce) covers a broad range of data privacy matters; recently promoted practice director José Ignacio Mercado focuses his data protection practice on health and pharma-related data issues; and senior associate Elias Mohor primarily acts on privacy, personal data and information security.

Chile > Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 1

The large, 25-member arbitration practice (including four partners) at market stalwart Carey has enviable experience in national and international commercial and investment arbitrations. The ‘unique‘ group acts before both local and international institutions, such as the Arbitration and Mediation Centre of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (CAM Santiago),  the International Court of Arbitration (ICC) and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), as well as under United Nation Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) rules; and has extensive experience in arbitrating disputes in the media, construction, energy, mining and pharmaceuticals sectors. The principal figures are: Gonzalo Fernández (recently re-elected by the ICC as an ICA member in Paris for 2021- 2023), who ‘has a deep understanding of arbitration‘; Ricardo Reveco, an expert in commercial arbitrations involving corporate conflicts; Aldo Molinari, who focuses on commercial and investment arbitrations; and ‘outstanding practitioner‘ Juan Carlos Riesco. Key associate Mónica Pérez has a broad domestic and international commercial arbitration practice. Since publication Pérez has been raised to the partnership - effective December 2022.

Chile > Dispute resolution: litigation Tier 1

The weighty 25-strong practice at Chilean legal giant Carey is highly experienced in the resolution of complex civil and commercial lawsuits, including shareholder conflicts, environmental and sanctioning procedures, construction claims, and concessions-related disputes. Clients additionally benefit from the group’s leveraging the firm’s specialisms in construction, environment and consumer law, as well as regulated markets such as energy, health and pensions. The practice is jointly led by Gonzalo Fernández, who routinely acts in Chile’s most complex legal disputes; Ricardo Reveco, who ‘combines very high-level academic training with outstanding practical capabilities‘; Aldo Molinari, who undertakes administrative and environmental regulatory disputes, as well as civil and commercial litigation; and Juan Carlos Riesco, who is also a highly rate litigation partner. Within the associate pool, senior Mónica Pérez‘s broad practice includes pre-litigious advice to clients in the mining, insurance, energy,  retail and automotive sectors; and Roberto Villaseca routinely acts before both ordinary and special litigation courts. Since publication, both Pérez and Villaseca have been raised to the parntership - effective as of December 2022.

Energy and natural resources > Electricity and hydrocarbon

Full-service law firm Carey fields a 13-strong energy group that consistently acts for developers and financial entities on some of the country’s major energy, gas and oil projects, Examples include coal, natural gas, hydroelectric power, liquefied natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal, and floating storage and regasification unit projects; the team’s full-service offering also covers regulatory issues, project development, and the negotiation of energy supply agreements. The practice is jointly led by Juan Francisco Mackenna and José Miguel Bustamante, who both focus on energy regulatory matters and energy projects; and mining and energy project specialist José Tomás Hurley (elevated to the partnership in November 2021). At senior associate level: Pablo Morales focuses on energy projects, while Carmenmaría Poblete‘s practice includes advising on the development, acquisition and financing of renewable energy projects.

Energy and natural resources > Mining Tier 1

With ‘incredible knowledge and understanding of mining regulation and practice‘, Carey‘s eight-member team consistently acts for metallic and non-metallic mineral mining companies on the country’s most important mining projects. The department assists with project development matters, financing and M&A deals, and its expertise covers exploration, exploitation and processing activities. The practice is co-led by Rafael Vergara, ‘a senior statesman in the mining legal world‘, whose expertise spans all aspects of mining law; Alberto Cardemil, one of Chile’s leading experts on water rights; and counsel Francisco Corona, whose practice focuses on natural resources, mining, energy and environmental law. Within the mining group’s senior associate pool, Maximiliano Urrutia is ‘a solid adviser‘, while Esteban Fresno assists with natural resources, mining, water, energy, environmental and indigenous law.

