GC Powerlist Chile Teams2018 Agosto

GC POWERLIST
Chile Teams 2018
David Burgess, Publishing director, The Legal 500 series
F or over 30 years, The Legal 500 has been analysing

the capabilities of law firms across the world. In
this series, The Legal 500, in collaboration with Legal
The GC Powerlist is a series of publications, highlighting
the most influential in-house lawyers and legal
teams in business today. I would like to express my
Business, GC Magazine and The In-house Lawyer, is personal thanks to our sponsors Carey for supporting
turning its attention to the in-house function, and this publication. A special mention must also go to
recognising those corporate counsel who are driving the in-house lawyers that took time to speak to us
the legal business forward. throughout the process, as well as to the research
team that worked on this GC Powerlist publication.
Boris Dechev, Senior research analyst, GC Powerlist series
O ver the course of a challenging year for Chile’s

economy – which consists of a large mining
sector in addition to many other industrial and
This year’s GC Powerlist: Chile Teams brings to your
attention a variety of ways in which in-house
legal teams have contributed to their businesses,
service-based activities – internal in-house legal whether by responding to changes in legislation,
teams have demonstrated remarkable, resilience effectively closing marquee deals, introducing novel
and efficiency in their work. In turn, businesses technological innovations or directly applying their
in the country, who often have to operate under expertise to positively impact company revenues.
extremely tight budget constraints, are becoming As part of this year’s research process we spoke to
more accustomed to utilising highly competent legal and canvassed opinions from a wide variety of in-
departments as one of the best ways to operate house and private practice sources. The resulting list
in this challenging and competitive economic features a plethora of top-notch teams whose ability
environment. As Chile has also seen high quantities to innovate and integrate with their businesses is
of new legislation, including a new labour law and only matched by their extensive understanding of
recently approved competition law amendments, laws and regulations. It is both our pleasure and
the importance of these teams and their expertise in honour to present these outstanding professionals,
dealing with issues pertaining to law and corporate as we hope that their achievements will serve as an
strategy is of even greater importance. inspiration for years to come.
CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 1

CONTENTS
Sponsor message:
Carey 4
Commercial and professional services 6 Information technology 50
Consumer products 8 Materials and mining 52
Energy and utilities 14 Sports and media 61
Financials 22 Telecommunication services 62
Food, beverage and tobacco 33 Transport and infrastructure 65
Healthcare 37
Hotels, restaurants and leisure 41 Index 67
Industrials and real estate 42
Chairman Research editor Content development Printed and bound by DG3

John Pritchard (Solicitor) James Wood editor www.dg3.com
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Managing director Senior research analysts Copyright applies: no
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Joe Boswell legal500.com Licensing Agency Ltd and
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Publishing director: Boris Dechev
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David Burgess Jamie Rayat GC Powerlist
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Head of sales: GC Powerlist Creative director 188-190 Fleet Street
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2 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

The 2018 IBA Annual Conference will be held in Rome, the Eternal
City. Founded nearly 3,000 years ago, the city is renowned for its
ancient ruins, classical architecture, renaissance palazzos and baroque
fountains. Rome is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city and will provide an
elegant backdrop for the IBA Annual Conference.
Modern Rome is a major international business destination. It is the

seat of the Italian government and the economy is dominated by
services, IT, aerospace, defence and telecommunications companies,
research, tourism, construction and banking. The city hosts the head
offices of the vast majority of major Italian companies, as well as the
headquarters of three of the world’s 100 largest companies, Enel, Eni
and Telecom Italia.
As the saying goes, ‘all roads lead to Rome’ and it will indeed bring
together delegates from all over the world for the largest and most
prestigious event for international lawyers, providing an abundance of
business and networking opportunities, not to mention the chance to
explore one of the most fascinating cities on Earth.
W HAT WILL ROME 2018 O FFE R YO U?

• Gain up-to-date knowledge of the key developments in your area
of law which you can put into practice straight away
• Access to the world’s best networking and business development

event for lawyers – attracting over 6,000 individuals representing
over 2,700 law firms, corporations, governments and regulators
from over 130 jurisdictions
• Build invaluable international connections with leading practitioners

worldwide, enabling you to win more work and referrals
• Increase your profile in the international legal world
• Hear from leading international figures, including officials from

the government and multilateral institutions, general counsel
and experts from across all practice areas and continents
TO REGI ST ER :
• Acquire a greater knowledge of the role of law in society
Visit: www.ibanet.org/conferences/
Rome2018.aspx • Be part of the debate on the future of the law
To receive details of all advertising,
exhibiting and sponsorship
opportunities for the IBA
Annual Conference in Rome, email
OFFICIAL CORPORATE SUPPORTER
andrew.webster-dunn@int-bar.org
REGISTER BEFORE
20 JULY TO RECEIVE EARLY
REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS
sponsored by
Contact Information:
Isidora Goyenechea 2800

43rd Floor
Las Condes Tel: +56 2 2928 2200
Santiago, Chile Fax: +56 2 2928 2228
www.carey.cl carey@carey.cl
I
t is an honour for Carey to have been invited once Indeed, to maximise the value and output of
again to participate in this new edition of the GC their talent, their diverse knowledge needs to be
Powerlist in Chile. effectively integrated, something which, as we
know, is not an easy task.
For decades, The Legal 500 has been diligently
evaluating the Chilean legal market and, as a The leadership required to bring together
consequence, has acquired a deep knowledge of its professionals with different types of expertise is an
most outstanding practitioners. art which requires hard work, on a daily basis, by all
the members of the team. If the right collaboration
This is the second year in which it has carried is found, the potential to develop more innovative
out extensive research on the leading and most outcomes increases exponentially.
innovative in-house counsel of our country, with
particular reference to those who display efficient Collaboration, of course, not only involves the
collaboration and, of course, undisputed technical sharing of knowledge and expertise, but also
excellence. requires the ability to trust the other members of the
team so as to achieve a greater shared benefit.
It is, therefore, no small feat to have been recognised
on this year’s GC Powerlist and we heartily Camaraderie and loyalty are fundamental to effective
congratulate these highly effective teams. Carey teamwork, as the expertise and skills of each member
also shares with The Legal 500 our admiration for the of a team, adds value to the legal work done.
outstanding results they have achieved.
Effective collaboration also requires a deep respect
We have worked closely with many of the selected for a colleague’s competence and also a profound
teams and can consequently confirm that, in our belief in his/her integrity.
view, their inclusion in the GC Powerlist is entirely
justified. Promoting teamwork involves developing
motivational strategies that stimulate the
As we all know, in today’s knowledge-based society, participation of all members of the team in a
accumulating star talent is no longer enough. manner that each one recognises that his or

CHILE TEAMS
her contribution is essential to achieving the team’s

objectives.
Of course, good and effective leadership is key to

engaging and bringing out the best in each member.
Motivating and encouraging each member to pursue

the overall goals is definitely hard work, but with
the correct amount of recognition and a sense of
commitment, great results can be achieved.
We are sure that the leading teams recognised in the

GC Powerlist adhere to all of the values and beliefs
described above, as otherwise they would not have
achieved the degree of excellence required to be
honoured with such a recognition.
At Carey, we also follow these values and strive to

perfect the spirit of professionalism, collaboration,
teamwork and camaraderie that is needed when
250 lawyers work together. Although we are very
proud of the culture we have created, we are sure
we can learn a lot about how to improve it from the Jorge Careyi
distinguished teams included in the GC Powerlist.
Chairman, Careyi
We reiterate our appreciation to The Legal 500 and
our congratulations to the selected teams and we
wish you all a great 2018.

sponsored by
COMMERCIAL AND
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
ADP CHILE COMPASS GROUP CHILE
ADP, the leading provider of Compass Group Chile’s compact but highly capable legal team of
technological solutions for three lawyers is led by chief legal officer Matias Concha Vial, a versatile
human capital management in expert who is particularly adept at handling tax legal matters, having
the world, accelerated its growth worked in this field in both private practice and a previous in-
in Latin America after acquiring house role with EY for a number of years. Thanks largely to Concha’s
PayRoll in Chile, Argentina and exceptional organisational talents, a lot of noticeable improvements
Peru in 2013. Today the firm’s local have been introduced to the team’s internal organisation over the
subsidiary, ADP Chile, which offers past few years. Besides changing the process of incorporation of new
a wide range of human resources, clients and suppliers, the team improved the review process for new
payroll, talent management and tenders and introduced a more accurate system to manage contracts.
tax administration and benefits The governance process of authorisation to include new clients and
tools is able to boast an expert suppliers has also been overhauled, as the different areas of the
legal team which continues to company now have to review and agree with the terms of the contracts.
support its expansion in the Besides these organisational improvements, Concha shares that
country. The legal team assists Compass Group Chile’s legal team ‘has been able to provide very accurate
its clients in keeping up with information regarding the collection of debts’. In fact, he states that the
the latest regulatory and legal team has been able to collect over 90% of the company’s overdue debt
changes concerning the key in the past two years. In addition to the team’s leader, corporate legal
resources and services provided head Andrea Aedo de la Cuadra is another outstanding name within
by the company. Constanza the team, receiving praise for providing ‘security’ and a ‘solid base’ for the
Knakal Villarroel serves as the company. According to Concha with her ‘knowledge and precision in the
legal manager since joining review of contracts and tenders‘, in the past few years de la Cuadra has
in July 2015, she brings her contributed immensely to securing a lot of contracts with new clients
previous expansive corporate law for Compass Group in Chile. ‘Her support has been vital to the growth of
experience from having served in the company,’ he adds.
a variety of legal capacities at The
Coca-Cola Company Chile.

COMMERCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
SODEXO CHILE
The French worldwide leader in quality of life services, Sodexo began
its Chilean operations in 1985 and today offers more than 60 services
in 500 sites throughout the country, serving more than half a million
consumers every day. An integral part of the company’s 15,000 Chilean
employees is its highly recommended legal team. The team is headed
by Alvaro Martinez who has been at the company since 2009 and
currently serves Sodexo as general counsel for Latin America and also
CEO Justice for Chile, managing Sodexo’s penitentiary business in Chile.
The department is credited for their legal support to the company on
important transactions, in particular their contribution towards both
public and private bidding processes as well as direct negotiations with
the Sodexo’s clients and suppliers in the region.

sponsored by
CONSUMER PRODUCTS
ARAMARK FALABELLA
Ranking as the 27th largest employer among the Fortune 500 A constituent of the IPSA index
companies, the American multinational food service, facilities, and of the largest Chilean businesses,
uniform services provider Aramark boasts a significant presence in Falabella ranks as the largest retail
Chile which has been established over the course of 30 years. The company in the country and one of
exceptional group of professionals within its legal department not only the largest in Latin America. Headed
gives full legal support to Aramark’s Chile operations, but also provides by a former Walmart veteran
coverage of the company’s activities in Argentina, Mexico, Peru and Gonzalo Smith, the company’s
Colombia, providing advice and project management in areas as diverse sizeable legal department provides
as operations, tenders, the supply chain, compliance and litigation. support to Falabella’s flagship 259
Following the departure of the highly esteemed Eduardo Jara, in April department stores and 27 shopping
2018 the company appointed former Metrogas lawyer Francisco Javier malls centres both in Chile and
Reyes Bobadilla as its new legal vice president. Reyes’ skills in overseeing overseas. Defined by its highly
company law and litigations, as well as his organisational achievements experienced leader, the team’s
at Metrogas are extremely positive signs for the Aramark legal team’s scope has grown dramatically in the
future. In addition to Reyes, the team is full of talented counsel that have last two years to include strategic
amassed a large portfolio of experience between them. Ainhoa Pozzi, advice to senior management,
for example, is an up-and-coming and bright lawyer, who has spent a alongside its already sizeable
considerable length of time working at Aramark’s Chile and Argentina portfolio of more “traditional”
operations, has impressed both with her legal expertise and her work responsibilities in resolving all legal
to implement new technology in the team’s workload. Pía Monasterio and compliance issues encountered
Blanco, another strong lawyer within the team, receives praise for her by the company’s large-scale
skills in negotiating contracts, her ability to handle lawsuits and, more operations. The team features a
generally, her wide knowledge of corporate law. number of prominent professionals;
chief legal and governance officer
Gonzalo Smith, who has over 20
years of experience in the legal
sphere has received wide praise
for supporting impressive projects,
implementing complex legal
systems and creating transformative
initiatives to redesign organisational
processes. Legal manager Maria
Rosa Lagos Mukarker is known for
her superior expertise in corporate
finance and banking law, whilst the
recently appointed lawyer Gonzalo
Tapia has already impressed peers
with his expertise in dealing with
commercial, labour and civil
matters.

CONSUMER PRODUCTS
CENCOSUD
Sebastián Rivera’s legal team at the largest Chilean retailer Cencosud has been praised by nominators in
this year’s research process for its ‘ability to handle complex legal deals, while maintaining a commitment to
excellence in its legal service provided within the consumer goods industry’. Such a combination of competencies
is absolutely essential for a company that requires a solid operational foundation to support its rapidly
expanding activities on a national level. This, coupled with impending legal and regulatory changes, has
required Cencosud’s legal team to rethink and give further strength to its already well organised internal
structure. In addition to appointing a new legal assistant manager and two new chief attorneys in the last
two years, Rivera’s unit has worked on a new management tool for the company’s contracts, which in his
view ‘will allow a safe and continuous follow-up to the terms of validity of the different contracts, their most
important conditions, and allow timely compliance with the different obligations that have been established in
them’. Likewise, from 2018 the team has adopted a new, complete and efficient technological tool for the
management and administration of lawsuits of the company. According to Rivera the tool will allow his team
to provide ‘internal judicial services in a timely and safe manner, also making internal processes related to the
management more efficient of judgments’. On the transactional side, last year, the team has impressed with its
support in the placement of bonds and credits of the company, whilst also making waves with its work on
corporate restructuring projects and important judicial processes the company had to face. Considering the
significant importance of such project work to Cencosud’s regional strategy, the team’s speed and efficiency
have been of paramount importance in these examples. Featured in the 2017 GC Powerlist: Chile, Sebastian
Rivera Martinez has been the target of wide praise from professionals working both in-house and private
practice during his nearly fifteen-year career at the company. But it is not just the team’s leader that has
captured the attention of nominators in this year’s research. María Inés Buzada, Ricardo González, Macarena
Riquelme and Alejandra Peña have all been singled out individually for contributions to internal innovations
and important project work.

sponsored by
ELECTROLUX
An active participant in relevant discussion forums and public and private working committees, the
legal team at Electrolux Chile is frequently at the epicentre of discussions on issues surrounding waste
management, extended producer responsibility and the Recycling Promotion Act in Chile. ‘This has done
a great job to mobilise the company to keep an active involvement in technical discussions and collaborative
projects with other players, to plan and make the required adjustments to its operation; and to take the necessary
measures for the adequate and timely compliance of this regulation, with the lowest possible operational impacts
and highest efficiency,’ says legal manager Alejandra Urenda Silva, the most senior lawyer in the team. Aside
from its influential role in such discussions, the team has also looked inwards, introducing valuable internal
improvements. It has, for instance, restructured the company’s legal counselling approach, shifting from the
traditional, reactive, and external legal advice approach to one that relies on an internal legal department.
According to Urenda, such modern counselling approach requires the team to ‘show a deep knowledge of
the business, be involved in decision-making, take proactive and preventive control actions of business-related
risks and act like a business partner, but always remaining objective and independent’. Rolling out these internal
changes involved some challenges, however, as Urenda feels that the new approach had to achieve an
‘adequate corporate positioning’, as well as the creation of an ‘internal legal culture’ whose value had to be
promoted across the business. As far as external transactions are concerned, the team’s contributions has
been significant over the years, most recently involving the planning and implementation of an attractive
and ‘very innovative’ stock purchase offer for minority shareholders of some of the group’s companies in
Chile. Urenda shares that this task involved her department working under a ‘complex scenario, with a highly
atomised minority interest both in terms of shareholders and shares’ and that the project challenged the lawyers’
‘creativity’ and their ‘team-working skills’. Two lawyers deserve special mentions, following their impeccable
impressions made during this year’s research – Urenda has been credited in particular for her contributions
in developing a broad, company-wide compliance policy. Francisca Arancibia Durán also impressed with
her contribution to bringing the legal department closer to other corporate units, thereby raising awareness
about the need to carry out joint and coordinated actions to ensure the company’s success.

