Practice Areas

We have more than 30 years of experience in fishing matters, accumulating an important experience in the integral advising of foreign and local companies in their extractive, processing, distribution and commercialization activities of fishing resources. We provide our clients with permanent legal advice and support in their efforts to obtain authorizations before the Ministry of Defense, the Undersecretariat of the Navy, the General Directorate of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine, the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and the National Fisheries Service, state entities in charge of the supervision and regulation of these activities.

Our area of expertise has been working for more than 15 years in creating links with East Asia, facilitating business to and from this region. In 2004, we started with China, organizing in Chile the seminar “Doing Business in China”, to which several Chinese law firms and the president of the Chinese Bar Association, All China Lawyers Association, were invited.

We advise domestic and international banks and financial institutions on bilateral and syndicated financings, project finance, structured finance, and other financial transactions with diverse and complex collateral structures. We assist banks and financial institutions, financial intermediaries, investment funds and leasing and factoring companies in their operations in the country, regarding regulatory and compliance issues applicable to their business in Chile.

We represent clients judicially and extrajudicially to ensure that their economic activities comply with competition and antitrust, fair competition and consumer protection policies. With both a legal and economic approach, we advise our clients in conducting their business in a pro-competitive manner, identifying potential contingencies and proposing solutions aligned with their interests. This includes representing our clients before the National Economic Prosecutor’s Office (FNE), the Court for the Defense of Free Competition (TDLC) and the Supreme Court.

The observance of various standards of business compliance involves a multidisciplinary effort that covers all potential areas of risk present among the activities of the respective industry or service.

In Constitutional Law we advise our clients in the defense of their constitutional guarantees related to their economic activities, such as the right to property, the right to acquire all kinds of goods, equality before the law, equality before public charges, the guarantee of fair and rational procedure, equality in the economic treatment of individuals by the State, freedom of association, and privacy

In recent years, consumer law has undergone important legislative changes that have made it an area of special concern for companies. This requires dedicated and expert attention. Its dynamism and impact on the daily functioning of the market require constant updating to keep abreast of the prevailing best practices, the criteria of the regulatory authority, recent case law, doctrinal discussions and what is happening in the rest of the world. Consumers are increasingly aware of their rights and that invites companies to be prepared to meet their customers’ expectations.

We offer our clients comprehensive and specialized corporate advice, which stands out for its clear business orientation and vision. In this sense, we accompany our clients as a strategic ally throughout the life of their businesses, for which we have a team of lawyers specialized in various areas of the corporate field.

We represent our clients in criminal proceedings before courts of law, prosecutors and third parties. We design reactive strategies for criminal contingencies such as internal fraud, questioning by prosecuting authorities or fraud by third parties.

Our experience in energy matters dates back almost 30 years, to the beginning of the development of electric power generation and gas transportation projects through private companies, after the privatization of certain state-owned companies and the opening of the country to foreign investment.

Our firm works intensively in the discussion and review of studies and environmental impact statements, and in administrative and judicial appeals in the context of the Environmental Impact Assessment System. We also advise our clients in the analysis and compliance with applicable environmental regulations, as well as in the defense before administrative procedures of supervisory authorities, such as the Environmental Superintendence, the Superintendence of Electricity and Fuels, the Sanitary Authority and others.

Environmental, social and corporate governance (“ESG”) criteria seek to establish high standards of performance and good practices in companies. Although these standards are “non-binding” from a strictly legal point of view, they have become a differentiating factor, both for companies and investors, as well as for an important part of society. Today, more than ever, companies must act responsibly, in order to allow and promote sustainable development in harmony with nature and the environment.

This practice area provides general advice to foreign companies interested in doing business in Chile or in implementing joint ventures with Chilean companies.

Our firm has advised large international hotel chains that have settled in Chile, not only on how to establish themselves in the country and directly operate their establishments on a day-to-day basis, but also in all financial and tax aspects, and in particular with respect to the negotiation with third parties related to operating, management and franchise contracts. Likewise, we see the day-to-day hotel operation in all its aspects, such as labor, litigation, commercial, regulatory and operational.

We provide our domestic and foreign clients, whether creditors or debtors, with comprehensive professional advice, which guides and represents them throughout all stages of the liquidation and reorganization processes.

Our firm has advised foreign insurance companies in the structuring of contracts and policies to comply with Chilean regulations in connection with life insurance and liability insurance plans, such as annuities and third-party liability insurance. On the other hand, we have also advised foreign and local insurance brokers participating in the structuring of life insurance and retirement plans for our corporate clients in Chile.

Our sister firm, Sargent & Krahn, is the oldest Chilean IP firm in Chile and offers comprehensive IP services. By way of example, we can mention the following: search, filing and prosecution of trademarks and patents; copyright regulation, intellectual property litigation, negotiation and drafting of licensing agreements; regulatory matters associated with pharmaceutical issues, consulting services associated with information technology (IT), database protection, negotiation of software licensing agreements.

We advise national and international companies of the most varied economic sectors in matters of individual and collective labor law. We focus on each client, considering the reality of their organization and sector to deliver a solution tailored to their needs, contributing to the construction of their strategy for the fulfillment of their mission.

Our team specializes in early conflict counseling, as well as in the conduct of complex litigation and arbitration, related to the different areas of law, in the most diverse fields. Many of the cases that we have taken on are of public relevance and present simultaneous edges of diverse nature.

Our firm is one of the country’s leading law firms in natural resources and mining. We assist a wide range of foreign and local clients, providing comprehensive advice in all matters related to these areas, especially with exploration, development, financing, operation of mining projects, mine closures and related aspects.

The great majority of medium-sized companies as well as the large companies and economic groups in our country are controlled by family businesses or private participation. Experience shows that the companies that have developed and consolidated over time are those that have been able to adequately combine the three areas that revolve around them: ownership, family and management.

We have extensive experience in all areas of real estate law, providing advice in all stages of projects of diverse nature, such as industrial, commercial, infrastructure, energy, forestry and housing, in urban and rural areas, covering all phases, from planning to execution of these projects.

We permanently advise our clients in their legal relations with the pertinent administrative authority, in the most diverse sectors of the national economy. We have expert lawyers dedicated to this specialty

We offer high value-added tax advice on all issues related to the taxation of the company, its owners and executives.

We provide ongoing advice to local clients and important global technology companies. This has allowed us to participate in key technology infrastructure and telecommunications projects in Chile, as well as in significant transactions related to content rights in various media and platforms.

Our firm has provided integral advice in large infrastructure projects, such as the construction of highways, ports, dams, hospitals and prisons, either as advisors to a single participant, or as advisors to a consortium that includes exclusively local members as well as foreign partners.