Carey

The 16-strong team at Carey is routinely mandated to advise on significant mining development and financing projects in Chile, as well as major M&A transactions. The full-service practice acts for junior, medium and large metallic and non-metallic mineral mining companies on their exploration, exploitation and processing activities; and its expertise further encompasses water and land use surface rights, as well as environmental and community issues. The natural resources and environment department, which additionally acts in litigation concerning mining and related environmental matters, is co-led by mining law expert Rafael Vergara, whose recent experience includes playing a key role on Codelco’s association agreement with Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM), which regulates all stages, rights, obligations and terms and conditions, in relation to the optimisation, modernisation and enhancement of lithium production in the Atacama salt flats between 2025 and 2060; and Alberto Cardemil, who focuses on water law and natural resources transactions and litigation, along with agribusiness, and corporate and commercial law. Cardemil also heads up the firm’s China Desk. At associate level, the experience of natural resources, mining and energy senior, Maximiliano Urrutia, includes advising Marimaca on the mining, corporate, regulatory and environmental aspects of a copper project’s implementation in the Region of Antofagasta.