CONSUMER PRODUCTS
L’ORÉAL CHILE
L’Oréal is a household name in cosmetics and beauty products around
the world, and its legal department has undertaken a fresh revamp of
the department’s image and priorities. L’Oréal Chile’s all-female legal
team is led by general counsel Andrea Convalia, and supported by legal
counsel Anastassia Fagetti and Neldia Müller who serves as scientific
and regulatory affairs director. Convalia and her team have revitalised
the legal department’s strategic objective and intend to inspire similar
change across the whole global company. Convalia says, that ‘as a
beauty product company we have seen that beauty is not only found
in the products we sell, but in everything we do. In our documents, our
communication and our passion for the respect of our teams, collaborators,
consumers, and customers’. Specifically, it has changed the department’s
approach to technology to create, as Convalia says, a ‘faster and more
efficient response with personalised attention [to] provide solutions
to the business needs’. It has also partnered with a digital start-up to
create a new platform. There is a new focus to incorporate the legal
team into all areas of the business, work collaboratively, and gain new
perspectives by ‘working with the business, and not for the business’. Part
of this initiative is accomplished by increasing site visits, collaboration
with other departments and inviting outside legal teams to provide
an additional perspective. The team bring this business focus to all of
its training with the non-legal teams at L’Oréal Chile educating them
on legal issues, risks, and the normative background relevant to each
department. Convalia highlights that the team’s future goals include
incorporation of artificial intelligence and other technology into
the legal department, increasing the strategic link between law and
business at L’Oréal Chile.

sponsored by
EMPRESAS LA POLAR PARQUE ARAUCO PROCTER & GAMBLE (P&G)

Empresas La Polar’s legal team Creativity, coupled with the P&G established its foothold in Chile
is rightly regarded among the unrelenting drive to solve even in 1983 when it entered the market
finest in Chile’s retail sector, and the most complex of legal issues, thanks to the acquisition of the
is led by Alvaro Lavín, a highly are two defining features that Geka Laboratory, a transaction that
experienced chief counsel characterise Parque Arauco’s served as a platform to successfully
who was featured in the GC industry-leading legal team. launch a variety of shampoo and
Powerlist: Chile in 2017. Lavín is These qualities come in handy, conditioner products. Today,
known as an individual with a particularly considering increasing the company holds a dominant
wealth of legal ability thanks in competition for Chile’s third largest position in the local consumer
part to his experience gained shopping operator coming from products sector, bringing its full
during in-house legal roles with both traditional and ecommerce assortment of consumer goods
Superintendencia de Quiebras businesses entering and growing to the market. P&G’s Chilean
(the National Superintendent in the regional retail sector. Despite operation complements its larger
of Bankruptcy) and in private the challenging environment, Latin American base, which has
practice with Alessandri the team led by corporate legal traditionally been a high priority
Abogados. The company operates manager Duncan Grob Urzúa region for the company and
38 stores in Chile, accounting has delivered ‘stellar’ legal advice includes presence in Mexico,
for approximately 10% of its according to nominators, which Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and
retail sector, and maintaining has had direct impact on the Brazil. P&G’s Latin American legal
and expanding the company’s doubling of Parque Arauco’s function is key to the company’s
market share in this extremely gross leasable area, and hence strategic plans for the region, as its
competitive area requires the significant increase in revenue looks for best-in-class legal expertise
La Polar legal team to display over the last few years. Working in to help it tackle new regulations
business acumen as well as legal tandem with the finance team at and move forward with its projects.
ability. Meeting these challenges, Parque Arauco, Grob’s department Its Chilean legal department is said
the team is well-staffed with has contributed directly to the to be particularly strong, featuring
individuals who possess both completion of notable transactions lawyers with, in some cases, several
commercial and legal attributes. such as Greenfield projects, decades of experience in the sector.
Among others, in-house counsel M&A deals and bond issuances, While the team has to be well versed
Veronica Covarrubias Proa all of which have been integral in every aspect of P&G’s business
and Gonzalo Javier Valenzuela to expanding the company’s and product portfolio, knowledge is
Mercadal – formerly in-house business. Boasting a highly notable not the only prerequisite for success,
with Heineken and the Ministry career both in-house and private with ingenuity and ability to come
of Health respectively – came practice, Grob has largely been up with novel solutions being just
in for particular praise for their the mastermind behind the team’s as important. It is fair to say that the
successful work on a number of success contributing, according to team’s lead lawyer legal manager
strategic projects and for their sources, with a unique ‘corporate Macarena García is an embodiment
contribution to the cohesion of perspective and the ability to provide of these qualities, as she has
the team as a whole. The La Polar legal solutions that make the demonstrated them time-and-time
legal team is thus well-led, well- difference’. Other impressive names again during her ten-year career at
staffed and well-drilled as a unit. from Parque Arauco’s that have the company. Her colleague Paulina
consistently captured attention in Zuniga is another exceptionally
the industry include Natasha Gil strong lawyer who boasts a career of
Nigoevic, Eduardo Incio and Tatiana 28 years at the company.
Montealegre.

CONSUMER PRODUCTS
WALMART CHILE
The inclusion of Walmart Chile’s legal department in this year’s GC Powerlist comes off the back of its
participation in two significant corporate transactions completed in the last two years. The first deal involved
the sale of Walmart Chile’s shopping mall business called Espacio Urbano (EU) for an approximate sum of
$660m in 2016. As the biggest real estate transaction in Chile to date, the deal required Walmart’s legal team,
according to legal and corporate manager Carmen Roman, to transfer ‘more than one thousand leases contracts
of commercial spaces and commercial stores, including department stores with national and international
presence’. The second deal took place in December 2017 and involved the sale of several financial services
companies owned by Walmart, including the issuer of the well-known credit card Líder Mastercard. ‘This
operation involved the signing of the SPA, commercial agreement, and more than 50 annexes and contracts to
regulate the relationship we will have with financial services in the future,’ says Roman. ‘We’re still working on this
project, preparing the transfer of the companies, which will subsequently have to be approved by the corresponding
authorities (antitrust authority and banking market authority)’. Its capacity to support such complex corporate
transactions, and the team’s ability to innovate internally is not to be underestimated. In fact, the team
recently appointed a specially designated innovation and technology lawyer to assist the department’s
efforts in this field, which have most recently resulted in the replacement of the department’s old contract
management system and the implementation of digital signing for documents. To add to this, the team
has now fully embraced digital tools in its operation, actively using apps such as SOS legal and Facebook’s
Workplace. For the last 10 years the department has also run an open ‘super conference’, where the team invites
influential speaker to talk about such diverse topics as trust, the circular economy, share value, innovation and
many other important legal matters. The team is comprised of 12 lawyers and eight support staff and is led
by Alejandro Berríos – senior legal manager for real estate, anti-trust, acts and contracts and corporate; and
María Jose Maldonado – senior legal manager in the management of operations, financial services, litigation,
outsourcing and projects.

sponsored by
ENERGY AND UTILITIES
AES GENER AGUAS ANDINAS COLBÚN

A legal team of professionals Aguas Andinas is Chile’s largest A plethora of high-calibre lawyers
possessing deep technical sector sanitary company serving are tasked with shielding the
expertise and the capability to two million households and wide-reaching activities of the
oversee projects from start to providing 100% coverage in all Chilean electricity generator
finish is an absolute necessity areas of Chile. The company is Colbún, which include 23 power
for an ambitious and constantly going through a large period of plants in the country with
growing enterprise such as Chile’s growth and plans to continue another plant in Peru. Rodrigo
AES Gener. Since joining the this expansion through to 2020 Pérez, former legal advisor
company in June 2010, highly including achieving 100% of the at PPL Global Latinoamérica,
experienced energy lawyer treatment of wastewater from assumed responsibility for the
Alberto Zavala has been able to Santiago. Crucial to the future legal team in 2007, and has since
forge such a team, populating it success of this is Aguas Andinas’ contributed to the successful
with expert individuals who have accomplished legal department outcome in a number of legal
made overseeing the legal side headed by legal affairs director, cases and transactions, with most
of complex energy projects seem Camilo Larraín Sánchez. The recent examples involving a 12
simple. The team’s outstanding legal function has so far played a year $400m liquefied natural
expertise can be seen in its significant role in the company’s gas (LNG) supply deal with
recent handling of legal support expansion whilst monitoring ENAP, Chile’s national petroleum
for Alto Maipo, the largest day-to-day legal matters for company, a $500m notes offering
hydroelectric power plant project the company including the and a mitigation agreement
in the country with its combined international and domestic with Chile’s Superintendence
capacity of 531MW, as Zavala’s regulation, risks, contracts, and of the Environment. Integral
team has seamlessly dealt with all certification processes. With so contributions to the company’s
operational legal aspects and the many inhabitants of Chile relying ongoing projects and deals
project’s complex restructuring on the company’s services, the have also been made by legal
process. Besides providing a legal team at Aguas Andinas are manager Rodrigo Stiepovic, who
guiding hand to the business on recognised for supporting the has been praised for the depth of
such important project work, AES company by handling legal- his understanding of the energy
Gener’s legal department has related matters in an efficient way. sector. Rafael Goldsack Trebilcock,
contributed immensely to the who was also previously featured
company’s ambitious growth and in the GC Powerlist series, is the
expansion efforts, which have newest addition to the team. His
seen the company move into new over fifteen years expertise of
locations at a rapid pace. As AES working within multidisciplinary
Gener is preparing to issue debt in teams in the energy sector has
international markets and attract boosted the unit’s already strong
new investments to expand into profile.
water destinations, the team’s role
is expected to become even more
important in the foreseeable
future.

CGE EMPRESA NACIONAL DEL PETRÓLEO (ENAP)

Seeking to achieve best-in- State-owned ENAP is one of the leaders in the Chilean oil and gas sector,
class corporate governance and engages in the exploration, production, refining, and marketing
and improve efficiency inside of hydrocarbons and their derivatives. ENAP’s sizeable legal team is
its business, Compañía General based in the corporate Las Condes headquarters and operational
de Electricidad (CGE), which is locations across the country, and coordinates day-to-day legal support
96.5% owned by the Spanish to the company’s existing projects (these employ more than 3,500
Gas Natural Fenosa, has recently employees and over 6,000 contractors) and supports national and
undertaken a significant project overseas expansion efforts. One of the team’s most senior members,
to restructure its business. While legal manager Alfredo del Carril recently departed the team, assuming
working in close cooperation instead the position of gas and energy manager at ENAP. Fortunately
with external lawyers in Chile the the team possesses more than enough expertise to compensate
legal department of CGE has been for, undoubtedly, such a significant loss of talent. Cornell educated
an important participant in this Nicolás García, who recently made the step-up to the position of legal
process, in particular, impressing manger has been described as a ‘very competent counsel who manages
with its advice on mergers of a broad range of issues’ by a nominating source. The source also shares:
several elements within the group. ‘he has the ability to negotiate and obtain consensus even in an adverse
Further to its involvement in environment. Nicolás has participated in transactions that were very
such vital strategic projects, the demanding and always produced innovative solutions’. Legal director
unit generates value by routinely Marcelo Andrés Rodríguez Belmar, who oversees legal support primarily
providing legal advice on matters for the labour and human resources area of the company has impressed
pertaining to every aspect of the with his work on maintaining relationships with unions, working on
group’s activities. Considering the collective bargaining and formulating judicial strategies to anticipate
wide reach of CGE’s business (it and successfully face conflicts and lawsuits. Senior lawyer Lorena
is the largest electricity company Hirmas, lawyer Daniela Silva Graves and R&L legal director Francisco
in the whole of Chile with a 43% Javier Amenábar Riumalló are all names that have also been significant
share of the local market) it is fair assets to the legal department in recent past.
to say that the team has a lot on
its plate. Given the company’s
ambitious plans, the legal unit’s
role inside the company is likely to
gain even more prominence in the
coming years.

sponsored by
EMPRESAS COPEC ENEL CHILE

Operating primarily in natural Operating in 30 countries across five continents and distributing
resources and energy, Empresas electricity and gas through a network covering around 1.9m km – Enel
Copec is a leading Chilean Chile is Chile’s largest electricity group in terms of installed capacity. The
company with a presence in company prides itself on its development of new uses of power that it
over 80 other countries. Its has provided its customers over the years, being the first company in
operations are diverse with Chile to offer clients smart metering technology and the country’s first
activities covering a number and only electric bus which serves the main thoroughfares of Santiago
of markets including forestry, free of charge. The legal team have been tasked with a number of
liquid fuel, commercial fishing, transformative projects over the years, supporting the company in
mining liquid fuels, lubricants, becoming the powerhouse company that it is today. They have been
liquefied petroleum gas, and noticed by peers for having a clear and accurate strategic vision of the
natural gas distribution business. business and always being ahead of market trends and tendencies
Complimenting Copec’s vast over the years. A project that they have been central to in the recent
set-up is its accomplished legal past is the corporate restructuring process that began in 2015 in
team led by José Tomás Guzmán what was then Enersis, the main company that controlled generation,
Rencoret, corporate counsel and distribution and transmission businesses in the South American
secretary of the board of directors, countries of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Enersis approved, as
who is responsible for all areas part of the initial restructuring, the spin-off creating Enersis Chile as the
of law relating to the company’s company controlling the group’s generation and distribution assets in
diverse range of products and the country. Later, in September 2016, the legal function assisted in the
practises. The team is considered merger which saw Enersis Américas absorb the businesses of Endesa
to have excelled in a number of Américas and Chilectra Américas leading to the creation of Enel Chile
areas such as working on large in October 2016. The team is directed by its longstanding and highly
transactions, and handling a praised general counsel, Domingo Valdés Prieto, who since 1999 has
wide range of compliance and served as legal counsel and secretary of the board of directors of Enel
regulatory matters all of which Chile and Enel Américas. Described by nominators as ‘one of the best
has contributed to the company’s corporate counsel of the Chilean market’ with ‘great leadership skills and
continued growth and expansion. very proactive’, he is a hands-on counsel and a strong team player who
encourages the legal team to provide solutions that make a tangible
difference to the business.

ENEL DISTRIBUCIÓN
As the country’s’ principle electricity distributor, Enel Distribución Chile has almost 2 million customers
serving an area that accounts for a large portion of the country’s population, representing around 40% of
the country’s total energy sales. As a company that aims to provide power needed by Chile’s inhabitants for
their development and growth, today its most pressing challenge is to open up power to new users and
contributing new products and services to improve quality of life in thousands of homes. The legal team at
Enel Distribución has been supporting this commitment by overseeing projects from a legal perspective
including the company’s initiative of installing 50,000 intelligent meters in Santiago, complimenting the
technological advances implemented by the company to incorporate infrastructure with the capacity
for two-way communication with digitised and interconnected networks. The legal department of Enel
Distribución is driven forward by general counsel Horacio Aránguiz who oversees the function’s strategy and
regulatory compliance and is noted for his good corporate perspective and the ability to provide efficient and
fast legal solutions while retaining focus and clarity on the work he is performing. ‘He is a very hard working
counsel and a real expert in energy distribution law and regulations and is very well regarded by the market
for that’, says one nominator. By implementing a great amount of trust and confidence in his team he has
continually encouraged and inspired the function to also operate in a similar manner. It is to this end that
they have worked on some of the company’s largest scale transactions, one being the regulatory and legal
establishment of the new aforementioned system in Santiago which is safer for clients as maintenance work
can be carried out remotely reducing the need for home visits to read meters or reconnect supply after faults
or outages.

sponsored by
ENEL GENERACIÓN CHILE

Known for its high capability regarding technological innovations, Enel Generación Chile’s legal team has
recently introduced a new tool for legal case management called SUITE. ‘It’s a new software that allows a
better interaction between external law firms and the work they perform for us,’ says the company’s general
counsel Ignacio Quiñones Sotomayor. This new addition to the department’s workflow has contributed to its
already strong transactional capabilities, with the team closing a number of landmark deals each year. The
department’s recent participation in a major reorganising operation called Project Elqui, for instance, comes
off the back of a flawless two-year transactional record, which includes, among others, multimillion sales of its
share participation interests in Electrogas and GNL Quintero, a power supply agreement with Anglo American
and an award of 54% of the supply bid for distribution companies for a total of 2,200GWh yearly. Humberto
Bermudez, ‘whose participation has been decisive in controversial issues of great importance for the generation
and distribution business of the company’, is one name mentioned in this year’s research. Commentators
highlight Bermudez’ contributions in ‘conducting legal management of litigation and defence in administrative
and judicial claims for Enel Chile and its subsidiaries in Chile’. Carlos Silva is another lawyer praised by sources,
with particular praise for his contributions to the development of the second unit of the Bocamina Coal
Power Plant from the early planning stages of the projects, as well as his advice on the aforementioned sale
processes of GNL Quintero and Electrogas.

