The dispute resolution team at Baker McKenzie S.A.S. scores highly for its ‘careful analysis of the counterpart’s arguments to refute them’, while its ‘creativity’, ‘organisation’ and ‘deep knowledge’ are also praised by clients. A truly international-facing practice, it acts for an impressive raft of domestic and multinational corporations in judicial and administrative law proceedings, as well as in investigations conducted by government agencies. As global chair of the firm’s dispute resolution group, Claudia Benavides is one of the most sought-after litigators in the region due to her experience in complex litigation, particularly disputes involving energy and infrastructure projects. Up-and-coming partner Cristina Mejia is also highly regarded for her extensive experience in domestic and international litigation, which spans the full spectrum of commercial, civil and administrative law cases. Together, Benavides and Mejia represented HSBC, as indenture trustee of certain senior unsecured notes, in judicial bankruptcy liquidation proceedings initiated by the Transtel group of companies. The department also benefits from a strong second line of associates, including senior Sebastian Quintero, whose international experience was honed during an early career stint at the firm’s London office; senior Ana Carolina Abreo, who was formerly assistant legal counsel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration; and seniors Daniela Páez Cala  and Felipe González Arrieta, both of whom specialise in arbitration but also handle judicial disputes. Former senior Nicolas Rivera Montoya left to establish his own firm in May 2024.

‘Creative and knowledgeable in the field of litigation’, Brigard Urrutia maintains a broad dispute resolution practice, which houses specialist offerings in civil and commercial disputes, administrative law cases, private litigation and contentious bankruptcy proceedings. Well versed in cases across all of Colombia’s key industry sectors, the team is chiefly recognised for its skill sets in the infrastructure, energy, and public services and utilities spheres, where it can additionally link up with the wider firm’s top-tier projects, energy, and public law practices. Irma Rivera Ramírez heads the department and acts for a diverse mix of domestic and multinational corporations in judicial proceedings, with strong recent showings in the technology and transport spheres. Rounding out the partner group is María Munevar Torrado (promoted to the partnership in June 2023), who has an emphasis on disputes concerning infrastructure, energy and corporate law, among other market segments. The team also draws on two recently promoted (December 2023) directors: Paola Guerrero Yemail, who heads up the the insolvency and bankruptcy litigation practice; and Carlos Mauricio Cerrato, who focuses on antitrust, unfair competition and consumer protection disputes. At associate level, seniors Camilo Valenzuela and Paula Juliana Téllez provide support across the full range of dispute resolution matters. Felipe Mutis  left the firm in September 2024.

According to satisfied clients, Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría’s litigation team is ‘more creative and more versatile in determining solutions than other firms’. Ranking among the largest dispute resolution practices in the market, the three-partner team is additionally distinguished by its ability to draw on the firm’s formal partnership with Uría Menéndez for further contentious firepower, particularly in cross-border cases. The group’s international strength is reflected in its client roster, which is composed of major regional and multinational corporations such as Viva Airlines, Canacol Energy and Clipper Oil — it also acts for leading domestic companies and state-owned entities. Key names to note include Julio César González, who is singled out by sources as ‘an experienced lawyer who fully masters procedural law’; he successfully obtained a decision ordering an early termination of class action proceedings against Fast Colombia in relation to an alleged violation of collective rights. González co-heads the department together with Héctor Hernández, who led on several high-stakes cases involving the infrastructure and technology sectors during 2023/24; and Juan Sebastián Arias, who was promoted to partner in January 2024 and represented Clipper Oil in filing a breach-of-contract claim against CI Terra Bunkering. The group also benefits from a band of capable associates, including principal Santiago Cruz Mantilla, who stands out for his ‘agility in responses’; intermediate Esteban Lagos; and junior Ricardo Valencia.

Lawyers in Posse Herrera Ruiz’s litigation group ‘understand the business and provide practical and legal solutions’. The team’s deep bench combines with its ability to marshal specialist sectoral support from across the wider full-service firm to mark it as a popular choice for high-stakes disputes, including cross-border cases. In a high-profile example of its reputation for complex matters, Grupo Nutresa turned to the practice for support on all litigation related to Grupo Gilinski’s attempted hostile takeover bid of Grupo Nutresa, Grupo Sura, and Grupo Argos, which resulted in a $4bn settlement plan. Department co-head Daniel Posse led the Nutresa litigation and is widely regarded as a market leader with clients valuing his ability to ‘propose creative alternatives’. Fellow co-head Carolina Posada is also highly recommended for her extensive experience across the full suite of dispute resolution processes; she is representing Frontera Energy Colombia in a breach-of-contract claim brought by Power Generation Technology, as well as in Frontera’s counterclaim. The sizeable team also draws on litigation partners Pablo Enrique Sierra and Juan Pablo Bonilla as well as competition specialist Jorge de los Ríos, who is noted for regulatory litigation. A formidably deep pool of associates includes senior Alejandro Casas, who supports on a mix of judicial and arbitral proceedings; senior Laura Vengoechea, who secured a string of second-chair roles on litigation cases during 2023/24; Pedro Miguel Álvarez, who was promoted to director in March 2024 and specialises in corporate and trust disputes; and intermediate Juan David Fiallo.

