Gabriel Santelices > Dentons Paz Horowitz > Quito, Ecuador > Lawyer Profile

Dentons Paz Horowitz represents national and foreign companies from the energy, aviation, tourism and pharmaceutical industries (among others) in judicial proceedings and commercial and investment arbitrations. Jorge Paz Durini oversees the dispute resolution team with three other practitioners: Leyre Suarez specialises in litigation arising from administrative, commercial, labour and civil disputes, while Gabriel Santelices and Patricia Andrade focus on labour claims. Juan Jose Mantilla is a name to note for public procurement and administrative litigation.

The IP practice at Dentons Paz Horowitz is well placed to advise on a wide range of registration and enforcement matters, spanning trade marks, patents, designs, copyrights, trade secrets and plant varieties. Drawing on its global network, the firm is able to assist clients with IP asset negotiations throughout the Latin American region. Bruce Horowitz specialises in international trade mark law, while Gabriel Santelices regularly advises companies on the implementation of privacy and personal data protection systems. Both practitioners lead the group alongside Mónica Cortez Izurieta, who focuses on IP portfolio management work, and Verónica Chiriboga, whose areas of expertise include trade mark prosecution and anti-counterfeiting issues.

The labour and employment practice at Dentons Paz Horowitz excels in labour litigation, most notably cases involving unfair dismissals, but is also seen by clients as a go-to choice for advice on social security matters, labour law compliance and occupational safety issues. Leading the team is Patricia Andrade, ‘a lawyer with a lot of experience in the sector‘, who is deeply knowledgeable of wrongful termination and profit-sharing matters. Other key individuals include Gabriel Santelices, who offers support in collective and individual labour lawsuits, and associate Erika Wolter, whose areas of expertise include gender equality and the prevention of workplace harassment and discrimination.