Chile > Environment Tier 1

The 12-member environmental practice group at full-service firm Carey comprises ‘very good professionals who give very appropriate legal advice‘. The team routinely advises on environmental impact assessments and environmental sanctioning proceedings, with its clients including mining, energy, infrastructure, water utilities, aquaculture and agriculture industry businesses. It also has extensive experience in water rights. Moreover, the firm’s environmental litigation practice, alongside the firm’s dispute resolution group (co-led by environmental disputes specialist Aldo Molinari), handles complex environmental litigation, including defences before the environmental courts. The department is co-led -in conjunction with Molinari- by Alberto Cardemil, who leads the firm’s water and agribusiness practices; and Rafael Vergara, who is experienced in regulatory and environmental evaluation processes. Within the senior associate pool, Tomás De La Maza is a water, agribusiness and corporate law expert, while Manuel José Barros and Julio Recordon both ‘stand out for their availability and flexibility'. Since publication, Barros and Recordon have been raised to the partnership - effective as of December 2022.

Chile > Insurance Tier 1

The 10-strong department at full-service, market stalwart Carey consistently advises domestic and foreign (re)insurers, brokers and insureds on insurance matters. Fielding experts in regulatory issues, underwriting, and contentious and non-contentious work, the ‘great‘ practice handles the representation of insurance companies in large and significant surety claims, the structuring of the local market’s major bancassurance alliances and disputes between market players, along with coverage lawsuits, and regulatory and sanctioning procedures before Chile’s Committee on Financial Markets (among other matters). The practice is jointly led by Matías Vergara, whose track record includes advising international insurance companies on their day-to-day activities and regulatory issues, as well as during crisis times; Pablo Iacobelli, whose practice includes insurance M&A and regulatory corporate matters for insurance companies; and insurance and reinsurance industry expert Marcos Ríos. At associate level, Jorge Soto‘s practice covers insurance and reinsurance industry-related work.

Chile > Intellectual property Tier 1

The sizeable intellectual property (IP) group at full-service firm Carey consistently provides IP-related commercial and litigation advice to companies from the infrastructure, energy, mining, transportation, technology, life sciences and healthcare sectors. Its experience covers the prosecution and litigation of trade marks, patents and industrial designs, geographical indications, designations of origin, plant varieties, and domain names; and the department’s expertise further extends to copyright, anti-counterfeiting, technology contracting, licensing and IP management. The practice is jointly led by IP expert Guillermo Carey, whose track record includes IP litigation, trade marks, patents, and licensing, distribution and franchise agreements; Francisco Carey, who focuses on trade mark and patent procedures and prosecution, along with anti-counterfeiting and IP-related agreements; and counsel Fernando García, an expert on invention patents. At associate level, the deeply experienced Catalina Aldunate is an intellectual and industrial property specialist, while Carla Encalada‘s practice includes IP litigation, trade marks, patents and domain names.

Chile > Labour and employment Tier 1

The 18-strong team at market-leading firm Carey routinely advises national and international companies on corporate labour matters, labour litigation and union negotiations, as well as immigration issues. The labour group is also able to leverage the expertise of its tax, civil, criminal, data privacy and IP colleagues for complex labour and employment matters, and acts for an enviable client base spans industries such as airlines, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, construction, mining, telecoms, retail, and banking and finance. The department is jointly led by Oscar Aitken, who has a broad labour practice, and whose recent experience includes advising an international airline on a collective bargaining process; labour and corporate immigration law specialist Francisca Corti, who ‘stands out for her solid knowledge in this area‘; and recently promoted partner Francisco Arce, an expert in employer-side union issues, collective bargaining, social security issues and labour litigation. Within the associate pool, Carla Karzulovic, Constanza Trisotti and Valentina Kuscevic all have broad employment law experience.