A first port of call for judicial proceedings involving public law elements, Arrieta Mantilla & Asociados stands out for ‘its specific knowledge, concrete experience and practical knowledge’. The boutique’s signature strength in projects and administrative law is reflected in its long-term relationships with major construction, infrastructure and energy clients; it is currently advising Estudios y Proyectos del Sol (EPISOL), Drummond Coal Mining and Cerrejón Zona Norte -among others- on litigation cases. Paula Andrea Ramos co-heads the litigation and arbitration practice and represents government entities, multinational corporations and banks in contentious matters; she recently acted for EPISOL in a direct reparation proceeding initiated by the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI). Other names to note include former Attorney General Carlos Gustavo Arrieta, who is acting alongside Ramos to represent Cerrejón Zona Norte in a $1bn environmental and indigenous rights class action; next-generation partner Carlos Alberto Manzano, who co-heads the department; and senior partner Álvaro Mantilla, who is well versed in both judicial and arbitral disputes. Additional associate support is provided by Juan Felipe Cornejo, who specialises in litigation and IP. Former dispute resolution associate Rodrigo Sánchez Pineda recently relocated to the infrastructure department.

Chemás & Asociados’ litigation team strikes the right note with clients for ‘its negotiation skills, experience and ability to resolve issues’. Contributing an impressive record in public law disputes across the transport, energy, telecoms and infrastructure spheres, the group is best known for representing concessionaires, energy clients and construction companies in litigation against public bodies such as ANI, ANDJE and others. The group also brings to bear significant experience in commercial disputes. A high-profile figure in public law litigation, Jorge Eduardo Chemás is acting alongside Ingrid Soraya Ortiz to represent Consorcio Ingetec-Sedic in a $800m contractual dispute and a $2.3bn fiscal responsibility proceeding related to the construction of the Ituango Hydroelectric Plant. The group also draws on the services of next-generation partner Sergio Alejandro Chemás, who is well versed in regulatory and administrative law litigation. At associate level, the team includes Sergio Morales, who supports on the full range of judicial and arbitral proceedings, and Nicolas España, whose litigation work spans consumer law, liability issues and state contracts, among others. In July 2023, associate Manuela Sossa left to join ANDJE.

Litigation is a mainstay at Esguerra JHR and the team leverages the wider firm’s premier offerings in public law and competition to excel in complex regulatory and administrative law cases. That being said, the group also handles a significant volume of commercial disputes, with strong recent experience in the financial services, energy and transport spheres. A former government minister, Juan Carlos Esguerra is widely recognised as a leader in constitutional law matters; he is representing UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones in litigation against the Colombian Ministry of Telecommunications and Technology. Felipe Piquero is also highly regarded for his expertise in administrative law disputes and additionally maintains an active commercial litigation practice; he is advising Confianza in several insurance coverage cases related to the construction of the TransMilenio roads. Esguerra and Piquero co-head the practice together with competition specialist Andrés Jaramillo, who advises on disputes concerning unfair competition, state contracts and commercial matters. Providing support is key associate Harry Montoya, who specialises in insurance and civil and state liability. Associate Jorge Andrés Gómez left to establish his own firm in June 2023.

‘A committed team that always anticipates issues and prepares cases carefully’, Gómez-Pinzón Abogados (GPA)’s full-spectrum litigation practice handles a broad scope of commercial, civil and administrative law disputes. The group is particularly active in cases involving construction, insurance, energy and commercial distribution matters, but its experience encompasses the full range of contentious work. Key partner David Araque possesses a strong record in disputes concerning investment projects; he is advising Transportadora de Gas Internacional in a commercial dispute brought by Ismocol concerning an alleged breach of a contract related to the construction of a gas pipeline in Colombia. Araque co-heads the department alongside experienced of counsel William Araque. The group additionally draws on a deep bench of associates, including senior Carlos Alberto León, who specialises in civil and commercial litigation; senior Samuel Hernández Lizarazu, who has supported on both judicial and arbitral proceedings; senior Juan Guillermo Otero, who has a significant public law dimension to his practice; and intermediate Daniela Velásquez. Additionally, senior Jorge Rodríguez and intermediate Mario Alejandro Carrillo joined from Lloreda Camacho & Co. and Medellín & Durán Abogados in June and September 2023, respectively; the former replacing senior Loredana De Trizio who moved in house at Grupo Energía Bogotá. In an additional boost in July 2024, the firm welcomed the return of former managing partner Alejandro Linares, who rejoined following an eight-year stint as Justice of the Colombian Constitutional Court.