ENGIE ENERGÍA CHILE LATIN AMERICA POWER (LAP)

Engie Energía Chile, part of GDF Latin America Power (LAP) is a renewable energy company in Chile
Suez Group, is the largest electric with links to the rest of Latin America, known for its industry-leading
company in Chile’s Great North commitment to environmentalism and integrity. LAP’s initial investment
Interconnected System (SING) – in Chile was to develop a hydroelectric plant in the Araucanía Region
its northern region, specialised called Carilafquen-Malalcahuello, adding to the other hydro plants
in the production and transport LAP manages in Peru. The company also produce wind farms and
of electric power and other fuels. technology for other renewable energy markets and in May 2015, it
It is one of the top companies began constructing the San Juan Wind Farm, the largest wind farm
on the Santiago Stock Exchange, in Chile with a capacity of 184.8MW, opened in 2017 on the coast
with a market capitalisation of the Atacama region. The legal team played a crucial role in these
of around US$2.8bn. Engie acquisitions and in the set-up of the operation, overseeing compliance
Energía’s Chilean legal team is and risk matters. Michael Timmermann is the general counsel at LAP
led by chief legal counsel Aníbal and leads the legal department. He joined the organisation after
Prieto Larrain, and covers the gaining experience in planning and implementing taxation strategies
firm’s contract, environmental at the consultants Juan Carlos Cerda & Cia, and the M&A acquisitions
law, litigation and all other legal team at Barros & Errázuriz. He has experience leading teams in M&A,
matters. Prieto is highlighted financing and capital market transactions in Chile, the US, Argentina
in this year’s research for and Panama. A peer nominated Timmermann and his team saying,
assisting on the company’s 2018 ‘at Latin America Power, Michael Timmermann has the ability to act as
agreement with global chemical business manager and legal counsel at the same time, negotiating and
products company Albemarle, an obtaining consensus even in an adverse environment. As a consequence,
important contract with a term of he and his team are very well respected in the energy industry’. LAP are on
nine years that consolidates Engie the forefront of renewable energy in Chile and Peru and are committed
Energía’s leadership in the energy to bringing this industry to the Southern Cone region. LAP demonstrate
transition in Chile and the world. this commitment to ‘improve the energy matrix for Chile and Peru using
renewable sources, while maintaining close relationships with local
communities, generating value for our shareholders and protecting
the environment’ according to its mission statement, and this ethos
is carried out in the new projects and technology it brought to the
industry in Chile.

sponsored by
PACIFIC HYDRO
Since joining the global clean energy solutions provider Pacific
Hydro as a legal manager in Chile in 2015, Oscar Lira Valdes has had
a transformative effect on the company’s internal legal function. In
addition to establishing interdisciplinary committees to deal with
issues from across the company, Lira states he has developed a strict
internal compliance policy and trained lawyers within the team
to ‘solve problems from a business perspective’. Besides Lira, whose
practice extends to insurance and corporate affairs, the team includes
Fernanda Errázuriz, a regulatory lawyer who is said to possess excellent
understanding of electricity law, and is currently helping design
a strategy for legal cases presented in courts. Fernanda Correa, a
corporate lawyer and a recent addition to the team, who has previously
worked at the law firm Cariola, receives praise for her expertise in PPA,
commercial and electricity contracts. Boasting an excellent transactional
track record in the last two years, the team has recently been able
to get over a US$24m claim, which has required Lira to relocate to
London temporarily for four months. In addition, the team has recently
impressed with its work on two separate due diligence processes in
Chile, as well as its involvement in the acquisition of a 1.7GW hydro
plant in Brazil. ‘Together, while I was away and when we are together we
are a highly dynamic team, adaptable to every situation,’ Lira articulates.
‘As so, we move across the organisation having always in mind that we are
a business and our efforts are set to fulfill it’.

GNL QUINTERO SAESA TRANSELEC

Owned by BG Group (40%), SAESA Group’s immense Owned by the Canadian
ENAP (20%), Endesa Chile national operation, which serves consortium Transelec Holding
(20%) and Metrogas (20%), approximately 760,000 utilities Rentas, the Santiago based
GNL Quintero operates the customers between the regions of Transelec Chile has been in
first land-based terminal for Bío Bío and Aysen, in the south of business since 2007, providing
the reception, unloading, Chile, generates high quantities high voltage electric transmission
storage and regasification of of work for Christine Hoelck and to customers across the country.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in her highly rated team of lawyers. The company’s relatively small,
the southern hemisphere. The To deal with such high workloads but very well organised legal
operation features a strong legal Hoelck has spent considerable unit, which has long been known
team comprised of talented amount of time during her for its extraordinarily strong
professionals led by Dafne near decade-long tenure as delivery standards, has had an
González, who one nominator a corporate and legal head outstanding 2017, impressing with
describes as ‘a very competent at the company streamlining its legal support for key projects.
and innovative general counsel processes, introducing technical To be more specific, Transelec
who manages a broad range of improvements and coming up was allocated the construction
legal issues’. González, who is also with new ways to position her of a 500KV line in the region of
said to have a ‘strong reputation team as closely as possible to Antofagasta for the consortium
as a strategic partner in all legal SAESA’s commercial activities. Abengoa-Kipreos Ingenieros
matters in the company’, is known Described by one nominator as an – one of the most significant
for her excellent focus when ‘outstanding general counsel’ and projects in the company’s history,
dealing with key projects. Last one who ‘always maintains focus and the legal team has played
year, for instance, her team has and clarity on legal issues’, Hoelck an invaluable role in securing
been critical in the company’s is also credited for hiring most of the deal. While supporting this
involvement in initiating the the team’s existing talent. Carola and other key projects for the
next phase of expansion at the Seguel Vásquez, for instance, one company, Transelec’s legal unit has
regasification terminal. As part of her earliest appointments, has impressed with its delivery of high
of the project, GNL Quintero been an indispensable element level legal advice with a strategic
intends to double its capacity, as of the team’s legal support since vision. One source hails the team
the Valparaiso-based, 2.5 million 2010 thanks to her advice to the for its ‘deep understanding of the
tonnes-per-year LNG terminal is concessions and easements areas. complexities of the legal system’
seeking to install a third storage Newer additions, such as Gabriela as well as its ‘ability to anticipate
tank and additional equipment. Obregón Siegmund have also potential obstacles during legal and
contributed significantly to the business negotiations’. The team is
team’s success. led by Duke Law School graduate
Arturo Le Blanc – a legal veteran
with approximately two decades
of experience. He works alongside
a number of skilful lawyers,
including, by way of example, legal
assistant manager for business
and regulation Francisco Brotfeld.

sponsored by
FINANCIALS
AFP PLANVITAL
With the recent approval by Chile’s pension watchdog (Superintendencia de Pensiones) of changes to its
risk-based supervision framework for private pension fund managers (AFPs) and unemployment insurance
administrators (AFCs), the role of AFP Planvital’s corporate compliance function has become even more
significant. This transition of the regulatory and supervisory framework of the pensions sector to a modern
system that emphasises the capacity to identify and manage risks will, according to the team’s leader
Guillermo Castillo Inostroza ‘pose a great challenge for the areas of risk and compliance’. His team is, however,
more than ready to shield the company and adequately adapt to the changing environment. With the
implementation of a coherent corporate compliance risk program through an established process, the team
has decreased the risk of fines, penalties, work stoppages and lawsuits. ‘Our compliance team has been working
to ensure that the company can uphold a positive image and build consumer trust,’ Castillo states. ‘Our mission
is to keep working to help build consumer loyalty, since customers are more likely going to return to a service or
product from a company they identify as trustworthy’. In order to achieve this goal, Castillo says that his team has
played a ‘significant role in the implementation of several new internal controls based on risk assessment , drafting
new policies and procedures and providing training to all the company on hot topics such as diversity, conflict of
interest, AML, among others’. Cecilia Pietragallo, Eder Juica and Sebastián Molleda have all been praised by
Castillo for their work in implementing best practices within the organisation. He states that they have all
‘been instrumental in the creation and implementation of our first corporate compliance program,’ and adds that
‘given this context, [they] have had a variety of different missions, ranging from total support of corporate policies,
to specialising in specific topics such anti-money laundering, conflicts of interest, whistleblower channel and
investigations, labour law, outsourcing [and more].’

FINANCIALS
BBVA CHILE
Positioned at the intersection of litigation and regulatory matters at
BBVA Chile, the legal team managed by senior attorney Benjamin
Vial utilises ligation as a tool to prevent future contingencies,
whilst maintaining a more proactive and less reactive approach
to the regulation area. Having recently assimilated responsibilities
for corporate governance at the bank, Vial’s team has produced a
harmonic relationship with the internal regulatory practice, whilst also
maintaining a ‘deep, close and fluid relationship’ with the general counsel,
CEO and other senior management. Improved communication lines
between the two functions, upper management and other departments
within the company ensures a more proactive and early approach
to new regulations, and enables Vial’s team to aptly handle the
accelerating regulatory transformation of the financial services industry
in Chile. Besides its regulatory work, the team has recently been
focused on dealing with the complexities of the impending merger
of the company with Scotiabank Chile, which would undoubtedly
have a profound impact on the legal function and the wider company.
The team has also recently gathered attention with its work on a long
lasting litigation against Corfo, involving a remedy before Chile’s
Constitutional Court, as well as its advice on the ongoing liquidation of
a major insurance claim arising from damages suffered by BBVA Chile as
a consequence a flood occurred in Santiago. Comprised of exceptional
attorneys such as the aforementioned Benjamin Vial, as well as Alberto
Vergara, Valerie Ranson and Jose Enrique Estay, the team has grown
into an indispensable element of BBVA’s business in Chile. ‘Their passion,
knowledge and flexibility among several capabilities, has allowed us to
introduce changes on how we work, face relevant challenges and provide
high quality legal advice,’ deputy legal counsel Alberto Vergara explains.

sponsored by
BCI
For a number of years international expansion has been a major area
of focus for Chile’s BCI, a significant financial institution formed by the
Yarur family in 1937, and currently specialises in savings and deposits,
securities brokerage, asset management and insurance. The company
most recently captured headlines by agreeing to purchase Florida’s
TotalBank in a transaction valued at $528m, which is expected to create
an entity with consolidated assets of $14bn. The deal adds to BCI’s
already strong footprint in the US where the bank owns City National
Bank of Florida, which it acquired in 2013. As a traditionally active
participant in all transactional work completed by BCI, legal manager
Fernando Carmash and his Chile-based legal team have contributed
to the transaction by, for instance, obtaining approvals with the
Superintendency of Banks, Central Bank of Chile and the Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency of the United States. The significance of
the contribution of the team to BCI’s strategy is extremely clear, as the
transaction forms a major part of the bank’s strategy to build a robust
platform that strengthens its operations between the US and Latin
America. The department’s contribution to the international expansion
strategy at BCI does not stop there, however, as Carmash’s team has also
helped the company enter the Peruvian market through a significant
infrastructure deal. BCI, in this case, bought a $42.3m stake in a highway
project in Peru, making a first important step in establishing presence
in the country. According to a source, Carmash and his legal team have
‘been making a significant contribution to a wide range of legal areas
within the company’. The source adds that Carmash and his team ‘add
value to the organisation’s business strategy, facing complex legal issues
with innovative solutions’.

FINANCIALS
BANCO CENTRAL DE CHILE (BCC)

The legal department at BCC takes a pivotal advising role on international and domestic projects concerning
the operations of the central bank within the international financial market, and the implementation and
development of fiscal policy with an emphasis on modernising banking law in Chile. Its 10 lawyers and five
support staff are led by Juan Pablo Araya, the general counsel and attesting officer. In the last year, the team
advised lawmakers on the changes to the proposed powers of the BCC within the new bill, which strengthened
the Bank’s power to issue and operate pre-funded payment methods, such as prepaid cards. The advice the team
gave was innovative because it included elements from the Act which had modified Chilean constitutional law,
by creating new duties on the central bank. Additionally, the legal team has updated its regulatory provisions
including credit, financing and foreign exchange regulations. These included changes to payment card insurance,
high value payment systems, Chilean national finance regulations and the regulation of master agreements of
bilateral derivatives that involve a bank established in Chile or an institutional investor. In the Bank’s international
monetary strategy, the team has negotiated an extension to the bilateral currency swap arrangement with the
People’s Bank of China, implemented regulatory standards in the Bank’s international reserve investments and
sovereign wealth funds and assisted the negotiations of free trade agreements involving central bank policy.
The team also assisted in the international monitoring of Chilean jurisdiction on topics such as the assessment
of observance of the CPSS-IOSCO principles for financial market infrastructures in Chile. Araya, leads the team
with his extensive experience and reputation for his excellent handling of the team during the global financial
crisis using traditional and innovative monetary policy tools to protect the institutions’ liquidity. He led the
recent expansion and development of the legal team which he states ‘injected fresh wisdom... and provided
specialised counselling to the board and staff in the various technical fields the Bank is responsible for’. Araya played a
crucial role, supported by the team, in advising and supporting the Bank’s board and financial policy division in
preparing new financial regulations including the rules applicable to electronic payments. Other stand-out team
members include Pablo Mattar Oyarzún, chief counsel of normative legal services, and Mauricio Álvarez Montti,
chief counsel of corporate legal services. Mattar provides advice and specialist legal opinion on ‘regulatory issues
regarding the exercise of normative powers in connection with monetary, financial and foreign exchange operations,
the issuing of institutional or internal by-laws to implement transparency, lobbying, conflict of interest and ethics
legislation’, according to Araya. Álvarez focuses on internal regulatory compliance, in particular implementing
and monitoring Dodd-Frank and EMIR standards, and providing advice on these areas. Araya said that Álvarez
‘contributed to the development of the whistle-blower channel; the ethics compliance program of Banco Central de
Chile; the implementation of the ethics committee and also drafted the new code of business conduct and ethics for
managers and employees of the company’. The whole team has a leading reputation of credibility in managing the
legal requirements of BCC, operating in one of South America’s strongest economies, with a reputation for high
transparency and ethical standards and have led the modernisation process of banking in Chile.

sponsored by
BANCO CONSORCIO BANCO DE CHILE

Positioned at the core of Chile’s Banco Consorcio, the highly rated legal With an asset base only surpassed
unit led by legal vice president Jorge Parker has recently undergone by Banco Santander Chile, Banco de
fundamental changes to cope with the evolving business climate in the Chile is the second largest banking
country. ‘Changes in the tax system, consumer law and everything related institution in the country, offering a
to the treatment of personal data and outsourcing of services through complete range of financial services,
[the] cloud have all had an impact on the team’s work,’ says Alvaro Larraín to a client base that includes large
Prieto, a legal and compliance manager within the team. To become corporations, SMEs and private
more resilient, as well as boost its service offering, the team has both clients. Its legal team, whilst more
recently expanded its scope with the addition of two new lawyers to its than capable of dealing with routine
ranks, and has been keen to embrace new technology, incorporating legal tasks and tackling the entire
novel IT solutions that have helped it achieve greater agility and spectrum of issues that the Bank
closeness to other departments. The impact of these transformations encounters daily in its national and
have already been visible, with the team being praised for its dramatic foreign activities, also frequently
improvements in speed and efficiency over the last two years. Banco ventures into more strategic areas
Consorcio’s legal department has also made impressions on peers with where it is considered a vital advisor
its transactional work, providing solid advice on external financings, to the business. Such high degree
private syndicated credits and a landmark debt public offering. ‘We of trust in the team’s abilities has
have worked on the implementation of new products such as the current been earned over a period of many
account, COMEX, leasing, confirming and factoring’ Larraín adds. Lawyers years, as the team has guided the
who received special mentions in this year’s research include Jorge Bank through difficult periods,
Parker, who is characterised by ‘extensive knowledge in banking matters, including Chile’s 2009 recession. The
along with his ability to interact clearly with those who require his advice’, areas of expertise of its lawyers are
Ximena Vargas, described as a lawyer who ‘stands out for the rigor in commended with particular praise
the work and excellent legal criteria’, and Alvaro Larraín Prieto, a lawyer centring on their efforts concerning
featured in last year’s GC Powerlist: Chile, known for his knowledge and financial law, contracts management
industry understanding. and negotiation, civil law and risk
management. The team’s lawyers
are also said to have a natural
talent for advising the business on
changing regulations, structuring
and drafting local and cross-border
documentation. Chief attorney
Roberto Tejos Contreras in particular,
is seen as an embodiement of all
these strengths. His over 16 years
of experience at the Bank enables
him to fine-tune the team to ensure
that it is perfectly aligned with
the needs of the company. Tejos
works alongside a number of great
lawyers at Banco de Chile including
Ignacio Aránguiz Pinto, Roberto
Tejos Contreras, Paulina Ravilet and
Carolina Ramírez.