Chile > Life sciences Tier 1

‘The best in the Chilean market’, Carey‘s life sciences practice has extensive experience in advising clients from the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, medical devices and food industries. Representative expertise includes advising on the incorporation of pharmaceutical companies in Chile before the sanitary authorities; and the sanitary registration and modification of pharmaceuticals, biotechnological products, cosmetics, and medical devices. Additional areas of strength cover product labelling, clinical trials, advertising, data privacy, patent defence work, compliance, and administrative procedures. The practice is co-led by Guillermo Carey, who routinely advises pharmaceutical laboratories on regulatory matters; pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, cosmetics and agribusiness sector expert Ignacio Gillmore; and counsel Fernando García, who consistently acts for life sciences companies. The impressive associate pool includes recently promoted director José Ignacio Mercado (pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and medical devices regulations); José Santos Ossa, who focuses on life sciences, biotechnology and public law; food and beverages regulatory specialist Cristina Busquets; and Camila Suárez, who is also active in life sciences and regulatory work.

Chile > Projects and infrastructure Tier 1

The sizeable infrastructure, project development and project finance practice at market stalwart Carey has extensive experience in the development, financing and execution of energy infrastructure projects (thermoelectric, hydroelectric, oil and gas, wind, photovoltaic and biomass). The firm’s heavyweight projects expertise also covers mining, roads, hospitals, telecoms networks, ports, airport infrastructure, concessions, and housing and hospitality services. The ‘deeply capable‘ practice fields several leaders, namely: Rafael Vergara, who routinely advises on major mining transactions in Chile; Oscar Aitken, who co-heads the firm’s construction and engineering group alongside real estate group head Juan Pablo Stitchkin; Juan Francisco Mackenna and José Miguel Bustamante, who both advise on a broad range of energy and infrastructure projects; water rights expert Alberto Cardemil, the co-head of the natural resources and environmental group; project development and finance specialist Felipe Moro; and Fernando Noriega, who focuses on project financing, banking law, lending, capital markets and foreign investment. Within the senior associate pool, Juan Pablo Vukasovic has notable projects experience, but former fellow senior Sophia Bobadilla left in February 2022.

Chile > Public law Tier 1

The 10-strong department at full-service legal giant Carey acts across the full spectrum of administrative and constitutional law, regulated markets, and public litigation. The team regularly assists in relation to administrative and constitutional litigation, constitutional rights, and public procurement and public concessions. Other areas of strength range from sanctioning procedures, regulatory compliance, and state-owned companies’ regulations, to legislative and regulatory enactment; and the group is particularly well known for its legal opinions on complex private-public conflicts. The practice fields a number of experienced partners, namely: Ignacio Gillmore, who has vast experience in administrative contracts, public tenders, and administrative litigation; litigation head Gonzalo Fernández, a regulatory disputes specialist; Juan Carlos Riesco, who focuses on administrative sanctioning procedures that are led by public entities; and senior counsel and renowned constitutional practitioner Patricio Zapata, who was hired in August 2021 from Zapata y Compañía and is a former President of the Citizen Council of Observers of the Constituent Process. At associate level, senior Juan Ignacio Alarcón, along with Sergio Cifuentes, Martin Canessa and Carolina Baeza, are all key public law group members. However, mid-2021 saw Camilo Lledó leave to co-found Chahuán Letelier Lledó, and Cindy Thorsen move in house at Copec.

Chile > Real estate Tier 1

The 10-lawyer real estate practice at market stalwart Carey fields specialists in the development, financing, construction and sale of real estate projects from a range of sectors including residential, commercial, industrial, mining, energy and hospitality. Providing ‘an excellent service‘, the team is also active in relation to casinos, agro-housing, conservation parks, shopping centres, office buildings and educational centres. Other areas of expertise include the purchase, sale, lease and securitisation of portfolios, along with real estate asset management. Leading the firm’s real estate group, Juan Pablo Stitchkin‘s track record includes advising international companies on the negotiation of real estate purchase and lease contracts; and counsel Eduardo Martin‘s experience includes advising Sencorp on an agreement to promote several real estate initiatives. The associates to note are Tomás Varela and Javiera Avilés, who both advise domestic and foreign clients on real estate development projects.