DLA Piper Martínez Beltrán rebranded as Martínez Quintero Mendoza González Laguado & de la Rosa in May 2024, following the decision of its local partners to cut ties with the wider DLA Piper network. The group’s dispute resolution offering is expected to make gains following the change, due to the reduced potential for client conflicts going forward. The litigation practice now draws on seven partners with contentious experience — following the February 2024 promotions of Sergio Londoño and Juan Pablo Amaya — and sources say, it ‘responds to needs and concerns with agility and high professionalism’. Key names include managing partner Camilo Martínez, whose broad practice spans transactional and contentious matters; he teamed up with José Miguel Mendoza, who focuses on corporate conflicts, as well as Julián Solorza, Sergio Rojas and Londoño, to advise Jaime Gilinski on a corporate dispute aimed at acquiring control of Grupo Nutresa. On the contentious insolvency side, Nicolás Polanía is noted. The group also benefits from the support of several non-partners including associate director Ricardo Alarcón, who manages the international arbitration practice, and senior associates Andrés Sarmiento, David Felipe Benítez and Carlos Pareja.

The dispute resolution team at Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas is differentiated by its international capacities, with its ability to draw on an extensive global network translating into a truly multinational client list. The group’s robust commercial litigation expertise is complemented by an active administrative law practice and it handles a wide array of contentious work, from regulatory proceedings, through to civil and commercial cases. Department co-head Andrés Fernández de Soto has litigated before all judicial and administrative levels and is representing FCC Construcción (Colombia branch) in administrative proceedings for patrimonial reparation initiated by the Comptroller General. Other key contacts include fellow co-head Paula Vejarano, who was promoted to partner in April 2024 and handles a mix of litigation and arbitration cases; Ximena Zuleta, whose practice spans public law, dispute resolution, and competition and antitrust; and senior associate Carlos Miranda, who supports on arbitration, contentious bankruptcy and litigation matters.

Iberian giant Garrigues’ litigation group in Bogotá is ‘characterised by its delivery of fast results in complex matters’. Despite its compact size, the one-partner team scores highly for its ‘promptness’ and ‘personalised attention’, while its international outlook ensures that it enjoys close links with multinational as well as domestic clients. Alberto Acevedo spearheads the practice and provides ‘out-of-the-box and elegant legal strategies’; he successfully represented Frontera Energy in a class action filed by a group of minority shareholders claiming that it failed to inform the stock market of its restructuring plans in 2016. Acevedo is supported by a strong group of non-partners, including counsel Guillermo León Ramírez, who joined from the Superintendence of Corporations in March 2023 and is particularly noted for contentious insolvencies; and senior associates María Carolina Sarmiento (who specialises in arbitral proceedings), Lina Marcela Moreno (who focuses on insurance, litigation and administrative law), and Daniel Quintero, who returned from study leave in October 2023.

Holland & Knight continues to make inroads into the market following the absorption of Cuberos Cortés Gutiérrez in May 2023, with an increasingly broad set of contentious offerings. Most notably, consumer law cases are a growing area of activity for the firm, with the team recently handling a high volume of work for clients such as Copa Airlines and iShop Colombia. Department head José Gutierréz Mestre leads on the consumer law cases and also keeps busy advising on infrastructure, transport and corporate disputes. The practice additionally leverages the wider firm’s highly-regarded environmental law offering to excel in energy regulation-related work, with energy specialist Jose Vicente Zapata recommended in this sphere. Next-generation partner Juan Casallas and senior counsels Lorena Martínez and Estefanny Pardo are also noted.

Lloreda Camacho & Co.’s dispute resolution practice is marked by its strong international focus, with its client list primarily composed of multinational companies in the life sciences, consumer, manufacturing and TMT spheres. Class actions are a notable strong suit — in line with the IP heavyweight’s dominant regulatory offering — and it recently secured victories in two major class actions, where it represented global corporations in pharmaceutical and tobacco litigation totalling over $500m. The department is led jointly by Gustavo Tamayo, who additionally heads the TMT group and is noted for his strong telecoms expertise; and Christian Pérez Rueda, who was promoted to partner in August 2023 and maintains a comprehensive dispute resolution focus; together, they led the class action cases. Senior associate Jimmy Buenaventura provides additional practice support. In July 2023, senior associate Esteban Isaza joined from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, where he was a professor. Senior associate Jorge Rodríguez left the firm in June 2023.