FINANCIALS
BANCO DEL ESTADO DE JP MORGAN

CHILE (BANCOESTADO) JP Morgan’s Chilean legal department has a number of challenges on
Chilean state-run bank any given day, given the sheer size of the operation that the three-
BancoEstado serves clients of person, Santiago based, function has to support on a comprehensive
all types, ranging from large basis. Fortunately the team’s leader, Alejandro Rubilar, who has
corporates to middle markets constantly had a keen eye on innovative working methods, has
and government entities as well introduced a number of technical and organisational improvements
as retail customers. To provide to smoothen its workload. With key changes centring on the rollout
adequate legal advice to the of new technologies, mapping of new obligations, regulatory change
bank, besides its core knowledge management and the development of new financial products, the team
relating to the sector, its legal has become more efficient in the last two years, delivering superior
department must be well versed advice on key transactions. Besides its involvement on landmark deals
in the technicalities of a broad such as IPOs, M&As and capital markets refinancing deals, Rubilar’s team
range of personal, corporate and takes particular pride in its management of ongoing projects, for which
government banking products the team identifies emerging legal risks and sets cross-border rules of
and services, including, but not engagement. Thanks to its improved efficiency and operational fluidity,
limited to, insurance, mutual besides its core responsibilities the team is also actively engaged in
funds, treasury services, trade sustainability efforts. These include policy formulations, development of
finance and liability management. position statements and refocusing on new business models. According
The extent to which the team to Rubilar mere compliance is now ‘the lower bar’ in many respects,
is able to mobilise its resources, so his team now ensures that the organisation goes beyond simply
adapt and find novel solutions adhering to regulation and must ensure that its corporate values share
when tackling legal issues related the same principles underpinning the law. Other areas of excellence for
to each of these products has the team have included setting high standards on how to understand
been a source of amazement for and apply diversity, as well as influencing regulatory change by
many people inside the company. implementing and contributing to updates to laws such as the
Some of the outstanding lawyers Electronic Fiduciary Pledge, netting legislation and banking act reforms
who have made individual to adhere to Basel III. Besides Rubilar, the company also employs two
impressions during this year’s fantastic lawyers; Fernando Eyzaguirre, who is the executive director
research process include, among and counsel for Chile as well as co-chair of JP Morgan’s Global Pro Bono
others, Viviana Lopez, Andrés Program, in addition to Caroline Lüders, associate counsel for Chile.
Acevedo Léniz, Esteban Alain
R. Candia Navarrete and Water
Renato Fernàndez Muñoz.

sponsored by
ITAÚ CORPBANCA LARRAÍN VIAL

A highly successful financial Founded in 1934 and headquartered in Santiago, Larraín Vial currently
institution owned by Itaú ranks as one of the biggest financial intermediation and advisory
Unibanco – Latin America’s firms in Latin America. The company has launched offices in Peru
largest bank by assets – and in 2004 and Colombia in 2006, and began operations as a broker
Chile-based financial holding dealer in the US in 2010, adding to its already sizeable domestic base
group CorpGroup, as of 2017 with 10 regional offices, scattered from northern Antofagasta to
Itaú CorpBanca was ranked as southern Puerto Montt. Running a commercial operation with such
the fifth-largest bank in Chile by wide geographical scope presents major challenges of a legal and
total assets. It has over double compliance nature to the business, which depends more and more
the assets of the institution heavily on its legal team to move things forward. Supporting the
ranked directly below them, company across many different markets throws up different challenges
and approximately 10,000 for Matías Vial and his team, as they have to show familiarity with a
employees across hundreds of whole set of unique commercial, legal and regulatory drivers. This is all
locations in Chile and Colombia. the more impressive given the importance of legal matters the group’s
The company has put together subsidiaries frequently encounter, some of which can have a profound
a highly-regarded legal function impact on the company’s long term strategy. Vial and his team are
which boasts quality, strength extremely competent in managing such issues, with their ability to
and depth throughout its ranks, ‘obtain consensus even in an adverse environment’ cited as one of the
with a number of names standing team’s main strengths. The team’s most senior lawyer Matías Vial, whose
out for special mention. Senior career spans several decades spent in-house and in private practice,
corporate lawyer Paz Lamas has received particular mentions for his ingenuity and ability to oversee
Beiner has detailed experience legal processes in different industry sectors.
of all levels of the financial legal
sector, having worked in-house
in this area since 2002. Rodrigo
Montero Atria is also a financial
legal specialist with a career
stretching back to the 1990s
which has included periods at
multinational banking giants
ABN AMRO and BBVA. During
this, he has worked on numerous
complex agreements that provide
an excellent background to tackle
the company’s current challenges.

FINANCIALS
LIBERTY SEGUROS MASTERCARD QUIÑENCO

GENERALES Mastercard is a global financial To ensure the flawless operation
Liberty Mutual Insurance, the credit card payment system, and of Quiñenco, a conglomerate
US-based global insurer, entered online transactions powerhouse with $71bn asset management
the Chilean market in 2004 when dealing with billions of transactions portfolio and annual revenues
it acquired AGF Allianz Chile. and functions at the heart of amounting to $20bn, the
Today it has a strong presence the global financial system. It is legal team supervised by chief
in the country, operating as headquartered and its operational counsel Davor Domitrovic
Liberty Seguros Generales and systems are run out of the US, but has demonstrated extensive
selling a range of individual and it has a strong presence in Chile, expertise across a wide range of
commercial general insurance and other Latin American leading areas including among others
products. The legal team has gone economies. Its Chilean legal banking, maritime shipping
through significant changes in team is led by country manager and retail. Featuring several
the last year most notably the Patricio Sandoval, who according exceptional “superstar” lawyers
arrival in May 2018 of general to a nominator, ‘has the ability such as Rodrigo Hinzpeter,
counsel Francisca Larraín, a highly to focus rapidly on the key legal Davor Domitrovic, Pablo Bauer
respected legal professional who issues with great support from his and Gigliola Cella, the team is
brings with her around 15 years team. They are always committed divided into three distinct areas:
of private practice experience. to excellence in the legal service corporate governance, M&A and
Prior to Larraín’s arrival, members provided’. As country manager compliance, each covered by
of the legal team helped the Sandoval overseas the legal team’s a designated specialist lawyer.
company expand by working implementation of Mastercard’s Besides its exceptional corporate
on its 2016 acquisition of Penta governance and sustainability governance practice, praise over
Seguros thereby making Liberty ethics, and the contracts, the last two years has focused
one of the largest insurance regulation, tax and all other legal on the team’s cross border
companies in Chile. A nominator concerns of the company in Chile. transactional specialisation,
describes how else the team have In 2015 the legal team helped in which has closed important deals
contributed to the organisation: delivering an app called “Qkr!”, in Europe (in more than just
‘The legal team at Liberty in Chile which allowed spectators of the one country), the US and Latin
has significantly improved the level international football tournament America at the same time. ‘We
of efforts to implement a legal Copa America 2015, held in Chile, had to keep in mind and handle
strategic business plan to serve the to order food and drinks during very different legislation, customs,
company’s diverse business units. games from their seat and collect manners and human equipment at
The team has shown a capacity to their shopping without queuing. the same time, and that is always
tackle the regulatory challenges of Bringing this technology to Chile very challenging,’ states Rodrigo
the insurance industry both locally was a major achievement and Hinzpeter. To make the company’s
and abroad’. indicated the team’s ability to transactional work more
assist the company in utilising the competitive, Quiñenco has also
latest digital technology in Chile. worked in close association with
Another example of this, is the external advisors in technology,
team’s contribution in 2018 to the digital archiving, and investigative
implementation of contactless due diligence.
technology on public transport
in Valparaiso, a coastal city and a
famous tourist attraction.

sponsored by
METLIFE CHILE RABOBANK

Under the leadership of such outstanding lawyers as legal director Operating in Chile since 1994,
and general counsel Roberto Ladrón de Guevara and legal manager Dutch multinational banking
Francisca Celedón, MetLife’s legal department in Chile has come a long and financial services company
way in its journey to transition from a simple function, performing ‘yes Rabobank’s subsidiary in the
and no’ legal analysis for the business, to a commercially minded, ‘pro country provides a variety of
business’ internal unit. According to Ladrón this means that the team’s products and services to both
analysis ‘not only focuses to determine whether a specific business or retail and wholesale customers.
requirement fits under the law, but also proposes alternative solutions to Its service offering of traditional
the line of businesses’. This has ‘increased the company’s businesses on a banking services is complemented
quite important basis,’ he adds. Further to changes to its role within the by factoring, leasing services,
company, MetLife’s team has been keen to digitise its service offering, medium-term investment finance,
by incorporating electronic contracts, introducing online training and as well as credit for food and
utilising authentication systems for performing acts and contracts. As agribusiness. Rabobank Chile
digital technologies have also had an impact on MetLife’s insurance employs a group of highly rated
hiring process, the team has helped in adapting and modifying hiring lawyers, each considered a key
forms, thus opening a whole new channel of distribution. On the contributor to the smooth running
transactional front Ladrón’s team has been involved in important deals of the bank’s business. Senior
with banks and important retail sponsors, which required the team’s lawyer Arturo Corte Eterovic is
expertise in policy migration and long term contract drafting. The one such professional, who over
team also received applauds for its swift executing of a stock purchase the course of his nearly five years
agreement with Legal Chile, one of MetLife’s subsidiaries, as well as at the company has developed
for its work in closing three of the largest leasing deals in the industry. an intricate understanding of
Recent acclaim for the team has also centred on its ability to influence each area of the bank’s activity. A
regulatory change in the wider industry, its expertise in managing professional with around sixteen
labour contracts and its insurance policies for new products. Heavily years of experience in the legal
praised by external nominators, Roberto Ladrón de Guevara’s strengths profession, besides being ‘flexible
lie in his ability to work under high levels of pressure associated with and adaptive’ when dealing
large transactions. His colleague Francisca Celedón has received special with legal and administrative
mentions this year for her work on product development, assistance contingencies is said to be an
on support areas including IT and human resources, as well as on expert advisor on bank financing
leadership of new regulation initiatives. processes, syndicated loans,
reprogramming and restructuring
of credits, business reorganizations,
tax implementations and other
areas of relevance to the bank.
His colleague Fabiola Salinas, who
has spent over 12 years at the
bank, is another example of the
team’s expertise and she excels
in the reviewing and drafting of
documentation, and is experienced
in dealing with regulatory entities.

FINANCIALS
SANTANDER SCOTIABANK CHILE

Founded in 1977 and based in Santiago, Santander Chile is a local ‘Trained to remain dynamic and
subsidiary of the Spanish banking giant Santander and currently ranks flexible when facing complex legal
as the largest bank in the country. The bank’s areas of activity are challenges,’ Scotiabank Chile’s
extremely wide and include a myriad of services provided to both retail legal department is named by
and corporate customers. Examples of these include checking accounts, nominators as a vital contributor
savings accounts, investment accounts, credit and debit cards, B2B to the bank’s recent growth and
portals and payroll and payment solution. Modelled to serve as a close development in the country.
advisor to the business across each product area, Santander Chile’s legal Boosted by growth in consumer
department is made up of several specialist financial lawyers, each of loans and commissions across the
whom is a market leading expert in their field of specialisation. Carlos financial services industry in Chile,
Börgel, for instance, one example of the team’s outstanding bench, the bank has recently bolstered
provides advice to the bank’s wholesale area, with special emphasis on its position in the Chilean market,
reviewing syndicated operations, foreign trade, international business, last year nearly doubling its
structuring of more complex leasing operations and corporate banking share of the market to 14%,
operations. Börgel is said to not only to possess expert level-knowledge thanks, in large, to its acquisition
of each of these areas, but also Santander Chile’ strategic business of a major stake in BBVA Chile.
needs, which is understandable considering his 25 years’ career at the Scotiabank’s legal team is said to
bank. María Pilar Pereira who covers the consultancy area, real estate have been a major contributor
banking, investment products, suppliers contracting, digital commercial to this transaction, working in
banking and cyber security projects, is another glaring example of the synergy with the wider company
team’s strength thanks to her determination, focus and ability to dissect and external advisors to achieve
and tackle complex commercial issues. Luis Ignacio De Pablo Goya – a the best possible outcome for
rising star within the team, impresses with his intuitive understanding the business. Rafael Bilbao, the
of corporate, banking, financial, commercial and judicial fields. team’s leader since October 2014,
who is said to be ‘an accessible
and a creative problem solver‘ and
‘one of the most hard-working
general counsels in the financial
industry’, receives mentions for
his contributions to this and
other corporate deals recently
completed by Scotiabank. In
addition to Bilbao, the team
features a full assortment of highly
competent in-house lawyers,
such as corporate compliance
manager Cristián Fernández Terán,
treasury and capital markets legal
manger Evelyn Ross Hahn and
large business legal manager Paz
Lamas.

sponsored by
GRUPO SECURITY
Grupo Security is a diversified financial conglomerate that provides a
range of banking, insurance, asset management, real estate and other
services to corporate and retail clients. It is structured on the basis
of four business areas (financing, asset management, insurance, and
services), around which its 13 companies are clustered. Consisting of
lawyers who are positioned in close proximity to these companies,
including the group’s main asset Banco Security, the legal team at
Grupo Security is more than capable to provide highly reliable day-to-
day legal support to each business area. In addition, the team serves
as a key advisor to senior management on such important strategic
areas such as digitisation and expansion. The former is a major area
of focus of the bank’s current strategy, as senior management feels
that investments in new technology could prove to be crucial in its
search for a competitive advantage in the market. Grupo Security has
recently launched a project to develop an internal business segment
named “Corporate Management Digital Business Development”
which will introduce technological change in the areas of structured
finance, insurance, investment and asset management. The legal
team’s understanding of various sides of Grupo Security’s business
is expected to be relied upon during the project’s implementation.
The legal department has also impressed with its advice on corporate
transactions and its involvement in the 2015 acquisition of a 61% stake
in the Peruvian insurer Protecta is particularly noteworthy. This strategic
deal for the company represents a major step towards the expansion of
the company’s financial services markets outside of Chile.

FOOD, BEVERAGE AND
TOBACCO
AUSTRALIS SEAFOODS
A group of lawyers who all have experience of practicing in large law firms, Australis Seafoods’ legal
department is able to replicate the focus on excellence and high-quality service those firms are renowned
for. The team’s leader and general counsel Rubén Henríquez Nuñez shares that while the company’s lawyers
are all familiar with the company’s processes and activities, ‘each member plays a different role and has distinct
expertise that complements and adds to those of the other members to provide efficient legal support to every
company department’. It is worth noting also that each member of Henríquez’s team is committed to going
beyond strictly legal matters and are passionate about learning about the business and areas of a more
technical nature. This willingness to learn is especially important, given that the team has been at the helm
of enormous changes that have affected the larger company. ‘For starters, compliance has become a priority,
not only for the purposes of observing the law and the applicable regulations but as a way to instilling a culture
of “doing things right”’, Henríquez explains. Although this change of culture takes time, the progress already
made to date fills Henríquez and his team with great pride. The certification area, which is part of the legal
department, has been another area of change, as it recently applied for and obtained an ACS international
certification for all production processes, thus ensuring the fulfilment of the highest environmental standards.
The department’s current engagement in the process of developing and implementing a company-wide
compliance policy is also particularly important, considering the ongoing major culture shift in Chile, as the
country’s community is growing more empowered and far more demanding of businesses than it used to
be. ‘At this turning point, we have agreed that as a company we need to move forward and be one step ahead of
those changes. As such, relying on the appropriate corporate governance and valid compliance policies is not an
option but a must for companies to ensure the sustainability of their businesses,’ Henríquez articulates. Australis
Seafoods’ legal department has played a leading role in the development of internal policies, dissemination
and training mechanisms, and dialogue with stakeholders, as Henríquez believes that a legal department
should, in his words ‘prevent non-compliance by providing training on and interaction with production processes
and by organising processes, rather than showing up to deal with non-compliance or conflict once they have
already occurred’. On the transactional front, the team has recently hit the ground running by closing a
refinancing agreement with foreign banking institutions for over US$100m, as well as by completing a
corporate reorganisation that will allow more efficient use of resources and permits.

sponsored by
COCA-COLA ANDINA COMPAÑÍA CERVECERÍAS UNIDAS (CCU)

Coca-Cola Andina is the franchise Managing the legal matters of a beverages company with operations
operation of Coca-Cola in Chile, across seven countries – Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay,
Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay and Peru – is no small task, and one that requires a coherent
Demonstrating its size, in Chile and capable legal team that is also able to adapt to rapidly changing
the company has recorded a circumstances. As evident from the extensive praise it has received
total sales volume for unit boxes across the industry, CCU’s formidable legal department possesses all
of 231 million. The Coca-Cola of these characteristics. Besides an approach to aligning itself with the
Andina legal team in Chile is led business and the unrivalled skills and expertise of individual lawyers, the
by the experienced legal manager team possesses, according to nominators, ‘excellent adaptability’ that is
Javier Andres Urrutia Pinto, who rarely seen in the sector. Having an unrelenting drive to be seen as more
has been with the organisation than just a support function, the team’s impact can be seen in many
since 2006. The team Urrutia events that have positively affected CCU’s performance. This includes
leads provides legal advice on both supporting regional M&A transactions that have contributed to
corporate, regulatory, competition the company’s strategic objectives and successfully renegotiating credit
and administrative matters to the facilities after covenants within them had been broken. Led by general
commercial, industrial, logistics, counsel Felipe Benavides, an experienced lawyer with a lengthy history
HR, and administration and of working in the food and beverages industry, the 17-strong function
finance departments, among has seen an increase in responsibilities in the last several years, and now
others, of Coca-Cola Andina’s manages legal matters for the company’s overseas subsidiaries. In his
operation in Chile. The team is now over three-year tenure at the company, Benavides has restructured
recognised for demonstrating the whole legal department there by creating a real estate legal team,
world class organisation skill and a labour legal team, and reinforcing the corporate legal management.
professionalism by operating As a result of these important changes, the team is now aligned with
with colleagues across four corporate headquarters more closely than ever and is able to provide
jurisdictions, whilst also advising even broader support to the company.
its internal clients on significant
projects and transactions in Chile.

