Mr Diego Peña > DLA Piper Chile > Santiago, Chile > Lawyer Profile

Delivering ‘full-service quality with boutique availability and dedication to clients’, DLA Piper Chile‘s eight-strong practice has extensive experience in advising on electricity, oil and gas, renewables and hydrogen projects. Its expertise ranges from regulatory advice to leading energy project-related transactions and contractual matters. The team also assists with related mining and environmental law issues, as well as merger control and antitrust matters. The group is mandated by clients to advise at every stage of the development and construction of energy generation projects, including associated works such as transmission lines, substations and gas pipelines. It additionally assists with the resolution of conflicts regarding concessions. The local team is co-led by Felipe Bahamondez, who has extensive expertise in energy and natural resources project development; and Diego Peña, who is ‘a shining example of a new generation of partners for the 21st century’. Peña’s experience includes high-stakes energy projects involving natural gas, hydro, wind, biomass and solar energy plants in Chile, Perú, Uruguay, Nicaragua and Australia, as well as the financing and construction of power transmission facilities in Chile. Providing support, Roberta Andreani is a mid-level associate who is particularly focused on renewable energy projects and energy transition work.

’At all times well prepared, strategic and optimistic’, DLA Piper Chile‘s nine-member team advises on the development, acquisition, sale and financing of energy and infrastructure projects. Assisting at every stage of projects’ lifecycles, it is notably experienced in the energy and natural resources space. The key practitioners are project and infrastructure specialist Diego Peña, who ‘definitely deserves to be ranked among the best lawyers’; and Felipe Bahamondez, who has a significant track record in energy, natural gas and LNG projects. At associate level, senior Felipe Massardo acts for clients from the energy, infrastructure, construction, transportation and telecoms sectors; while intermediate Roberta Andreani focuses on renewable energy projects and energy transition work.

DLA Piper Chile‘s seven strong regulated markets team advises on the gamut of administrative public law issues, in relation to clients’ interactions with regulatory bodies. Active in both the public and private sectors, the full-service firm handles the public law aspects of a range of industries, such as technology, public infrastructure, construction, real estate, energy, education, media, and food and beverages. The local practice is co-led by Felipe Bahamondez, whose experience covers administrative procedures, public bids and litigation; and Diego Peña, an adviser on clients’ energy and infrastructure project-related interactions with Chile’s administrative bodies. Senior associate Felipe Massardo assists with bidding processes, public works concessions, sanctioning procedures and litigation.

DLA Piper LLP (US)‘s rapid growth of its US-based Latin America practice is bringing significant rewards. It now has prominent talent across multiple practices, including energy and infrastructure. Partners and associates in its New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston and Miami offices, now frequently work alongside colleagues in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Puerto Rico, as well as in Brazil (through Campos Mello Advogados in cooperation with DLA Piper). Many in the Latin America team are natives of countries in the region, or are native Spanish or Portuguese speakers. Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja is head of Latin America banking and finance, and is based in New York after spending many years as a partner in Argentina; she is an experienced project finance specialist with an established client base of multilateral agencies, ECAs, commercial financial institutions, sponsors and project companies. Miriam Figueroa splits her time between New York and Puerto Rico, and has extensive expertise in infrastructure, power purchase agreements and public-private partnership contracts; much of her practice centres on Puerto Rico. New York partner Marcello Hallake is a prominent name in energy M&A, especially in Brazil-related deals; while Diego Peña is a key partner in Santiago. Bruno Soares joined the firm from what is now A&O Shearman in February 2024 and has subsequently become managing partner of the new Sao Paulo office.