Chapman Wilches > Bogotá, Colombia > Firm Profile

Chapman Wilches Offices

Chapman Wilches
CALLE 73 NO. 14-53, OFICINA 113
BOGOTÁ
Colombia
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Chapman Wilches > The Legal 500 Rankings

Colombia > Labour and employment Tier 2

Chapman Wilches is valued for its ability to ‘analyse the risks and realities of the environment to deliver different proposals’. As a labour and employment boutique with a broad national platform — it maintains five Colombian offices, including Bucaramanga through its association with Pilonieta Alvarez Abogados Laboralistas — it is uniquely positioned to advise major domestic employers with operations across the country. Collective labour law expert Charles Chapman is recommended for his ‘experience, innovation and assertiveness’. Chapman co-heads the practice alongside Mirna Wilches, who is highlighted for her ‘knowledge and good management of relationships’. At associate level, litigation manager Heimy Blanco, guardianship manager Leda Mejía Martínez, and cassation co-ordinator Orianna Gentile are noted.

Practice head(s):

Charles Chapman; Mirna Wilches

Testimonials

‘Chapman Wilches stands out from other labour law firms due to its agility in response, its efficiency and practicality in advice, its sense of business reality, but above all for its ability to analyse the risks and realities of the environment to deliver different proposals to its clients .’

‘The team understands business models, the economic and political environment, and the characteristics and cultures of each company it advises. In the same way, its ability to synthesise and specify concepts and actions, using high-level corporate language, facilitates decision-making .’

‘What makes Chapman Wilches unique is the personalised and timely attention to all the requirements that we as a company have on a day-to-day basis.’

‘The team is composed of people who are committed and passionate about their work, with a gift of service that they make available to their clients and that makes them unique. I highlight: Heimy Blanco, Orianna Gentile and Leda Mejía Martínez.’

‘Charles Chapman stands out for his experience, innovation and assertiveness. Mirna Wilches is distinguished by her experience, knowledge, and good management of relationships.

‘In this order, the most important features of the team’s service are its quality, response times, business vision, added value as an ally, administrative organisation, and good billing process.’

‘I believe the team understands the client’s needs, visualises all the legal scenarios, and provides all the advice to make the best decision. Also, the team is very well educated and very easy to communicate with.’

‘The team listens carefully and understands the client’s reality, and also clarifies the options based on the legal framework. Lawyers are very dedicated, take the time to give detailed legal options, and are always willing to talk and listen to the client’s needs. It explains complex issues simply.’

Key clients

Termocandelaria

Grupo Éxito

Compañía Global de Pinturas (Pintuco)

TCC

Alquería

Bancamía

Bancoomeva

Tecpetrol

Ecopetrol

Cementos Argos

Seguros Bolívar

Manpower

Tigo Une

Frubana

Smartfit

Ternium

Work highlights

  • Advised Termocandelaria on a collective agreement that allowed the continuity of its most important expansion project.
  • Successfully represented Nexarte Servicios Temporales in lifting a fine imposed by the Ministry of Labour.
  • Supported Compañía Global de Pinturas (Pintuco) on the signing of a collective bargaining agreement with three major unions.

Chapman Wilches > Firm Profile

Chapman Wilches is one of the best law firms in Colombia in labor and employment areas. It provides innovative and cutting-edge legal advice to an excellent standard, to more than 300 national and international companies. Close engagement with clients and a deep understanding of their needs allow the firm to give support in a unique strategic and proactive and preventive way. Clients also receive practical, clear and comprehensive advice, and a commitment to excellence.

Main areas of practice
Permanent legal advice on employment and labor law (individual): the firm handles different employment matters, including employment discrimination, contracts, sexual harassment, wage and hour litigation, wrongful termination, family and medical leave violations, disability discrimination, dismissals, discipline and grievance, benefits, pensions, and others.

Permanent legal advice on employment and labor law (collective): the firm provides a wide range of services in the following aspects, including others: unions rights, unionized workers, union relations, abuse of rights, and creation of successive union organizations.

Labor administrative proceedings before the Ministry of Labor: this area is central to Chapman Wilches because it requires a high level of expertise and strong legal bases, because it involves a substantial application of both labor law as well as administrative law. In these matters, proceedings require lawyers to have strong bases and knowledge in both fields of law.

Judicial actions/disputes – labor and administrative law: litigation is the most important area offered by Chapman Wilches. Its ample scope involves different employment, social security and administrative issues. It is the largest area in the firm.

Immigration issues: the firm has also experience providing legal counsel to companies and natural persons about immigration issues, especially those concerning recruitment, hiring and contract terminations of foreign nationals.

Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia: Chapman Wilches is a boutique firm specializing in some of the most complex and dense legal cases around. The legal assistance includes proceedings before the Supreme Court of Colombia concerning processes that entail special abilities because of the evidentiary period expertise that is required. In the last 12 months, ChapmanWilches has conducted more than 494 cases before this High Court, an expression of its commitment to achieving the greatest level of possible client satisfaction.

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Partners Charles Chapman López E: cchapman@chapmanyasociados.com
Partners Mirna Wilches Navarro E: mirna.wilches@chapmanyasociados.com
Labor and employment
Social security
Collective bargaining

Staff Figures

Other fee-earners : 44
Total staff : 58

Other

Partners : 2