Fernando Noriega > Carey > Santiago, Chile > Lawyer Profile

The sizeable banking and finance team at legal giant Carey has enviable experience in advising creditors, investors and borrowers on high-stakes banking and finance deals. ‘A recognised law firm that stands out for its seriousness, commitment and focus on results’, its track record ranges from secured and unsecured syndicated loans, to derivatives, liability management issues, project finance, and structured product-related transactions.  It also acts for several major commercial banks, development finance institutions and multilateral institutions on their day-to-day banking and finance matters. Recent highlights include advising Banco de Chile, Banco Itaú Chile, JP Morgan and Citibank on a $635m financing granted to the Chilean subsidiary of Peruvian group Gloria Foods to fund the acquisition of Chilean dairy company Soprole. Among the department’s various experienced practitioners, Diego Peralta focuses on the structuring of financial products, as well as financings for a variety of businesses; Francisco Ugarte‘s wide-ranging practice includes cross-border banking and corporate finance deals; Felipe Moro predominantly advises on high-end lending deals, project financing, structured products, and derivative transactions; Fernando Noriega is a banking law, loan and project finance specialist; and Alejandra Daroch is an adviser to banks, financial institutions and debtors on major financings and developments. At associate level, experienced intermediate Loreto Ribera focuses on local and foreign project financing, corporate law, banking law and foreign investment.

For certain clients, Carey‘s sizeable infrastructure and project development team is ‘undoubtedly the market leader in this practice area’. The group has extensive experience in the development, financing and execution of projects involving energy infrastructure (thermoelectric, hydroelectric, hydrocarbons, wind, photovoltaic and biomass). It also fields specialists in mining, roadways, hospitals, telecoms networks, and ports and airports, as well as concessions, and housing and hospitality services. Recent highlights include advising Aguas Pacifico on the contractual strategy and preparation of tender documents for a desalination plant. The practice group houses various experienced partners, namely: Rafael Vergara, an adviser on mining transactions in Chile; Oscar Aitken, who co-heads the firm’s construction and engineering group alongside ‘leading partner for infrastructure projects’, Juan Pablo Stitchkin; and Juan Francisco Mackenna and José Miguel Bustamante, who both advise on a range of energy and infrastructure projects. The practice further includes water rights specialist Alberto Cardemil; project finance practitioners Felipe Moro and Fernando Noriega; and José Tomás Hurley, who focuses on the development of projects involving energy and related infrastructure. The senior associate to note, Juan Pablo Vukasovic, advises on power plants, infrastructure, engineering and construction projects, and mining and fish farming complexes, as well as road, hospital and port infrastructure.

Carey‘s 44-strong capital markets team advises public and private companies, financial institutions, private equity and investment funds, investors and emerging companies on securities offerings – including cross-border IPOs, capital increases, debt issuances and securitisations. Clients also turn to the group for assistance with regulatory compliance and corporate governance issues; and the team additionally advises issuers, management and boards of directors on their interactions with Chile’s securities regulator (Comisión para el Mercado Financiero). The department is co-led by several partners: Diego Peralta, who focuses on the structuring of financial products; Salvador Valdés, an adviser to corporate clients on the issuance of local bonds; Francisco Ugarte, who advises on international tender offers, debt issuances, derivatives, and the public and private offering of securities; and Felipe Moro, who assists with US private placements and Rule 144A/Reg S transactions. Also co-heading the group are Cristián Eyzaguirre, whose experience includes high-value capital increases; Jorge Ugarte, who is particularly active in debt capital markets liability management deals; Cristián Figueroa, an adviser on issuing securities; Patricia Silberman, whose track record covers the issuance and placement of senior secured notes; Fernando Noriega, a specialist in domestic and international securities offerings; and Alejandra Daroch, who advises on corporate and securitised bonds, derivatives, and public and private securities. At associate level, key support comes from seniors Ignacio Alfaro, Gustavo Marambio and Angélica De la Carrera (who returned to the firm in April 2023 after a year as an international visiting associate at Latham & Watkins in New York); all three have broad capital markets expertise as part of broader corporate and transactional practices.