According to clients, Tamayo Jaramillo & Asociados’ team is composed of ‘people with diverse skills who generate deliverables with a holistic, complete and efficient analysis’. A prominent name for insurance work, the firm’s contentious expertise extends beyond insurance to take in construction, consumer law and administrative law disputes, among other matters. Up-and-coming litigators Laura Castaño Echeverri and Daniel Ossa Gómez are highlighted together as ‘very smart and strategic lawyers’; they teamed up with firm founder and high-profile insurance expert Javier Tamayo Jaramillo to successfully represent the inhabitants of the ‘Space’ building in their lawsuit seeking compensation for damages caused by construction deficiencies. The group also draws on risk analysis partner Carlos Andrés González, who is ‘skilled in strategic litigation and civil liability’; and Luis Miguel Gómez, who specialises in dispute resolution, and civil and state liability. Key associates include Daniel Bedoya and Manuel Cadavid Valencia. Luis David Pérez left the firm in November 2023.

Ustáriz & Abogados Estudio Jurídico is a first port of call for banks and financial services clients in contentious matters and one client attests, ‘there is no other team in Colombia with its specialty in handling bank fraud litigation’. Alongside fraud-related disputes, the group attracts praise for its adept handling of financial consumer law litigation and trust litigation, among other financial law matters. The group is also increasingly active outside of its niche, as evidenced by a growing volume of cases involving construction, real estate and corporate conflicts. Department head Luís Humberto Ustáriz is highlighted as ‘above outstanding for banking litigation’; he recently represented Mundial de Seguros in a $14.3m claim filed by the trust Fondo de Financiamiento de la Infraestructura Educativa (FFIE) related to the construction of educational institutions in Colombia. The group also benefits from the support of Angela Restrepo, who serves as associate director of the dispute resolution practice.

Gamboa, García, Roldán & Co. has a significant financial dimension to its litigation practice, with strong recent showings in the debt recovery, funds, and contentious insolvency spheres. Other notable sweet spots include construction disputes and corporate conflicts. A founding partner of the firm, department co-head Juan Ignacio Gamboa contributes extensive experience in representing domestic and multinational clients on the full spectrum of civil, commercial and administrative litigation. The team additionally draws on fellow co-head Juan Felipe Roldán, whose practice spans transactional and contentious work; Pedro Hernán Montaño, who is noted for his record in financial law; and Felipe Andrés Díaz, who serves as associate director of the litigation team.

‘Always approachable and keen to move things forward’, Parra Rodríguez Abogados’ active litigation team frequently represents domestic and multinational companies in contentious matters. The group possesses experience in the construction, financial services, contractual liability, consumer protection and energy and natural resources spheres, with a particularly strong showing in collection proceedings. Key names include transactional aviation expert Bernardo Rodríguez, who also handles judicial and arbitral disputes; Álvaro Parra whose tax expertise informs his contentious practice; and associate practice director Ángela María Serrano, who is valued for her ‘good response times and clear feedback’. Administrative law partner Augusto Figueroa and labour specialist Diego Sastoque are also noted.

Pinilla González & Prieto Abogados’ litigation team ‘proposes effective and quick alternatives to solve complex situations’. The firm’s pre-eminent real estate offering uniquely positions it to represent construction and real estate clients on contentious matters, where it is well versed in cases concerning real estate planning, urban law, corporate conflicts and liability. Litigator Óscar Martínez is ‘sharp and sagacious in designing and implementing judicial defence strategies’ and co-heads the group together with founding partner Felipe Pinilla, who handles an array of transactional and contentious work. At associate level, criminal and disciplinary law specialist César Augusto Gónzalez and dispute resolution-focused Margarita María Hurtado are noted.

From its Medellín headquarters, Ariza & Marin’s litigation practice harnesses the wider firm’s robust public law and projects practices to focus on representing infrastructure companies in construction disputes. The group, which routinely appears before all levels of courts as well as before administrative agencies, additionally brings to bear skill sets in contentious employment, tax and insurance matters. Infrastructure and public law specialist Camilo Marin co-heads the team together with senior associate and litigation co-ordinator Tomás Cuartas Orrego. The department additionally benefits from the senior experience of co-founding partner Carolina Ariza.