FOOD, BEVERAGE AND TOBACCO
NESTLÉ CHILE
The world’s largest food and beverage company, Nestlé has a long
and established presence in Chile having begun its operations there
in 1934. Today Nestlé Chile’s in-house legal team contributes heavily
towards the continued success of the organisation as one nominator
highlights in this year’s research: ‘In my opinion, the legal team at Nestlé
Chile, led by Andrés Eyzaguirre, general counsel, is extremely proactive,
always include the external counsel as an additional member of their team,
which makes it very easy to work with them and provide good legal advice.
I think they should also be recognised for its cohesion and innovation in
addition to its legal ability’. Adding, ‘Eyzaguirre, helps the members of his
team to ensure an efficient fulfilment of their goals and give them the space
needed for each one to have their space and to grow’. Members of the
team are commended for handling legal matters seamlessly. They are
also recognised for contributing to ensuring that the creation of Nestlé’s
distribution centre in Punta Arenas, the southernmost distribution
centre in the world, was successfully achieved when the project was
completed in January 2014.

sponsored by
IANSA PEPSICO CHILE SOPROLE

Iansa is the leading producer of PepsiCo has been present in Chile Founded in 1949 by a group of
food and animal feed products for over 30 years, over which milk producers from the valleys
in Chile. It specialises in sugar, period it has introduced its broad of Chile’s Central Zone, Soprole
concentrated juices, pet food, assortment of well-known food is now a leading producer of
tomato paste, sweeteners and and beverage products (such dairy products in the country.
other industrial sugars, and it is as Lay’s, Quaker, Pepsi, Twistos, The company’s legal function
the largest supplier of pet food Gatorade and Toddy) to the has grown in stature and size
and specifically cattle feed in local market. To be successful in since the current manager
Chile. The company leads the preserving and even expanding of legal and corporate affairs
industry in the production of its already significant market share Gustavo Rencoret took charge.
sugar, molasses and other sucrose of the local consumer market, Having joined the organisation
products from beet pulp. Iansa’s both the food and beverages almost 20 years ago in 1999,
legal team plays a leading role divisions at the company require Rencoret is vastly experienced
in the company’s innovation solid legal advice related to the and a highly recommended
and development, particularly current regulatory framework figure in Chile’s in-house legal
in compliance, IP and regulation and regulatory aspects that may community. Supporting him in
matters so prevalent in the food affect the business. In addition to overseeing legal affairs at Soprole
industry. A nominator identified providing such advice, PepsiCo’s is deputy manager of legal
‘Paul de la Taille, team leader, industry leading team of lawyers affairs Felipe Rojas, who joined
as one of the most experienced, assists the company in managing the company in 2014. The team
innovative and hard-working different projects undertaken is recognised for contributing
counsels in the industry’, adding, on a national basis, providing to the increased domestic sales
‘he and his legal team are it with the most efficient legal that Soprole recorded in 2017 by
accessible, creative and very easy solutions and alternatives to implementing the latest labour
to work with; as a consequence, de achieve its objectives. Led by laws in Chile which required the
la Taille is very well respected in the Cristóbal Quezada, who is also in removal of certain warning labels
market’. De la Taille leads the legal charge of public and government leading to increased sales.
team and is also on the executive affairs functions, the team also
committee handling human demonstrates its expertise by
resources matters. The team itself anticipating and evaluating
is recognised with helping make instances of legal risk related to
Iansa a market leader in food such projects, hence shielding
safety compliance and ensuring the company against potential
all its plants across the Americas significant losses. One nominator
have the applicable quality and explains: ‘Cristóbal Quezada has
food safety certifications. The proven to be a very skilled lawyer in
company’s Animal Nutrition plant an industry in permanent change
located in Quepe, IX Region, is and full of challenges. He and his
the first of its kind in Chile to team always add value to legal
have these certifications. These functions and deliver great results’.
innovations is a credit to the
legal team, and its productive
relationship with the rest of the
business.

HEALTHCARE
BAYER CHILE FRESENIUS MEDICAL

Operating in the highly regulated and constantly evolving Chilean CARE
market of pharmaceutical and consumer care products makes With almost 15 years of presence
conducting business and formulating new strategies somewhat in Chile, Fresenius Medical Care
challenging from a legal perspective. In such circumstances, the role has a prominent place in the
of Bayer Chile’s in-house legal department becomes even more crucial, regional market for its production
as the company needs hands-on, legal expertise to accompany every of dialysis products and services.
facet of its multidimensional business. As head of the department Karin Given the high regulatory and
Ioannidis points out, in order to provide solutions, her team has had legislative requirements applied
to grow ever closer to the rest of the company and act as a partner to businesses in the sector, the
to the business, assisting on projects from their earliest stages, while internal legal team has a prominent
working ‘as a team member, not just an advisor’. To maximise its already place within the structure of the
advanced role within the company, Ioannidis envisions a team that company. Closely integrated with
needs to be even more ‘compliant but flexible, and committed but also other departments and enjoying
coherent’, all attributes that sources state her team already possesses. A excellent communication lines
good example of the team’s elevated position within Bayer can be seen with senior management, the
in its involvement in the ongoing multinational mega-deal to acquire well organised legal unit run by
Monsanto. Whilst posing obvious challenges to the team, given the Jorge Gonzales has become an
sheer amount of information that has been requested by the national indispensable part of the company.
antitrust authority, the transaction has provided it with an opportunity According to nominators while
to showcase its superior expertise by explaining in detail commercial participating in transactions that
policies and the very specific peculiarities of the Chilean agrochemical were very demanding, Gonzalez
market. ‘I believe we are very strong as a group,’ says Ioannidis when and his team ‘have always come up
referring to her colleagues: Alberto Zink and Silke Thom. ‘They are both with innovative solutions, [he] has
strongly motivated and are an essential part of the output of the legal a strong reputation as a strategic
department. They not only supervise legal and corporate requests but also partner in all legal matters in the
trademark and IP issues’. company’, a source notes. Besides
Gonzales, María José Cifuentes
Vera, who works alongside the
legal unit, has received praise for
developing Fresenius Medical
Care’s compliance policy in the
Chile. Nataly Ramírez Parra,
another well recognised name
in the industry, supervises the
labour relations area. The team’s
most recent addition, María José
Cifuentes Vera, who joined the
company in February 2018, will
provide legal advice on issues
across the company.

sponsored by
GLAXOSMITHKLINE MUTUAL DE SEGURIDAD

(GSK) Since the recent arrival of Felipe Bunster Echenique to the position of
GSK is an international corporate manager of legal affairs of the Chilean insurance company
pharmaceutical research and Mutual de Seguridad, the organisation’s 24-person legal department
manufacturing giant with a large introduced fundamental changes to the way the company faces its
manufacturing and research trials, whilst in the process obtaining more favourable results with less
presence in Chile. In Chile, GSK exposure or bad social reputation to the company. Bunster adds that
has around 300 employees who the team has also managed to lower the amount it spends on external
work in the areas of marketing, lawyers, and ‘perhaps for the first time in the history of the company,
sales, medical, R&D and support reduce the amount of receivables that the company has, as well as the
functions and has sponsored amount of fines imposed by different government entities’. The team,
projects to increase healthcare which at present is co-managed by vice president of legal affairs
access and vaccination rates Soledad Elizalde and vice manager of regulatory affairs and compliance
across the country. Its Chilean María Cecilia Jimenez, has also alongside the company’s IT department
legal team plays an important introduced new technology that enables various paperless legal
role in a whole range of GSK documents to be requested by anyone within the company who needs
programmes by providing advice, the team’s help via a simple display. This has undoubtedly smoothened
guidance and strategic acumen workloads for the department, improving operational efficiency and
keeping up with GSK’s range of leaving space for the team to dedicate more time on strategic and
risk, liabilities, contracts, IP and all transactional advice. This has served as a boost to the company as the
other legal issues that feature in team’s role in important deals has long been recognised internally as
the heavily regulated healthcare highly valuable, well in excess of the administrative support provided
industry. One nominator said by lawyers in other businesses. In the last two years alone, the team
about GSK Chile’s general counsel has facilitated a variety of deals, such as, among others, Mutual
Cesar Lannefranque, that he is de Seguridad’s sale of clinics in Arica in the north of Chile, three
‘a very competent and innovative successful bids to provide service to BHP, Antofagasta Minerals and
general counsel who manages a Anglo American and a major contract with Microsoft. The team’s role
broad range of legal issues at GSK. in allowing the company to deal with regulatory change is also well
Lannefranque and his legal team known. According to Bunster, it involves ‘a lot of study and adaptation
are articulate and cohesive in the to the new demands and a lot of training for internal and external people
legal service provided’. associated with the company’.

HEALTHCARE
NOVARTIS NOVO NORDISK

Novartis is a large international Novo Nordisk’s business in Chile went through a major structural
pharmaceutical research and overhaul between 2015 and 2017, and its legal function played a pivotal
manufacturing company made role in the successful conclusion of this process. Following a decision to
up of Novartis Oncology, Novartis optimise its internal structure the company liquidated one of its branch
Pharmaceuticals, and the affiliated offices in Chile, reviewing and re-negotiating with vendors across the
firms or Alcon and Sandoz. entire organisation. ‘Our top five vendors were all re-evaluated and then
Novartis’s drug development either changed or we had terms and conditions optimised to better serve
programme consists of the entire us,’ recalls the legal division head Andres Vasquez Obando. Following a
process in pre-development, joint assessment by the team and other lines of business that some of
clinical trials, and commercial retail. the company’s distributors were sub-optimal for the expected growth,
The Novartis legal team in Chile is Novo Nordisk changed the set up in other countries managed from
involved throughout this process, Chile. ‘Mainly we decided to change our distributors in three countries
and plays a critical role in bringing in the South American Sub Region (Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay,
products to market by overcoming Bolivia and Chile),’ says Vasquez. ‘We also incorporated a new legal entity
challenges in regulation in Peru to better address our business needs and continue to grow in the
compliance, patents and IP law country’. The real achievement for the team here lies in the successful
presented by the heavily regulated navigation of the company through this important transformation,
pharmaceutical industry. The team by ensuring as much continuity in its work as possible. According to
is led by general counsel Loreto Vasquez ‘there were no fines, litigations or contractual penalties paid’,
Urqueta since January 2017, who and his team managed to successfully ‘negotiate and agree on the
has a solid background of working terms of the termination without any litigation dragging on’. In parallel
as lawyer in the pharmaceutical to this transformation in the wider company, Novo Nordisk’s legal
industry. One nominator explained team introduced improvement to its own internal operations by
that, ‘Urqueta from Novartis has reviewing and revising all of its contracting practices, developing new
great leadership skills and a very templates and implementing an automated approval process flow for
proactive approach to legal matters. its must recurrent types of contract. ‘This reduced our time reviewing and
She is a strong team player and is approving contracts, it gave different lines of business the independence
always encouraging her team to to move forward faster but in compliance of our internal and external
fulfil its goals’. She and the team requirements,’ Vasquez says. Besides Vasquez, the team’s legal and
are involved in the corporate compliance coordinator Marianne Pichhott has received wide praise
responsibility goals of Novartis, for her significant contributions to the automation of the department’s
and specifically in implementing process flow. ‘Having a committed team that believes in the direction
its global standards in Chile. For of the function enabled us to move at a rapid pace while also ensuring
example, ensuring that any legal compliance with our internal processes’ says Vasquez when referring to
matters regarding the company’s his colleagues’ contribution.
responsible procurement program
are handled well. The legal team
works alongside in-house subject
experts on these topics and other
areas of the business to fulfil these
comprehensive objectives, as well
as other corporate responsibility
goals to a high standard.

sponsored by
ROCHE CHILE UNITEDHEALTH

The Swiss multinational healthcare company Roche has been in Chile UnitedHealth, the American
since the 1930s and through its important scientific contributions in managed healthcare company,
pharmacotherapy and diagnosis products it is a market leader in Chile’s made an entrance into the
pharmaceuticals industry. The local legal team is critical to its success, Chilean market in late 2017
particularly in its diligence in handling the complexity of legal matters in when it acquired Empresas
the sector. Roche Chile’s legal team supervises the company’s handling Banmédica, a large regional
of its product development, commercial activity, and its research and provider of healthcare insurance
scientific community engagement. These responsibilities include and clinical with operations
advising on Roche’s patents and intellectual property of scientific Chile, Colombia and Peru. The
research, pharmaceutical drugs regulation, internal employment company’s Chilean legal team
matters, and the long term management of research, distribution (then part of Banmédica) led by
and commercial contracts for the drugs and diagnostic products. The esteemed lawyer Nicolás Cabello
team is involved in the supervision of the medical department’s drug made valuable contributions
advice queries service, and handling compliance and risk issues for the to facilitating this significant
pharmacovigilance unit that monitors the safety profile of medicines, $2.8bn transaction, impressing
and other products. A nominator said the team and Jorge Julio, its with how knowledgeable it is
director of legal affairs and compliance ‘consistently display extensive in the intricacies of complex
knowledge of legal matters. He and his team always deliver strong legal healthcare regulation in the
advice with clarity and focus’. region. This comes as no surprise
to commentators, as the team
has, for a number of years, worked
at the forefront of Banmédica’s
commercial operations, ensuring
the smooth running of a company
that serves more than 2.1 million
consumers through health
benefits and nearly four million
patients through the delivery of
healthcare across 13 hospitals
and 143 medical centres. One
nominator shares: ‘Nicolás Cabello
at UnitedHealth is a very efficient
general counsel who manages
a broad range of issues. He and
his legal team have a corporate
perspective and the ability to
provide legal solutions that make
the difference’.

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS
AND LEISURE
CRYSTAL LAGOONS
Crystal Lagoons is a US multinational crystalline lagoon construction
firm operating on five continents, engineering and installing lagoons
of all sizes with minimal chemicals demonstrating an environmentally
sustainable process. The company’s Latin America legal team is led by
legal director Thomas Grottschlich in Chile who is supported by legal
advisor Stefano de Cristofaro, also based in Chile. The team is adept at
delivering technical licensing agreements, construction contracts and
other commercial needs of the company. Over the past few years the
team has been involved in the company’s impressive growth in new
projects. A nominator has identified the team’s problem-solving ability
saying that, ‘Gottschlich at Crystal Lagoons understands the business and
always gives precise legal advice. He can anticipate scenarios and bring
innovative solutions to complex legal issues to the table. He and his team
always maintains focus and clarity’.

sponsored by
INDUSTRIALS AND
REAL ESTATE
ADECCO GROUP
Over the past two years Adecco Group’s compact seven-person legal
team in Chile has been fundamental to the success of the wider
company, due to its ongoing involvement in virtually all commercial
affairs that the business conducts within the country. Headed by the
proactive and highly motivated legal director Magdalena Strahovsky,
the team’s superior industry expertise can be seen in its flawless
execution of key M&A transactions and its strategic advice on Adecco’s
aggressive expansion into new sectors in Chile, which include medical,
agro-industrial and mining areas amongst others. Having joined
the business in August 2015 after gaining experience in private
practice, Strahovsky has overseen significant changes to the structural
organisation of the department, including integration of the risk
prevention department (which had previously been a separate entity)
as part of the legal unit, and the division of functional responsibility
within the team, so that each lawyer focuses on a particular area of
specialisation. Besides Strahovsky, who has impressed colleagues with
her deep understanding of the specifics of Adecco’s business, the team
features a number of outstanding lawyers who have received extensive
praise in this year’s research. Paulina Espinoza, who heads legal support
for labour matters, has been singled out for her efforts in ensuring that
Adecco is ‘a place where each employee has the guarantee that his or her
rights are protected’ according to Strahovsky. Recently hired lawyers
Felipe Leigh (who focuses on commercial affairs) and Rocío López (who
also deals with labour matters), have also impressed with their in-depth
knowledge of each respective area of specialisation.

INDUSTRIALS AND REAL ESTATE
ABB CHILE
ABB Chile, the Chilean branch of ABB Group, is a specialist technology and engineering company specialising
in robotics and motion, electrification products, industrial automation, and power grids across 130 countries
globally. Since 2003 the legal function in Chile has been headed by Andrea Lira Droguett, legal and integrity
manager and compliance officer. She created the legal department in Chile when she joined and has worked
to develop it since applying the global company standards to the Chilean legal sphere. In particular, Lira
says that, legal and integrity counsel Gabriel Venegas, ‘has been a key incorporation from 2016 until today.
[Due to] his past experience in law firms he has been able to bring support to different areas of ABB, without the
need of an external legal advisor, especially in human resources, health and safety and also in local intellectual
property issues’. She also highlights that the team’s biggest challenge operating in Chile is to apply the
company’s European guidelines to local law, with an eye towards the business needs of the company and the
changeable labour laws. The team fulfils this and more as demonstrated by its innovative implementation of
technology into its systems. Lira says that ABB Chile ‘pioneers in the development of a new tool for the review
and approval of legal documents such as offers, contracts, letters of award, change orders, power of attorney
etc.’. The system, launched in 2016, is called “Sales Pursuit Tool” (SPT) and it operates on the computers and
smartphones of the team. This innovation has saved time, increased productivity, and allowed the team to
be mobile and adaptive to client needs making it highly valuable to the business. As a result, it has been
expanded to other countries due to its success in Chile. The team is now developing the technology to
include online monitoring of major legal issues, trials, contract negotiation and integrity cases from ABB
Group worldwide. In addition to this new technology implementation, the team has recently made industry
history by partnering with the Ukrainian extra-large capacity airplane Antónov ASTC, to carry one of the
biggest loads in history when delivering oversized transformers to ABB Chile’s client Colbún in 2016. The
department has also added to its reputation for integrity by becoming certified by Company BH Compliance,
for the adoption and implementation to prevent corporate crimes according to Chilean law no. 20.393 for a
term of two years. Lira says that ‘this represents a major step forward in the public image of ABB in Chile in front of
our authorities and also towards our clients, always in the search of being one of the top companies in our country
strongly compromised with our values’.

sponsored by
COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL
The multinational Canada-headquartered consultancy Colliers
International has over 30 years of experience in the Chilean market
which has enabled it to position itself as a key advisor in four distinct
areas of business – real estate management services, brokerage,
corporate finance and consulting. General counsel Pablo Guzmán’s legal
team is positioned in close proximity to each one of these businesses,
and receives wide praise from nominators for its ability to deal with
complex legal matters ‘effectively, even in an adverse environment’.
Financial services and real estate are two areas of particular credit for
the team this year, with nominators highlighting both the team’s in-
depth technical understanding of each area and the excellent intuition
necessary to resolve issues in a quick and efficient manner. In regards
to finance, the team supports Colliers International’s role as a facilitator
of business for investors and companies, whereas on the real estate
front, the team assists the company’s real estate brokerage business in
the areas of residential, offices, warehousing centres, industrial parks,
fields, retail and land. Pablo Guzmán, who ‘manages all the Colliers legal
projects and has participated in several relevant processes in this last year’,
is a highly experienced GC with many years’ experience in the sector.
Another lawyer who has caught the eye of peers is Verónica Fuentes
López, a young and up-and-coming counsel who has already made a
meaningful contribution since joining the company in May 2016.

