Álvaro Ordoñez > ECIJA GPA > Quito, Ecuador > Lawyer Profile
ECIJA GPA Offices
AV. 12 DE OCTUBRE Y LINCOLN
OFICINA 1005
QUITO
Ecuador
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Álvaro Ordoñez
Position
Partner
Career
Alvaro Ordóñez graduated as a lawyer from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Quito (Ecuador) and holds a master’s degree in Environmental and Natural Resource Law & Policy (LL.M.) from the University of Denver (USA), with a specialization in energy, mining law and sustainable development.
He acted as National Undersecretary of Mining Contracts and, as such, was part of the team that negotiated Ecuador’s first large-scale mining exploitation agreement. He co-authored of complementary regulations and the reform of Ecuador’s Mining Law, which provides incentives for the mining industry, and has advised different countries on mining policy. He has supported the Ecuador Chamber of Mining and has acted as its Director from 2016 to 2018.
Currently, Alvaro is dedicated to providing legal advice to companies and institutions, particularly in energy and the extractive industries on financial and environmental issues, as well as on real state, public procurement, constitutional matters, compliance, legal disputes and arbitration. He has participated in the strategy to defend the rights of mining companies before the Constitutional Court and has experience in obtaining environmental permits and water use rights.
Some of the most notable matters he has been involved in includes the successful support for the restart of operations of a mining company, which included negotiations with indigenous communities in ancestral territories, the favorable judgment for the recovery of an important mining concession before the declaration of expiration of the license by the Government of Ecuador, the negotiation of a cross-border agreement for the transportation of crude oil, among others. During the pandemic, he participated and locally led the financing of one of the largest mining project in the world, with mining royalties, an unprecedented work in Ecuador, which involved negotiations with several jurisdictions.
Lawyer Rankings
Ecuador > Energy and natural resources
Noted for its participation in the ‘main hydrocarbon projects of the last 10 years, which have had a significant impact on the development of the industry in Ecuador‘, ECIJA GPA fields a diverse team of specialised lawyers with expertise in oil and gas, mining and renewable energy matters. The group acts for domestic and international clients, most notably from China, in contractual matters, investments, projects and contentious issues. A key contact for oil and gas and mining heavyweights, Gonzalo González advises on the acquisition of assets throughout South America and on the execution of contracts. Another name to note for oil and gas clients, Bayardo Poveda is active in cross-border M&A, financing deals and public contracting. Other key individuals in the team include Álvaro Ordoñez, who oversees the mining practice, and Gustavo Arrobo, who focuses on hydrocarbons matters.