Contexto Legal S.A. > Medellín, Colombia > Firm Profile

Contexto Legal S.A. > The Legal 500 Rankings

City focus > Medellín Tier 1

A monolith in its local market, full-service, single-site Contexto Legal S.A. counts over thirty lawyers based in its Medellín office. The firm acts for a diverse roster of local, national, and multinational companies, including new client wins for 2022/2023 such as Agua Bendita, Evonik Colombia, and Premex. Guillermo Villegas Ortega spearheads the corporate, labour, and immigration departments and brings to bear significant in-house expertise gained during internal roles at several corporations, including Banco de Colombia and Grupo Corona. Other key names at partner level include Melissa Echeverri, who specialises in labour and social security matters; Andrés Márquez, who leads the IP and competition practices; Federico Escobar, who handles tax, estate planning, and international trade; and Juan Luis Escobar, who heads the restructuring and insolvency group. The firm also draws on the experience of consultant partner Gustavo Cruz, whose broad focus spans corporate, compliance, and litigation. A strong second line of associate directors include Felipe Restrepo, who leads the litigation and real estate units; Marcela García, who handles tax, international trade and foreign investment; and Maria Carolina Vieira, who has a focus on IP and competition litigation.

Colombia > Corporate and M&A Tier 4

Medellín-based Contexto Legal S.A. houses a broad corporate and M&A offering, which provides ongoing advice to several leading domestic and multinational companies, including Grupo Bio Papel, Evonik, and IFF: International Flavors & Fragrances. The group also stands out for its extensive experience in designing and implementing restructuring schemes. Guillermo Villegas Ortega heads the department and is noted for his significant in-house experience gained during corporate positions at Banco de Colombia, Grupo Corona and Grupo Orbis, among others. Additional key contacts include Sara Marcela Aldana, who is the associate director of the corporate team; and Felipe Restrepo Rincon, who is the associate director of the dispute resolution practice.

Colombia > Intellectual property Tier 4

Medellín-based Contexto Legal S.A. is active across a varied mix of IP-related services, with experience in contentious and non-contentious trade mark, patent, industrial design and copyright work. The group is primarily engaged by food industry companies, but it has also recently undertaken work for clients in the life sciences, cosmetics, and public sectors. IP and competition partner Andrés Marquez heads the group with support from associate director Maria Carolina Vieira, who specialises in IP and competition litigation.

Colombia > Labour and employment Tier 5

Contexto Legal S.A. has strong experience in advising employers in the industrial sector on labour matters, including collective negotiations, compliance matters and litigation. Melissa Echeverri Duque spearheads the department and possesses broad expertise in collective and individual labour law, as well as social security matters. In July 2022, senior associate Simón Restrepo Calle joined the practice from Colombian beverage company, Postobón, where he was labour affairs co-ordinator; he replaces former senior Ana María Marín Higuita who left to study abroad the same month.

Colombia > Tax Tier 5

Contexto Legal S.A. secures praise from sources for its ‘concrete and practical answers’. The Medellín-based firm is best known for its work in the tax planning field, for both families and enterprises. It also has experience in litigation against national and municipal tax authorities, as well as transactional tax. Department head Federico Escobar maintains a broad practice focus that spans tax, estate planning, customs and foreign trade. Associate Marcela García Ciro is also active in tax matters.