ECHEVERRÍA IZQUIERDO MONTAJES INDUSTRIALES

Echeverría Izquierdo Montajes Industriales is one of the leading mining and industrial installation companies
in Chile. It organises large engineering projects across the sector with its own engineering team as well as
sourcing and supervising subcontractors. Juan Pablo Suffiotti, general counsel, leads the company’s legal
department with 11 years of experience in engineering, construction projects and corporate law. The legal
team provides contract negotiation and risk management analysis through its “risk matrix” review system, and
cross-company evaluation and supervision of the legal elements of the firm’s projects. The team implements
standard conditions for the projects, and contractors highlighting the legal risks for the firm in each bidding
process, and a general standard terms of service with subcontractors to ensure high quality standards. The
legal team advised on the contract negotiation of the construction of an acid treatment facility with an
important national copper mining company. According to Suffiotti, ‘during the last two years we have enhanced
the revision role that the legal department has, so that no document, agreement or contractual negotiation can
renounce its supervision. As our company is composed mainly by engineers, a legal point of view on the risks and
contingencies has turned into an essential requirement to achieve a complete approval process’. The team has
been ground-breaking in its approach to engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts that
have an environmental protection focus. For example, they recently completed the construction of two
Freedome geodesic domes covering two coal courts of a thermoelectric plant, the first project of this kind
in Chile. This environmental focus has extended to other projects that include in their design measures to
reduce particle emission, demonstrating its interest in this area. Additionally, the team has been supervising
the handling of an internal restructuring process, and the inclusion of new labour laws that encourage
employment of people with disabilities, and new industry workplace safety standards. Suffiotti highlighted
Luis Felipe Torres, senior lawyer, as ‘the most longstanding lawyer in the company, who has participated in the
legal department since its beginnings, boosting and being part of the implementation of the department processes.
Apart from his experience, he participates in several legal and construction expert organisations, in order to
maintain knowledge and sharing it with the rest of the team’.

sponsored by
ENAER EMPRESAS JÜRGEN PAULMANN

Chile’s ENAER aircraft manufacturer Established to oversee the assets of the late Jürgen Paulmann, a well-
has developed and introduced known Chilean businessman, Empresas Jürgen Paulmann employs a
improvements to such well known nimble team of legal professionals. Led by general counsel Ricardo
military aircrafts as Maestranza Olivares, who according to nominating sources is a professional who
Central de Aviación, HF XX-02, peers would ‘wish to interact when facing sophisticated issues’, the
CASA C-101 and Dassault Mirage 5 department has forged a reputation for being open and responsive
among others. To bolster its already even when facing an intense workload. This is particularly impressive
dominant position in the regional when one takes into account the team’s broad list of responsibilities. To
aircraft maintenance market, the ensure its ability to minimise risk across various operations and business
company has recently signed a key units, as well as to facilitate agile response to the different problems as
agreement with the technology they arise, the team works in close association with revenue generating
and consulting company Indra departments, utilising clear and open communication lines with the
to explore lines of collaboration rest of the company. In addition to providing constant and permanent
related to the life cycle of aerial support to these internal clients in handling things like judicial causes,
platforms. This deal represents agreements and contracts, as well as overseeing outside counsel that
just one example of ENAER’s wider deal with these issues, the function’s role has become more strategic,
strategy to develop knowledge to include advice that contributes directly to the maximisation of
and expertise that could match its profits. The unit also constantly communicates with various authorities
rapidly modernising technological in matters related to regulation and supervises Empresas Jürgen
offering. To remain competitive in Paulmann’s general regulatory compliance strategy. From nominators’
such a fast-paced and changing comments during this year’s research process concerning the team’s
market, ENAER relies heavily on speed and efficiency, it is clear that Ricardo Olivares has established a
its legal team that can assist with market-leading legal department.
projects like these and facilitate
the roll-out of new technology.
Comprised of knowledgeable,
responsive and innovative legal
professionals well-versed in the
aviation sector, the team has
recently bolstered its already
exceptionally strong profile with
the addition of Gonzalo Arias
Acuna. A lawyer with a second
to-none theoretical knowledge and
practical skills, he will undoubtedly
prove to be an invaluable asset to
the company’s wider goals.

JACOBS RIPLEY
Chile is a major regional focal point for global engineering services As one of the largest companies
group Jacobs, with two of the company’s six Central and South America in Chile, Ripley requires a sizeable
office locations found within the country. Due to its extremely diverse legal department to protect its
range of products (that span the areas of architecture, engineering multinational portfolio of services
and construction, operations and maintenance, as well as scientific across Chile, Peru, Argentina
and specialty consulting), the company’s legal team is required to keep and Colombia. As the company
abreast of developments in a wide range of legal practice areas, external operates in three separate areas
market trends and internal business units. This requires the in-house of business – retail, financial
lawyers of Jacobs in Chile to be versatile, quick-learning individuals, services and shopping malls, its
who also possess the keen social intelligence and insight to keep lawyers have to demonstrate a
track of multiple internal clients. Evelyn Kagi has headed Jacobs’ legal working knowledge of various
function in Chile since 2014, prior to which she worked in-house for areas of the law as well as be
AES Gener and mining company SKM Chile. Kagi takes a keen interest in well-attuned in every aspect of
external developments relating to the company, including renewable the company’s multidimensional
energy and other engineering and technological breakthroughs. business offerings. In addition
She has also recently added fresh legal talent to the team; Constanza to possessing these qualities,
Farizo joined Jacobs in early 2018, bringing specialist knowledge in a the team’s lawyers are also
relevant field in the process, in addition to dealing with environmental credited for their meticulous
assessments, permits and analysis for mining projects. Farizo is an and disciplined approach to
expert at negotiating water rights, having specialised in this area during legal work which can be easily
her private practice period with Santiago-based law firm Peña & Daiber. seen in its support to Ripley’s 39
stores, three shopping malls and
substantial banking interests in
Chile. What’s more, the team is
said to possess an outstanding
expertise in managing contracts
and requirements in both the
parent company and subsidiaries
in such areas as corporate
restructuring, powers of attorney,
mutual benefits, provision of
services, leases, purchase and sale.
Its labour relations expertise is
equally impressive, with praise the
year concentrating on the team’s
draft responses, labour demand
presentation and participate in
labour courts.

sponsored by
SACYR CHILE
The main driving force behind the reorganisation of construction and concessions firm Sacyr’s Chile legal
team has been the need to adapt the company’s evolving business requirements, both in terms of size and
operational model. The company has experienced a significant increase in the number of awarded contracts
annually, many of which, according to legal manager Carlos Ochoa Salaber, fall under the complex application
of the new Law of Public Works’ Concessions. ‘This almost immediately put Sacyr Chile under the spotlight to test
this new regulation before a newly established technical dispute board for concessions,’ Ochoa says. Furthermore,
as he explains ‘the state’s impulse to build and operate health infrastructure (hospitals) sustained over several
administrations, allowed Sacyr Chile to take advantage of its international experience in this type of contracts’, in
turn driving Ochoa to reinforce the department’s expertise with in administrative law by hiring several lawyers
with relevant work experience at the National Comptroller’s Office. Indeed, Sacyr Chile’s legal department has
grown immensely in recent years, from a ‘rather reactive’ two-person team working in tandem with external
counsel, to a sizeable nine-strong operation working across diverse areas of specialty, including infrastructure
concessions, hospital facilities, bidding processes and litigation. In addition, to improve contractual work
through effective administrative or judicial claims, the team has appointed an attorney to work on-site to
work on the most relevant project work, to assist the contract management department in adequately
communicating with clients, while also putting on record sufficient evidence and justification to support a
more robust claims process once work has been finalised. Ochoa says that this new operational model has
‘allowed the company to exercise increased control on legal matters and to initially contain, and then reduce, the
cost of external legal advice through selective and competitive outsourcing processes’. The model has also allowed
Ochoa’s team to be integrated as a key component in all decision spheres within the company, changing
the traditional perception of legal services as a mere ‘trouble shooter’. In the past two years Sacyr Chile’s legal
team has been instrumental in the signature of settlement agreements with the State of Chile with respect to
contractual claims derived from the construction of public roads. The team has also successfully participated
in numerous bidding processes for the construction of public hospitals. For instance, in 2017, it completed the
construction of a new hospital in the city of Antofagasta and has very recently been awarded the construction
of the public hospital for the district of Alto Hospicio (city of Iquique), as well as the improvement of El Tepual
airport in the city of Puerto Montt. At present the team is heavily involved in supporting key infrastructure
projects developed by Sacyr Chile, such as a hospital in in the city of Quillota and Autopista Americo Vespucio
Oriente, an urban highway in the heart of Santiago. Besides Ochoa, who has been an architect of the team’s
recent transformation, the team employs a number of outstanding lawyers such as Nicolás Cañas Henriquez,
Cristobal Marimon Mourgues and Ricardo de Pablo Trevisany.

SALFACORP SIEMENS CHILE SOCOVESA

SalfaCorp is one of the largest The legal department at the Only a decade after closing the
and most important companies multinational conglomerate purchase of Almagro in one of the
in the Chilean construction Siemens’ Chile operation supports largest ever deals in the Chilean
and real estate sector, and the company on a whole range real estate sector, Socovesa is on
operates through two business of issues encountered by its the brink of completing another
units, namely engineering and various lines of businesses. The major project to restructure its
construction. The company team’s portfolio of services, business. The real estate holding
has expanded immensely on which it yields whilst working in which currently operates through
a national basis in the last tandem with Siemens’ business four subsidiaries – Socovesa
few decades, and now also in Germany, the US and South Santiago, Almagro, Pilares and
has extensive international America, is wide and incorporates Socovesa Sur, plans to introduce a
operations with offices in responsibilities for tasks such unified architecture department,
Argentina, Colombia, Peru, as corporate matters, contracts, unified construction department,
China and Malaysia. SalfaCorp’s negotiations, labour law, mergers unified land purchases
announcement in April 2018 and divisions. This extensive and a common investment
that it plans to invest more than service offering is complemented management. To complete such
$240m in real estate initiatives, by the team’s responsibilities for a large-scale consolidation,
a 10% increase on last year, participating and supporting Socovesa will rely heavily on its
means that its legal team has the relationship of the company legal team which is extremely
a challenging year ahead. with customers and suppliers, as familiar with the activities of
Fortunately, the department well as its efforts to present and each different subsidiary. Besides
headed by group general counsel advise on proposals and bids. navigating the business through
José Tomás Palacios Calvanese, The recent departure of Juan this complex process, this
who possesses a great track Eduardo Naylor Razeto, to serve knowledgeable and experienced
record in overseeing highly as a senior contract manager for team is heavily involved in
sophisticated projects and the company in Orlando, Florida, providing legal services to various
transactions, having very recently whilst a major loss of expertise state managers of Socovesa
contributed to the sealing of a for the team, has by no means companies from Talca to Punta
contract with US engineering resulted in a worsening in service Arenas. Led by general counsel
and construction firm Fluor standards. On the contrary, the Mauricio Mardones Negrón, the
Corporation. This significant advice provided by the team over team also supports Socovesa’s
$1bn contract will see SalfaCorp the last 12 months in areas such numerous real estate projects, for
develop works in the expansion of as contractual work, corporate instance, landmark developments
the open pit Spence mine in the law, litigation and organisational to be completed in Maipú and La
Atacama Desert. In addition to its change has been nothing short Florida in Santiago.
skilled and highly knowledgeable of exceptional. Featuring an
general counsel, who boasts abundance of high calibre lawyers
substantial experience in the including Gonzalo Bravo Franco
sector and an LLM from Columbia and Joanna Zárate, Siemens’ legal
University, the team employs department in Chile is very well
a number of second-to-none prepared to face all challenges
legal professionals such as César that the market poses.
Andrés Pérez Burgos, Pablo Correa
and Maria Pia Herrera Jorquera.

sponsored by
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
ADEXUS SAP
With operations spanning Chile, Multinational software corporation SAP’s highly rated legal team
Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and based in Chile consists of a number of experienced counsel, who
Colombia, Adexus is a leading IT collectively cover legal and contractual support to all of the company’s
provider in Latin America, whose Latin American hubs. The team’s remit covers a number of countries
market has grown significantly in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Chile, Argentina, Peru,
in recent years thanks to the Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay and Caribbean islands, among others. Given
expanding pace of digitisation the scope of the region supported, the lawyers’ ability to remotely
among corporations in the coordinate processes in other countries and seamlessly integrate as
region. Adexus’ legal department, part of cross-border, multidimensional teams has been of paramount
supervised by legal manager importance to the business. Also of high importance has been the
Cristián Lorca, has been an team’s contractual expertise, as individual lawyers are said to be able
invaluable asset during the to easily execute, negotiate, review and modify any kind of agreement
company’s growth, supporting its with customers and suppliers. When providing direct support to SAP’s
numerous transactions to acquire sales and consulting teams, the lawyers have demonstrated knowledge
new customers. Examples of such and curiosity to stay on-top of developments in this rapidly changing
useful contributions from the sector. It is this strong focus on the commercial side of SAP’s business
last two years include projects that has enabled it to excel, and achieve impressive results despite
and contracts with some of the market challenges. All of these impressive qualities, combined by the
largest players in Chile’s corporate department’s high adaptability and methodological approach make
world, such as the biggest oil it a noteworthy inclusion in this year’s list. Notable mentions this year
company in the country, a major include lawyers such as Ricardo Montaner, María Paulina Sancho and
national retailer and most of Mariana Seminario Dalmau.
the country’s top five banks.
Cristián Lorca, Tania Mohr and
Macarena Blanc, have all received
praise for their participation in
these efforts, alongside, more
generally, their collaboration and
support of internal areas within
the company, such as corporate,
labour, biddings, contract
negotiation, compliance and
marketing. Positive comments
have also centred on the team’s
efforts to enhance the business’
reputation by fostering prudent
compliance regulation and
developing ethical business
practices.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
MICROSOFT TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED

The US-based multinational A subsidiary of the renowned Indian multinational IT services and
technology giant Microsoft has a consulting business, Tata Consultancy Services Chile has been in
significant presence across Latin business since 2002, operating out of its head offices in Santiago and
America including Chile. Led by its development centres in the cities of Valparaiso and Concepción.
legal director and corporate affairs Providing services to clients as diverse as banks and financial services
manager Alex Pesso Stoulman, institutions, pension funds, health insurance companies, Latin American
the legal team at Microsoft Chile governments and large corporates, it depends on the expertise of
play a key role in the company’s its legal department to review, draft and negotiate key contracts
goals by supporting all legal, when bringing such important clients on board. The department,
contractual and judicial activities. whose expertise besides contractual work includes business strategy,
Pesso, in addition, assists on regulatory affairs, international law and compliance, works in tandem
all corporate affairs activities, with offices in other Latin American countries to provide coordinated
including monitoring laws, legal support to each area of activity, thus contributing to sustained
agreements with governments business growth across the region. Associate general counsel and head
and public policy. Having served of Latin American legal organisation Renzo Parodi Guastavino, is one
the company since 2005, Pesso of many excellent lawyers whose contribution to the wider company
is highly regarded among senior has been highly valued. Felipe Romo Andrade, Carmen Gloria Cuevas
management whilst Sebastian Méndez and Valentina Inés Morales Mimica are all names that are also
Palacios – who has been at the highlighted for their contributions.
company since 2011 and currently
serves as the commercial lawyer
for digital transformation matters
for Chile, Peru, Colombia and
Ecuador - was also praised by
nominators in this year’s research.
Pablo Elgueta Truffello, attorney
for corporate, external and legal
affairs is also commended for his
positive impact on the team since
joining in October 2016.

sponsored by
MATERIALS AND MINING
ANGLO AMERICAN ANTOFAGASTA

Referred to by sources as a professional who ‘challenges the status quo’, With annual revenues in excess
José Pedro Urrutia oversees a legal team which is said to be more than of US$4.7bn, Antofagasta is one
capable of attending to the legal necessities of Anglo American in of the largest companies in Chile,
Chile. One source says: ‘He has been able to recruit and retain talented specialising in the mining of
lawyers with deep knowledge of their respective legal specialties. He is a copper, gold and molybdenum,
down to earth, unassuming leader, very much liked by his staff’. Urrutia’s a key alloying element in steel
team also possesses excellent expertise in overseeing complex M&A and catalysts. It also deals in
and joint ventures transactions, which is particularly useful now as mineral transport connections
Anglo American is, like other major miners in Latin America, considering from Chile and Bolivia to costal
buying stakes in companies and mining operations that can provide ports of Mejillones and the city
it with exposure to greater variety of assets. The company’s four of Antofagasta in Chile. The
existing copper operations in Chile – Los Bronces mine, Collahuasi company’s legal team is run by
mine, El Soldado mine and Chagres smelter, all require the team’s the vice president of legal, Patricio
ongoing support as well, as they face a myriad of problems of legal and Enei, who joined in 2014 with
regulatory nature. José Pedro Urrutia who has been at Anglo American over 20 years of experience in
since June 2013 has designed the unit’s internal structure and has mining with roles in some of the
boosted its integration in the wider company. A graduate of Columbia leading copper mining companies
Law School, Urrutia previous career features a six-and-a-half year tenure in Chile. The team is credited
as legal and corporate director of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, for working on a number of
as well as a nine year period in private practice at law firms Urenda, important company deals such as
Rencoret, Orrego & Dörr and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. the recent agreement with Colbún
and Minera Zaldívar, which is 50%
owned by Antofagasta, that will
see the latter become Zaldívar
will be the first Chilean company
to use 100% renewable energy
sources to produce copper.

