Byron Sotomayor > ECIJA GPA > Quito, Ecuador > Lawyer Profile

Drawing on its international network, ECIJA GPA is called upon by multinational and local clients from the hydrocarbon, hotels, pharma and automotive industries, among others, to advise on day-to-day labour matters and employment disputes. The group is under the joint leadership of Byron Sotomayor, who advises on labour claims, Francisco Dávalos, another name to note for collective and individual labour disputes, Juan Carlos Montenegro, and Juan José Palacios, whose areas of expertise include wrongful dismissals and collective agreements.

ECIJA advises local and international clients on the acquisition of real estate properties and the management of residential and urban projects. Ingrid Rodríguez in Manta is a key adviser to domestic and foreign investors with significant stakes in real estate projects. She oversees the group with Guayaquil-based Édgar Méndez, whose areas of expertise include asset deals, property development and regulatory issues, and Byron Sotomayor, a name to note for real estate transactions. Fellow co-head Genesis Bermeo leads the real estate offering in the Quito office.

Noted for its ‘high degree of experience’, the arbitration department at ECIJA GPA is active in domestic and international arbitration proceedings under ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC and AAA/CIAC rules. Commercial and investment arbitration, as well as collection claims and judicial recovery are key strengths of the team, which predominantly acts for clients operating in the energy, construction, telecoms, and oil-and-gas sectors. In Quito, Juan Carlos Montenegro focuses on civil litigation, while Blanca Gomez De La Torre oversees the arbitration department. Gonzalo González, who specialises in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, Jaime Dousdebes, who handles constitutional and public procurement matters, and Christel Gaibor are other names to note in the same office. Byron Sotomayor  heads the dispute resolution team in Guayaquil, while Xavier Molina and Sebastián López are key contacts in Cuenca, and Ingrid Rodríguez oversees the civil litigation department in Manta.