Chile > Tax Tier 1

Carey‘s ‘fantastic‘ 17-strong department delivers ‘impeccable technical knowledge and client service in the style of the best NY firms‘. The team is consistently involved in structuring complex, national and international transactions, along with tax litigation, tax planning and tax due diligence processes; and the firm’s transfer pricing practice is increasingly active. The specialised tax practice is jointly led by ‘star‘ practitioners Jessica Power, who has longstanding experience in tax consulting, tax planning, and M&A and finance-related tax issues; managing partner Jaime Carey T, a go-to adviser for private wealth clients; Manuel Alcalde, who rejoined the firm as a partner in April 2021, further to three-years as the Chilean Ministry of Finance’s head of tax policy; and Manuel José Garcés, a specialist in tax advisory, personal and corporate tax planning, foreign investments and tax litigation. At associate level, senior Daniela Pfeffer is also an experienced tax adviser, while Ximena Silberman departed to undertake her LLM at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez.

Chile > TMT Tier 1

The 13-member department at legal giant Carey consistently advises on significant TMT-related regulatory, corporate, financial and contractual issues, including the multi-jurisdictional management of cross-border projects. The ‘powerful‘ practice’s representative expertise covers technology contracting, internet and net neutrality, Internet of Things (IoT) and OTT matters, along with online platforms, cloud technologies, robotics and blockchain. Other areas of strength include smart contracts, cryptocurrencies, algorithms, AI, data protection and cybersecurity. The practice is jointly led by Alfonso Silva, an expert in telecoms sector-related regulatory and transactional issues; IP expert Guillermo Carey, whose broad expertise covers licensing, e-commerce, technology transfers, and distribution and franchise agreements; and telecoms regulatory counsel Eduardo Martin. At associate level, senior Raúl Mazzarella‘s TMT practice includes blockchain and cryptocurrency work, while recently promoted director José Ignacio Mercado focuses on privacy, data protection and cybersecurity issues.

Chile > Venture capital Tier 1

The ‘extremely fast and responsive‘ 20-strong venture capital (VC) department at legal giant Carey has extensive experience in advising both domestic and international VC funds on the acquisition and sale of companies, along with supporting start-ups during both initial stages and internationalisation processes. Other areas of notable strength include advising VC funds on their formation; and assisting with the search for effective structures to meet the needs of both investors and organisations that provide financial resources, such as the Chilean Agency for Economic Development (CORFO). The practice is jointly led by current President of the Chilean Venture Capital Association, Francisco Guzmán, whose experience includes advising numerous VC investment funds on their incorporation and capital raising, along with investments in Chilean and foreign start-ups; Guillermo Carey, who routinely provides entrepreneurial clients and investors with VC and IP-related advice; and Cristián Eyzaguirre, an expert in fund formation, and the structuring, registration and management of investment funds. At associate level, Andrés Latorre‘s practice also includes VC transactions.

Chile > Dispute resolution: white-collar crime Tier 2

Active in criminal economic and tax matters, cybercrime and anti-corruption legislation violations, Carey‘s criminal litigation practice also houses experts in asset laundering, and crime-related industrial and intellectual property law breaches. Former white-collar team head Alvaro Carreño recently left the firm (as did associates Francisca Franzani and Fernanda Montes), with the criminal law team now led by senior counsel Rodrigo Aldoney who joined in February 2022 from BCP Abogados; his practice covers all areas of criminal law, mainly economic and environmental crime, fraud, competition, corporate criminal liability and highly complex litigation in general. At partner level, litigation group co-head Gonzalo Fernández also acts on criminal matters, while the contentious practices of senior associate Eduardo Alcaino and associate Caterina Ravera are also primarily focused on white-collar crime.