ANDES MINING & ENERGY

Since beginning operations in 2008 by establishing a 600MW combined
cycle gas power plant in Peru, Andes Mining & Energy has expanded
dramatically across the region, currently operating over 4000MW of
energy projects in Chile and Peru, with 3200MW worth of gas and
renewable projects in Chile alone. Such dramatic growth would not
have been possible without its highly capable, tight-knit team of
legal professionals, which is there to help the company deal with its
various legal and compliance challenges. One recent example of the
team’s contribution came in January 2017, when the team allowed
the company to deal with a major setback in one of its main projects.
‘The environmental permit was revoked by the Supreme Court due to an
indigenous consultation that, in the court’s opinion, was inadequately
concluded,’ articulates Hernán Felipe Velasco, a legal counsel in the
team. ‘That event was very serious for our company but, after hard and
dedicated work, we have been able to recover, and currently be stronger
and [more] prepared than before to deal with the changes that the energy
market of Chile is experiencing’. Over the last two years, the team led by
legal development projects head Sarah Birrell has also contributed to
the completion of several important energy projects in Chile, including
the development of innovative technologies (Project Octopus, Project
Chacao, Santiago Solar Project, Puelche Project, among others). The
team has also been key to several project financing processes which,
in total, correspond to approximately $1.5bn. The team is comprised
of three exceptional legal professionals Sarah Birrell, Emma Denehy
and Hernán Felipe Velasco, who have all individually made a strong
impression during this year’s research process.

sponsored by
ARAUCO
Given the extensive scope of ARAUCO’s operations, which centre on
forestry, wood pulp, timber, panels and energy across various locations
in Latin America, it is not surprising that the company has invested
considerable efforts in building a highly proactive legal department
that is in close proximity to business operations. In charge of all
environmental and natural resource issues that the company has to
deal with, the team has developed an industry-wide reputation for its
expertise, largely thanks to its expanding internal role. In the last two
years alone the team has facilitated strong links and communications
lines between various areas of the business, and has been proactive
in establishing clear policies that enable the company to alleviate
pressing external issues related to market fluctuations, regulatory
changes, competition and labour issues. The team’s project work
highlights from the last few years include its advice on international
trade transactions and large-scale industrial projects, as well as complex
litigation issues characterised by uncertain regulatory hurdles. Also, to
comply successfully with all the environmental regulations, which in
Chile are particularly numerous and complex, the team is said to have
guided operations by means of a preventive and proactive program.
These impressive achievements do not come as a surprise given the
team’s impressive individual component, which includes a number
of recommended names including Felipe Guzman, Tomas Jimenez,
Benjamin Mondragon and Pablo Manriquez.

BHP BILLITON
BHP Billiton – the largest mining company globally – commands a significant presence in Chile thanks to
three major operations in the country, including the largest mine in the world: Mineral Escondida. Constantly
looking for improvement, the company’s legal team has undergone a major restructuring in the last two
years with the majority of its lawyers joining during the period. Far from being a disadvantage, according
to legal manager for projects and supply Daniel Weinstein, the team took this as an opportunity to ‘recruit
top talent and create a structure that better suits the needs of the company’. As a result, BHP’s legal team in the
country is currently compiled of expert-level lawyers who have studied in the best law schools in Chile and
previously worked in the most prominent local law firms. ‘A majority of us have earned Master’s degrees abroad,
in some of the most prestigious law schools in the US and UK, and several also have experience working abroad
at international law firms,’ Weinstein adds. Nicolas Lustig, the department’s leader, who recruited most of the
team, has been described as a ‘capable leader’, who constantly emphasises the importance of being a ‘business-
oriented legal team’. Besides Lustig, the team features two other professionals who previously featured in the
GC Powerlist series; Daniel Weinstein, who negotiated contracts worth several billion dollars, and provides
continuous advice to the projects and supply groups, and Maria de Lourdes Velazquez former Kimberly Clark
lawyer, who joined the team last year to provide advice to non-operated JVs. The team’s recent overhaul has
already borne fruit, 2017 has perhaps been the team’s most successful year in recent memory. The team had
a key role in the drafting and negotiation of contracts for infrastructure projects worth over $5bn in the last
12 months. These included an EPC contract with a JV between Fluor and Salfa for the construction of a copper
concentrator, and a BOOT contract for a desalination plant with a JV between Mitsui and Cobra. Both well in
excess of $1bn, these contracts were related to the SGO project, which will extend the life span of Spence,
one of BHP’s major mines in Chile. Given the sheer size of BHP’s workforce in Chile, currently comprised
of approximately 6,500 direct employees and 10,000 subcontracted employees, the team’s expertise in
employment law has also been key. In 2017, it supported the labour relations teams in four collective
negotiations and it is expected to support the company in three collective bargaining processes over the
next six months. According to Daniel Weinstein the collective bargaining of Minera Escondida in 2017 was
‘one of the most complex labour negotiations in the history of Chile’, and the legal team was key in ‘designing a
strategy to manage further losses’. Other areas of excellence in 2017 involved facilitating BHP’s entry to Ecuador,
management of complex environmental and community matters and their related environmental litigation,
management of several high profile arbitrations and support of non-operated joint-ventures that BHP has in
Latin America (Antamina and Cerrejon).

sponsored by
CMPC COMPAÑÍA MINERA SIERRA GORDA

CMPC, one of the largest pulp and Commissioned in 2014, Sierra Gorda is an open pit copper and
paper companies globally, has in molybdenum mine located in Chile’s main copper basin, the Atacama
excess of 40 industrial and forest Desert. The mine is operated by Compañía Minera Sierra Gorda – a
facilities across eight countries Las Condes based company which is run as a joint venture between
in Latin America. It has a cross- the Polish KGHM, the Japanese Sumitomo Metal Mining Company
border legal department, which and Sumitomo Corporation. The team tasked with providing legal
consists of over 10 professionals, support is market-leading, and is comprised of individual lawyers
and has been created by Rafael who are perhaps some of the most knowledgeable in Chile’s mining
Cox to supervise legal aspects sector, combining extensive technical expertise with in-depth
conducted by CMPC and its knowledge of relevant regulations. Led by general counsel for
numerous affiliates. Cox, who has corporate affairs and sustainability Miguel Baeza, the team has been
supervised the department since supporting the company from its very inception, through the mine’s
the start of the century, reports construction phase and the most recent phase and Oxide Poject.
directly to the CEO and takes a Hailed by nominators for its ‘expert advice’ in corporate, mining and
proactive role in maintaining environmental law, the team has most recently made immense
relations with relevant regulatory contributions with its advice aimed at altering the nature for the $760m
bodies in each market where loan provided by the owner company KGHM. A year earlier, in 2016, the
the company does business. In team’s significant influence to the company’s ongoing performance and
addition to managing all external strategy could be seen in its 11 month-long negotiations with trade
lawyers who render services in unions which resulted in a successful outcome for both sides. Miguel
the company in each market, Cox Baeza, who is cited by one source as a professional ‘whose leadership
and his team are a meaningful skills and proactive approach always encourages his team to make the
participant to the decision making difference’, is credited for having built the internal legal department
process on a senior level and from scratch, implementing a coherent corporate policy in relation to
oversee regulatory compliance. the use of outside counsel and positioning his team as a hub for all
Both the size and scope of CMPC’s regulatory and political matters. Legal manager Max Larrain, another
legal team are likely to expand outstanding professional from Sierra Gorda’s legal team, has also
further in coming years, as the worked at the company from its very incorporation, impresses with his
company is looking to grow its ongoing support of the mine’s operations, as well as, more specifically,
operations in each jurisdiction. his contributions to the implementation of new policy agreements.

CORPORACIÓN NACIONAL DEL COBRE DE CHILE (CODELCO)

According to sources, Nicolai Bakovic and his legal team at the state owned Chilean copper mining company
Codelco ‘successfully develop effective solutions and prevent legal risks in the Chilean mining industry and
seamlessly handle regulatory issues’. Bakovic has been cited as a ‘very efficient’ general counsel who is capable
of managing a broad range of issues. One nominator states: ‘The quality of analysis is excellent, the work
produced is detailed, practical and of very good quality. He also demonstrates corporate perspective and an
ability to provide legal solutions that make the difference’. The exceptional abilities of one corporate lawyer,
however, are not enough to deliver the standard of quality and wide breadth of legal advice that Codelco’s
legal department has long been famed for. An outstanding team of in-house professionals works diligently
alongside its leader to deliver tailored legal support to every facet of Codelco’s business in Chile. Francisca
Dominguez, for instance, is an outstanding lawyer, well recognised in the Chilean market for her deep
knowledge in regulatory matters, specifically environmental law. She was formally in charge of the regulatory
and environmental department at Codelco, prior to being promoted to deputy general counsel in mid-2017.
Senior counsel Diego Brieba – another outstanding professional within the team, receives praise for his
‘extensive experience in mining law, corporate law and joint ventures’, having participated in all recent deals
with Codelco’s JV partners. Brieba is the first point of contact for all refinancing and bond operations and is
in charge for the company’s lithium project in northern Chile. Also highlighted in this year’s research is legal
counsel Javiera Estrada – the team’s leading lawyer in Public and Administrative law who is in charge of the
relationship with supervisory bodies (Cochilco and Comptroller). Currently comprised of eight attorneys,
two assistants and a paralegal, working at the company’s headquarters in Santiago (in addition to many
more lawyers working across the company’s divisions) the team’s offering has grown both in scope and
quality. In addition to recruiting several attorneys with experience and specialisation in labour law, litigation,
administrative and regulatory matters, to bolster Codelco’s in-house practice, the department has streamlined
operations with the introduction of new technology. ‘We have implemented systems to allow for a shared
storage and access of legal documents across Divisions, allowing for an easier review of precedents,’ states Bakovic.
‘This has significantly improved our delivery time to our internal clients’. The team’s improved efficiency has
already been made visible in transactional and project work undertaken over the last two years. Sources have
highlighted, for instance, the department’s recent participation in a host of collective bargaining negotiations
with a number of labour unions across Codelco’s operating assets – one example of the lawyer’s ability to
resolve challenges quickly and effectively. In another instance, the team has impressed with the diligence
of its work on refinancing corporate debt by way of the largest issuance of bonds in Chilean history (worth
$2.75bn) and becoming the first ever Chilean issuer to refinance corporate debt in Taiwan by way of Formosa
Bonds. Other example showcasing the team’s superior expertise include, among others; implementing
standards to increase the capacity of Codelco’s refineries, successfully obtaining environmental authorisation
to carry out the development of a seawater desalination and conducting intense negotiations with the State
of Ecuador to bring to fruition the Llurimagua mine and supporting a lithium project from brine located in a
northern salt flat.

sponsored by
GLENCORE CHILE
Saying that Glencore Chile’s legal department has had successful few years is an understatement, considering
the sheer scope and amount of transactional work completed by its lawyers. Successful negotiations of
union contracts, renegotiations of major supply contracts, the granting of key environmental permits at
Altonorte and reinforcement of best compliance practices across the group are just some examples of the
team’s extensive and wide-reaching work. Equally impressive have been the team’s internal improvements,
which have contributed to its ability to handle increasing regulatory challenges in environmental permits.
The team incorporated two new positions to its structure, the first being a senior lawyer at the operations to
strengthen the legal services provided directly at the operational sites. ‘With this change, we have now 50%
of our legal team working full time in the operations (Lomas Bayas and Altonorte),’ shares legal and compliance
manager Carlos Prat. The second addition involves an expert in environmental assessment with no previous
legal background, whose incorporation, nevertheless, has been key to improving the team’s performance in
this extremely crucial company field. The superior performance of the legal team at Glencore Chile in recent
years is easy to understand when you consider some of the talent within it. Its leader, Carlos Prat Guarachi,
who already featured in the GC Powerlist series is an exceptional, highly experienced lawyer widely praised for
his achievements during his career at both Glencore and Xstrata. Veronica Baraona, who joined the company
in 2011 has been extremely important with her support to compliance issues at the company’s Santiago office
and operations. Lorena Barraza has been praised for her implementation of changes related to the new labour
code at the company. ‘She was part of the negotiation team that successfully agreed the last Union Contract with
Lomas Bayas’ Union under the new rules,’ says Prat. Last but not least, Andres Bruna has been praised for his
experience in litigation, which has according to Prat ‘strengthened the capacity of the team in dispute resolution
issues’.

K+S CHILE LUMINA COPPER CHILE MOLIBDENOS Y METALES

K+S Chile is part of the German Jointly owned by two Japanese (MOLYMET)
multinational company K + S, one companies – Pacific Copper and Originally formed in 1975,
of the largest producers of salt and Mitsui & Co, Lumina Copper Molymet is a worldwide leader in
fertilizers in the world. It produces Chile owns and operates the the molybdenum and rhenium
and trades eight million tonnes Atacama based Caserones industries. With a presence
of Sodium Chloride per year and copper-molybdenum project. in China, Europe and the US
makes fertilisers and products for Launched in 2006, the project is the company supplies over 30
all markets. In its salt market, K+S comprised of an open pit mine, a percent of the global demand for
Chile operates the Sol Lobos, and concentrator plant and a SX-EW molybdenum products. Key to
the low sodium Biosal brands. In plant. Managing the legal and ensuring Molymet’s network of
Chile, K+S also carries out its rock regulatory side of all of these operations run smoothly are the
salt mining at its Salar Grande de operations is by no means easy for legal team which is renowned
Tarapacá mine, and transports Alejandro Barack Canut De Bon within the market for its specialist
it around the world. Since 2001, Lagos and his team of lawyers, and bespoke advice. At the helm
its legal team has been led by as it often requires them to react of the company’s legal function
Javier Concha, vice-president to rapidly changing, unforeseen is corporate legal manager
legal affairs, internal audit and circumstances. Characterised by Miguel Dunay, who has been with
compliance. Over the course of high adaptability, however, this Molymet since 2015 and excels
his tenure, the company, in its team is extremely well prepared when supporting the organisation
previous incarnation, was taken to deal with such hurdles. Canut, on corporate law and contracts in
over and restructured by K+S, who we featured in last year’s particular. The team is especially
who rebranded it from Sociedad GC Powerlist: Chile, impresses highlighted in this year’s research
Punta de Lobos (SPL) to K+S nominators with his negotiation for its work on deals crucial to
Chile. Since then it has expanded and contract management skills Molymet’s international growth
the transportation and mining demonstrated not only during strategy.
facilities with the opening of a his three-year tenure at Lumina
new plant at the Salar Grande de Copper, but during the entire
Tarapaca mine, and added a new course of his highly impressive
salt boarding terminal in Caleta career. It includes experiences of
Patillos. All of these developments managing legal processes in both
demonstrate the prominence of Chile and abroad at the global
the legal team and its ability to mining behemoth BHP Billiton. To
help the company innovate and further expand its already strong
develop. One nominator identified bench, comprised of experienced
that, ‘the legal team at K+S knows professionals such as legal
how to address the needs of a large manger Nemesio Orellana Rojas,
organisation dealing with complex the team recently added Joaquín
legal issues, even in an adverse Vicuña del Río to its ranks.
environment. Concha has a good
corporate perspective and the
ability to provide efficient and fast
legal solutions’.

sponsored by
MASISA SQM (SOCIEDAD TECK

As a wood products business QUÍMICA Y MINERA DE The global mining company Teck
headquartered in Chile with CHILE) is present in Chile through the
manufacturing activities Quebrada Blanca copper mines in
As the largest lithium producer
throughout the Americas, the Tarapacá Region and Carmen
in the world, SQM (Sociedad
Masisa is currently the second de Andacollo in the Coquimbo
Química y Minera de Chile)
largest company in its sector. The Region. Both operations have the
supplies plant nutrients, iodine,
company has a strong Chilean combined capacity to produce
lithium and industrial chemicals.
legal function which never shies 110,000-125,000 tonnes of copper
As demand for lithium is expected
away from proactively advising the per year and employ a workforce of
to double by 2025, expanding its
company on important strategic 1,500 employees. Under the close
domestic operations is simply not
and commercial issues. According supervision by its legal department
enough, so in 2017 the company
to sources, its most senior lawyer the company has also recently
has developed partnerships with
Patricio Reyes has ‘great leadership launched two new projects: one
Kidman Resources for the Mt
skills’ and is ‘very proactive’. One to expand the existing operation
Holland project in Australia and
nominator describes Reyes as a at Quebrada Blanca and another
with Lithium Americas to develop
‘hands-on’ counsel and a ‘strong “greenfield” project in the
the Cauchari-Olaroz project in
team player’, always encouraging Relincho field. Managed by legal
Argentina. This comes at a time
his team to provide solutions that director Francisco Javier Allendes,
when the company has also been
‘make the difference’. The team’s the team has made important
adding to its existing operations
profile is significant, featuring contributions to both projects,
in Northern Chile, with plans
some of the most skilful and providing business-centred advice
in place to boost production
knowledgeable lawyers in Latin while working in cooperation
by between 15,000 and 63,000
America’s wood products sector. with professionals from other
tonnes per year at the Salar de
Priscilla Jessica Duarte Mella has departments. In addition to its
Atacama in Chile and invest
worked at the company for over existing team, whose contribution
around $30m to its Nueva Victoria
11 years and impresses with her to these projects has been
iodine facility. Such aggressive
work on contracts and associated immense, the department has
expansion can, without a doubt,
legal documentation such as made two new recent additions.
not be completed without an
insurance and guarantees. Maria Eduardo Muñoz Riadi joined the
experienced legal team at its
Silvia Latham Soriano has been at company in April 2017 as a lawyer
core. Led by Gonzalo Aguirre,
the company since 2013, and has after having spent over six years
whose eighteen-year legal career
generated immense value for the as an in-house counsel in Pacific
features substantial experience
business by handling legal, judicial Hydro, Grupo Antofagasta Minerals
in private financings, capital
and corporate responsibilities and AES Gener. To develop a more
markets, M&As, energy law and
across eight countries. Spending effective compliance program and
corporate governance, SQM’s
over 10 years at Masisa, Mariana system of control in both Chile and
team has consistently made an
Cecilia Droguett Medel is another Peru, the company also recently
impression with ingenuity, as
glaring example of the team’s hired highly experienced lawyer
well as its high work-ethic when
internal talent that makes Vjera Razmilić Triantafilo as its
supporting key projects. Besides
highly valuable contributions compliance manager in October
Aguirre, Cristóbal González Ogaz,
to the business by overseeing 2017. A former senior legal counsel
Ximena Vega and Natalia Serón
a reorganisation processes for the Southern Cone region of
Möller are all lawyers whose
and providing comprehensive GE Energy Connections, Razmilić
contribution to such projects is
management of contracts. boasts an impressive legal career of
highly valued.
over 15 years.

