Guillermo Carey > Carey > Santiago, Chile > Lawyer Profile

The seven-member consumer and advertising law group at legal powerhouse Carey routinely acts in consumer protection litigation, as well as voluntary collective procedures before SERNAC. The firm’s lawyers, whose ‘recommendations always go beyond what is strictly requested’, also advises on advertising and marketing campaigns, recall procedures, and safety and warranty policies. Major clients additionally turn to the group for assistance with revising standard form agreements and abusive clauses, e-commerce issues, and the importing and commercialisation of products into the Chilean market. Recent highlight mandates include defending Decathlon Chile against multiple individual lawsuits concerning alleged breaches of the Consumer Protection Act; and assisting Adidas Chile with inspection procedures by SERNAC, as well as with responses to consumer complaints. Guillermo Carey‘s recent experience includes a consumer protection-related recall process before SERNAC; while Aldo Molinari co-heads the firm’s litigation group alongside Mónica Pérez, who ‘gives accurate opinions that are very close to what really happens at trial’, and whose wide-ranging practice includes consumer protection matters. Among the firm’s associates, Kureusa Hara advises on consumer protection regulations and advertising legislation (including e-commerce regulation, digital marketing, recalls and product liability); and the caseload of the ‘extremely diligent’ Eduardo Reveco includes defending companies against actions to protect collective and individual interests.

‘Up to date with the legislative processes that will affect private data’, Carey‘s large data protection team undertakes a broad range of privacy work. The group is also highly focused on cybersecurity and technology matters. Its track record further includes playing a significant role in the drafting of key privacy and cybersecurity bills, as well as the formation of Chile’s cybersecurity bodies and organisations. The department also routinely leverages the expertise of the firm’s consumer protection and compliance practices, particularly in relation to B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) work. It further advises on privacy by design, data processing agreements, employees’ use of technological devices, cookies’ policies, international data transfers, codes of conducts, and terms and conditions of use; as well as advising companies on the definition and implementation of their general privacy and data security policies and procedures. Recent mandates include assisting public-private non-profit association, Itrend, with the implementation of its data-use policies and data transfer agreements. The team is co-led by Guillermo Carey, whose broad expertise covers data privacy work; and counsel José Ignacio Mercado, who focuses on privacy, data protection and cybersecurity issues. In the associate team, Elias Mohor‘s practice includes privacy, personal data and information security issues.

Full-service legal giant Carey is ‘far superior to other firms in Chile’, according to certain clients. Acting for a wide range of companies from the energy, infrastructure, mining, transportation, technology, life sciences and healthcare sectors, the multidisciplinary IP group has an enviable reputation for its identification and protection of IP rights at each stage of the innovation lifecycle. The group’s experience ranges from the prosecution and litigation of trade marks, patents and industrial designs, to geographical indications, designations of origin, plant varieties and domain names. It is also home to experts in pharmaceutical-related regulatory matters, copyright, anti-counterfeiting and technology contracting, as well as privacy, licensing, advertising, trade secrets, intangible asset valuations and unfair competition. Largely responsible for the firm’s emergence as an IP powerhouse, Guillermo Carey‘s wide-ranging experience includes assisting pharmaceutical laboratories with regulatory issues and patent infringements. He co-leads the practice in conjunction with  Francisco Carey, who is ‘without a doubt one of the main IP experts in the country’; counsel and invention patent expert Fernando García; and director Jorge Fuentes, who assists with obtaining patents before the Chilean Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI). At associate level, Catalina Aldunate assists with intellectual and industrial property-related assessments and litigation, while IP litigator Carla Encalada focuses on trade marks, patents and domain names.

The life sciences practice at legal powerhouse Carey has extensive experience in advising companies and corporations from the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, medical devices, diagnostics and food industries at both national and international levels. The group is consistently mandated to incorporate new pharmaceutical companies in Chile before the sanitary authorities, in addition to advising on sanitary registrations, compliance, defence-side administrative procedures, and product liability and data privacy matters. The ‘very solid firm’ also maintains a robust food product practice that fields professionals with expertise in infant milk formulas, food supplements and nutritional products. The team is co-led by Guillermo Carey, who advises pharmaceutical laboratories on regulatory issues and patent infringements; and life sciences, biotechnology and public law expert Ignacio Gillmore. The practice also includes counsel José Ignacio Mercado, who advises on the regulatory side of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and medical devices. At associate level, José Santos Ossa advises on the regulatory, administrative and IP issues surrounding the health, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and medical device industries; Cristina Busquets focuses on the regulatory aspects of food and beverages, as well as animal food; Camila Suárez is an adviser on life sciences, biotechnology and public law; and Mariana Guzmán is a regulatory, pharmaceutical, biotech and public law practitioner.

According to certain clients Carey‘s ‘venture capital team is the strongest in Chile’. The full-service firm fields a 13-strong practice that has extensive experience in supporting start-ups at both initial and internationalisation stages. The group also routinely acts for entrepreneurs and young companies at every stage of their growth, including seed capital, early-stage, Series A, late-stage, and growth equity rounds; and it further comprises experts in venture debt, angel rounds and technology transfers. The team additionally advises domestic and international venture capital funds on the purchase and sale of companies. With a ‘strategic mindset and undeniable leadership skills’, practice leader and current President of the Chilean Venture Capital Association, Francisco Guzmán, is an adviser to large corporate ventures on their investments in technology start-ups; and also assists start-ups with their internationalisation processes. Guzmán is supported by Guillermo Carey, who advises high-impact entrepreneurs on both developing globally and as regards technology transfers. At associate level, Sebastián Melero advises on private equity and venture capital transactions; Carlos Alcalde assists companies with their Chilean operations and financing rounds; Andrés Latorre‘s experience includes advising investor Manutara Ventures on a financing round for Xepelin Holdings; and Carolina Miller focuses on both venture capital and fintech work.

Carey is ‘an exceptional firm in Chile’ and according to some clients, ‘definitely the best on the market’. The sizeable group has wide-ranging experience in TMT sector-related regulatory, corporate, financial and contractual issues, its industry expertise extending to sports and entertainment. The practice ranges from technology contracting, the Internet of Things (IoT), online content transmission, and internet and net neutrality, to online platforms, M2M (machine to machine), cloud technologies, robotics, and blockchain. It also advises on non-fungible tokens (NFTs), smart contracts, cryptocurrencies, algorithms, AI, data protection and cybersecurity. In relation to regulatory work, the department assists with obtaining licenses for fixed, mobile and satellite services, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), submarine cables and communications, and open and paid television. The multidisciplinary group is home to the deeply experienced Alfonso Silva, who advises on telecoms-related regulatory and transactional aspects; and Guillermo Carey, an adviser to major technology companies on technology transfers and internationalisation matters. In the firm’s counsel group, Eduardo Martin routinely advises on entertainment and technology deals, while José Ignacio Mercado focuses on IP, privacy, data protection and cybersecurity. TMT expert Raúl Mazzarella is ‘a star senior associate who manages day-to-day affairs very well’, and fellow senior Matías Osses also focuses on TMT work.