SPORTS AND MEDIA
DIRECTV CHILE TELEVISIÓN NACIONAL

DirecTV holds a leading position in the Chilean home entertainment DE CHILE
market as the first telecommunications company to offer direct-to- Despite being owned by the
home satellite service in Latin America. The company serves more than state, Televisión Nacional de
37 million people in the US and in Latin America and it is here where Chile is independently funded
the legal department continue to act as a backbone for the company, and operated, in many ways like
supporting its expansion of product lines to offer more channels, the commercial broadcasters
unique content and video streaming services across the country. With in the country. Its legal team,
a leading legal team to match its national reach, the function is led by supervised by the well esteemed
the highly commended general counsel, Gianpaolo Peirano who joined Hernan Triviño Oyarzún, oversees
the company in 2014 and was responsible for efficiently and rapidly legal support of the company,
streamlining the legal function to achieve quicker response times, coordinating its judicial defence,
an achievement that enabled him to establish an internal reputation and protecting its industrial
for excellence within the company. At the forefront of antipiracy and intellectual property. IP
efforts, Peirano has publicly spoken on panels on the topic of helping protection is a key area of focus
to protect against content theft, leading the team in forming the for the team, as the company’s
company’s distinct content differentiation strategy. portfolio of news, variety shows
and soap opera products is vast.
The team’s advice in this field is
considered both strategic and
market-leading. Other areas of
focus for Triviño and his team
involve monitoring the legislative
agenda on issues that interest
the company and industry, and
corporate relationships with
regulatory authorities. The team
participated actively in the
procession of digital terrestrial
television law and the regulations
that allow its execution in Chile.
The team’s most senior member
– Hernan Triviño Oyarzún – is a
highly regarded legal professional
with strong skills in IP, legal
management, corporate business
and strategic analysis.

sponsored by
TELECOMMUNICATION
SERVICES
ENTEL TELEFÓNICA
Entel is Chile’s largest telecoms A team full of talented lawyers with a number of different attributes
company providing internet, provides advice to Telefónica’s highly significant operations in Chile.
phone and mobile coverage Headquartered in Santiago, Telefónica Chile provides broadband, pay
across the country. According to television, local and long distance telephony and other services in
data on the IPSA stock market, both residential and corporate segments. Following the formation of
Entel’s revenue in the last year the Movistar brand in 2009 alongside another Telefónica subsidiary -
was US$1.9bn, and its scale is Telefónica Móviles Chile – the company now serves in excess of two
demonstrated by its extensive million landline and broadband customers and approximately 650,000
geographic coverage in Chile’s pay TV customers in the country. While the team’s main challenge is to
challenging landscape. Entel’s process the sheer amount of legal work that such an immense business
legal team is led by legal manager, undoubtedly generates, Telefónica’s legal team swiftly deals with every
Cristián Maturana Miquel who, legal and compliance issue, no matter how complex, that it is faced with.
along with the legal team, has What makes such efficiency possible is the team’s unique blend of highly
contributed significantly to experienced lawyers, who have many years of expertise in the sector,
the firm’s recent expansion. in addition to its rising stars eager to make an impact. Cristobal Cuadra
According to Entel, the expansion Court, Gladys Fuentes Espinoza, Diego Downey, Vicente Pocorobba, Carlos
of connectivity across the often Molinari and Nily Saul Arenberg were all names mentioned as outstanding
inaccessible regions of Chile is a individuals during the research process.
central tenant of the company.
It emphasises connectivity and
access since its founding in 1960
after the country’s devastating
earthquake. A modern example
of Entel’s recent innovation is
its offering of Google Play to its
Android customers in 2018 as part
of their account, the first provider
in Latin America to do so. It is a
credit to the legal team that in
covering legal matters, Entel was
enabled to unveil this service in
Latin America.

TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES
VTR
For any corporate legal team operating within the telecommunications
sector, coping with the distinctive commercial, legal and compliance
issues is often the biggest challenge in the job. For VTR Chile’s legal
department, this is compounded by the recent growing demands
applied by regulators in the country, which requires the team to stay
on-top of a rapidly changing environment by studying and interpreting
the potential impact of new laws and regulations. This has further
increased the importance of the function within the larger company, as
senior decision makers are now more invested than ever in the team’s
advice on how certain legislative or regulatory changes could impact
both VTR’s short term performance and future strategy. The team’s
remit has therefore grown to include a plethora of strategic tasks in
addition to its already substantial operational coverage. The leader of
the team is Miguel Oyonarte, who has been described as a ‘very good’
lawyer, a ‘tough negotiator’ and ‘one of the best telecoms lawyers in Chile’
by nominators. He joined the company from the general counsel role
at Nextel Chile (currently known as WOM). His very broad experience
in telecoms law and regulations, as well as his ability to ‘integrate a
broad strategy and vision of the telecoms market’ have both shaped the
team’s profile, and distinguishes it as one of the most outstanding
legal departments in the industry. Oyonarte is not the only impressive
performer within the team however, as a number of lawyers in the
department have drawn praise from a number of sources. These include
Nicolás Pérez, Jose F. Silva, Adriana Puelma, Arturo Ignacio Aguilar
Aguilar, Natalia Paz Lucero García and Juan Andres Varas Fuenzalida.

sponsored by
WOM
Despite its relatively small size – particularly when compared to other
large Latin American telecommunications businesses – the legal team at
WOM has consistently demonstrated ‘versatility, depth and extraordinary
comprehension of the telecom industry’ the extent of which is often
associated with large departments that can draw from a wider pool of
expertise. Established approximately three years ago, WOM has fully
embraced a culture of innovation and openness, and its legal team has
been modelled around these principles. Comprised of expert lawyers,
who are all encouraged to be proactive and ‘think outside of the box’,
the team has directly contributed to revenue generation by coming
up with novel solutions to resolve pressing problems. Legal director
Marcelo Fica Aránguez, who took charge of the team in December 2017,
has been described as a ‘very efficient general counsel who manages
a broad range of issues, always providing legal solutions that make the
difference’. Commentators throughout the research process have also
described Fica as a lawyer who ‘maintains a commitment to excellence in
the legal service provided’ and a leader with a ‘corporate perspective of the
company and the input of the legal strategy’. Other up-and-coming legal
professionals within the team that are highlighted include manager
of corporate affairs and ethics Álvaro González Gorroño, director of
regulation and corporate affairs Felipe Simonsohn, regulatory lawyer
Tomás Díaz Marambio and legal support coordinator Araceli Garrido
Silva.

CHILE TEAMS
TRANSPORT AND
INFRASTRUCTURE
LATAM AIRLINES GROUP CHILE
The product of one of the most significant airline mergers of recent
years, LATAM Airlines Group was formed in 2012 when TAM Airlines
of Brazil agreed to the takeover by historically important Chilean
commercial aviation company LAN Airlines. Now the largest airline
holding company in Latin America, LATAM Airlines Group boasts over
three hundred aircraft and over 40,000 employees at seven subsidiaries
across Latin America. Juan Carlos Menció leads the company’s legal
function and has been in his current role of senior vice president of legal
affairs and compliance since September 2014. He and the company’s
legal function have been at the centre of some exciting developments
for the company during this time. Notable among these include the
company-wide decision of August 2015 to rebrand the entire company
as LATAM, with all subsidiaries agreeing to adopt a universal livery on
aircraft, and the August 2017 closure of an approximately $350m private
placement aimed at refinancing some of the company’s debt in Brazil.
Menció is joined in the company’s legal function by a number of other
experienced and successful Chile-based lawyers. Senior legal director
Jose Miguel Bellagamba joined LATAM in 2016 from Santiago-based law
firm Carey where he focused on finance and corporate legal matters;
he continues to specialise in these areas for LATAM, leading financing
projects for the company and contributing corporate advice to the
company. Senior legal manager Claudia Pavez is another example of the
talent within the team, having worked with them since early 2011, while
at the other end of the spectrum the team has added fresh talent in the
shape of senior lawyer and compliance analyst Felipe Encina Barraza,
who joined in February 2018.

sponsored by
VÍAS CHILE
Vías Chile – formerly known as Abertis Autopistas Chile – is a subsidiary of the Spanish multinational
construction conglomerate Abertis, and employs a legal team of seven in-house legal professionals who are
collectively responsible for supporting various infrastructure projects across Chile. The department’s expertise
in this field has been nothing short of outstanding, as individuals within the team are said to handle issues of
the highest level of complexity with ease and efficiency. Dealing with all legal aspects of construction projects
ranging from contract drafting and negotiations to complex commercial litigation, the team has consistently
delivered excellent results on projects with complex regulatory requirements. ‘Over the past few years we have
been dealing with a complex scenario regarding environmental authorisations,’ says legal manager Andres Lopez
Campos. ‘Once we have agreed with [the] government we had also experienced a more bureaucratic approach to
projects which raises the level of execution’. A prime example of the team’s advanced expertise involves its work
related to Santiago’s privatised highway, Autopista Central. After acquiring control of the project, the team
was structured to give counsel and legal services for six concessionaires while also reporting to corporate
headquarters and ensuring full compliance with relevant regulations. During the past three years, Vías’ legal
department has also impressed with its execution of bond redemptions related to infrastructure projects, and
has also settled a complex litigation case. In addition to Andres Lopez Campos, who was included in last year’s
GC Powerlist: Chile, the team features outstanding attorneys Consuelo Martínez and Claudia Moreira. Martínez
has been cited as ‘a young and practical lawyer who understands and deals with complex transactions with ease’
by Lopez, and Claudia Moreira has received praise for developing a ‘state of the art compliance structure for the
company’.

INDEX
ABB Chile 43 Grupo Security 32

ADP Chile 6 Iansa 36
AES Gener 14 Itaú CorpBanca 28
AFP PlanVital 22 JP Morgan 27
Adecco Group 42 Jacobs 47
Adexus 50 K+S Chile 59
Aguas Andinas 14 L’Oréal Chile 11
Andes Mining & Energy 53 Larraín Vial 28
Anglo American 52 LATAM Airlines Group Chile 65
Antofagasta 52 Latin America Power (LAP) 19
Aramark 8 Liberty Seguros Generales 29
ARAUCO 54 Lumina Copper Chile 59
Australis Seafoods 33 Masisa 60
BBVA Chile 23 Mastercard 29
BCI 24 MetLife Chile 30
BHP Billiton 55 Microsoft 51
Banco Central de Chile (BCC) 25 Molibdenos y Metales (Molymet) 59
Banco Consorcio 26 Mutual de Seguridad 38
Banco de Chile 26 Nestlé Chile 35
Banco del Estado de Chile (BancoEstado) 27 Novartis 39
Bayer Chile 37 Novo Nordisk 39
CGE 15 Pacific Hydro 20
CMPC 56 Parque Arauco 12
Cencosud 9 PepsiCo Chile 36
Coca-Cola Andina 34 Procter & Gamble (P&G) 12
Colbún 14 Quiñenco 29
Colliers International 44 Rabobank 30
Compañía Cervecerías Unidas (CCU) 34 Ripley 47
Compañía Minera Sierra Gorda 56 Roche Chile 40
Compass Group Chile 6 SAP 50
Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) 60
(Codelco) 57 Sacyr Chile 48
Crystal Lagoons 41 SAESA 21
DirecTV Chile 61 SalfaCorp 49
Echeverría Izquierdo Montajes Industriales 45 Santander 31
Electrolux 10 Scotiabank Chile 31
Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (ENAP) 15 Siemens Chile 49
Empresas Copec 16 Socovesa 49
Empresas Jürgen Paulmann 46 Sodexo Chile 7
Empresas La Polar 12 Soprole 36
ENAER 46 Tata Consultancy Services Limited 51
Enel Chile 16 Teck 60
Enel Distribución 17 Telefónica 62
Enel Generación Chile 18 Televisión Nacional de Chile 61
Engie Energía Chile 19 Transelec 21
Entel 62 UnitedHealth 40
Falabella 8 Vías Chile 66
Fresenius Medical Care 37 VTR 63
GNL Quintero 21 Walmart Chile 13
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 38 WOM 64
Glencore Chile 58

GC POWERLIST
Series
Other titles in the GC Powerlist series
GC Powerlist Africa GC Powerlist Nordics

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GC Powerlist Argentina GC Powerlist Norway 2017
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GC Powerlist Canada GC Powerlist Switzerland Teams
GC Powerlist Central America GC Powerlist Turkey
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GC Powerlist Central and Eastern Europe GC Powerlist United Kingdom
GC Powerlist Chile GC Powerlist United Kingdom Rising Stars
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GC Powerlist Colombia GC Powerlist United Kingdom 2018:
GC Powerlist Colombia Teams The Team Elite
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GC Powerlist Ireland
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GC Powerlist Mexico GC Powerlist India 2018
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GC Powerlist Middle East GC Powerlist Sweden
GC Powerlist Middle East Teams GC Powerlist United States 2018
For more information on the GC Powerlist series, to nominate for one of our forthcoming
publications, or to see full listings of our existing editions, please visit gcpowerlist.com

GC Powerlist Chile Teams2018 Agosto

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GC POWERLIST

Chile Teams 2018

David Burgess, Publishing director, The Legal 500 series

F or over 30 years, The Legal 500 has been analysing

Boris Dechev, Senior research analyst, GC Powerlist series

O ver the course of a challenging year for Chile’s

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 1

Commercial and professional services 6 Information technology 50

Consumer products 8 Materials and mining 52

Energy and utilities 14 Sports and media 61

Financials 22 Telecommunication services 62

Food, beverage and tobacco 33 Transport and infrastructure 65

Hotels, restaurants and leisure 41 Index 67

Industrials and real estate 42

Chairman Research editor Content development Printed and bound by DG3

2 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

Modern Rome is a major international business destination. It is the

W HAT WILL ROME 2018 O FFE R YO U?

• Access to the world’s best networking and business development

• Build invaluable international connections with leading practitioners

• Increase your profile in the international legal world

• Hear from leading international figures, including officials from

Isidora Goyenechea 2800

4 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

her contribution is essential to achieving the team’s

Of course, good and effective leadership is key to

Motivating and encouraging each member to pursue

We are sure that the leading teams recognised in the

At Carey, we also follow these values and strive to

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 5

6 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 7

8 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 9

10 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 11

EMPRESAS LA POLAR PARQUE ARAUCO PROCTER & GAMBLE (P&G)

12 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 13

ENERGY AND UTILITIES

AES GENER AGUAS ANDINAS COLBÚN

14 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

CGE EMPRESA NACIONAL DEL PETRÓLEO (ENAP)

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 15

EMPRESAS COPEC ENEL CHILE

16 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 17

ENEL GENERACIÓN CHILE

18 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

ENGIE ENERGÍA CHILE LATIN AMERICA POWER (LAP)

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 19

20 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

GNL QUINTERO SAESA TRANSELEC

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 21

22 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 23

24 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

BANCO CENTRAL DE CHILE (BCC)

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 25

BANCO CONSORCIO BANCO DE CHILE

26 GC POWERLIST | CHILE TEAMS

BANCO DEL ESTADO DE JP MORGAN

CHILE TEAMS | GC POWERLIST 27