Mr Jose Vicente Zapata > Holland & Knight > Bogota, Colombia > Lawyer Profile
Holland & Knight Offices
Carrera 7 # 71-21
Torre A, Piso 8
Bogotá, DC, Colombia
Colombia
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Mr Jose Vicente Zapata
Work Department
Energy | Environment | Natural Resources | International and Cross-Border Transactions | Mergers and Acquisitions | Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Creditors' Rights | Mining | Climate Change | Class Action Litigation and Arbitration | Anti-Corruption and FCPA | Compliance Services | International Arbitration and Litigation | Wind Energy | Renewable Energy | Solar Energy | Oil and Gas | International Energy | Carbon Capture and Storage
Position
Partner
Career
José Vicente Zapata is an attorney in Holland & Knight’s Bogotá office and has more than 30 years of experience in the natural resources sector. He focuses his practice on corporate, contractual and commercial matters, with a strong focus in spin-offs, mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Zapata co-chairs the firm’s Venezuela Focus Team, a group of partners who assists clients with interests in the country.
Mr. Zapata has led regulatory matters for many years on the environment, energy and natural resources. He has experience with corporate compliance matters, including the definition of ethics programs, Sistema de Autocontrol y Gestión del Riesgo Integral de Lavado de Activos y Financiación del Terrorismo (SAGRILAFT) and knowledge management for effective regulatory compliance, as well as liability cases for contractual and non-contractual damages.
Mr. Zapata’s clients include electric, oil, gas, mining, agrochemical and industrial companies, and he advises them on the structuring of foreign investment transactions, corporate reorganizations, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as well as matters of environmental liability and judicial proceedings such as class actions and international claims.
Throughout his career, Mr. Zapata has represented clients in many of the largest transactions made in Colombia to date in the energy, mining, oil and gas sectors, and assisted a range of companies in entering the energy market, obtaining mining and oil and gas concessions and structuring the contractual arrangements for such purposes. He negotiates share purchase and sale agreements, foreign direct investment management, asset purchase and sale agreements (including commercial establishments), joint operating agreements, farm-in and farm-outs, distribution, franchising and agency agreements, collaboration agreements, real estate regulatory mechanisms, structuring of real estate projects, authorizations and operating permits. More recently, Mr. Zapata is active in renewable energy projects and has led wind farm, solar ventures and energy storage solutions as well as hydrogen and geothermal regulatory assessments, including zoning analysis, management of protected and exclusion zones and areas, and analysis of legal options for land use definition. Mr. Zapata also participates in key financing and structuring of transactions in these sectors, with particular attention on environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements.
In addition, Mr. Zapata has significant experience in critical environmental liability cases and class action litigation in Colombia. Among them are complex cases where communities and companies discuss their corresponding rights, including prior consultation events, controlled substances and environmental authorizations, permits and licenses.
Mr. Zapata has acted as co-counsel in major international commercial and investor-state arbitrations, involving sensitive international judicial matters of Colombian interest under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) rules. These matters focus in energy and natural resources concerning disputes across the oil and gas, electricity, infrastructure and mining sectors.
Beyond his law practice, Mr. Zapata is a regular speaker at conferences in Latin America and has published multiple books and articles on matters of sustainable development, oil and gas, renewable energy, hydrocarbons, climate change and renewable energies. In addition, he has served on various boards of directors, headed numerous successful companies and served as professor of corporate responsibility, environmental liability and sustainable development at Universidad Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Universidad de Los Andes and Universidad Externado de Colombia
Languages
English - Spanish - French
Memberships
- Association of International Energy Negotiators, Board of Directors
- American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Member
- Association on International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN), Member
- Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Member
- European Society of International Law, Member
- International Bar Association, Committee Section on Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law
- Institute for Energy Law, Center for American and International Law, Member
- Colegio de Abogados de Minas y Petroleos
- American Society of International Law
- Institute of Environmental Law, Secretary General
- Gerson Lehrman Group
- Asociación Iberoamericana de Derecho de la Energía, Member
Education
- Colombian Association of Engineers (ACIEM), Certificate, Development and Execution of Solar Projects (Trends, Operation and Maintenance)
- United Nations Institute for Training and Research, International Environmental Law (E-Learning)
- Yale School of Management, Executive Management Program for Lawyers
- Bureau Veritas, ISO 14001 Lead Auditor, International Law
- McGill University, LL.M., Sustainable Development and International Business Law
- Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, J.D.
Lawyer Rankings
Colombia > Energy and natural resources
(Leading partners)‘An outstanding team with very deep technical competence’, Holland & Knight houses a comprehensive energy and natural resources practice, which is distinguished by its ability to draw on over 220 energy specialists across its global offices. Department head José Vicente Zapata
is regarded by many as a ‘national reference in environmental and energy law’; he is recognised for his full-service coverage of energy law, with extensive experience in regulation, transactions, contentious work and associated environmental law issues. Ines Elvira Vesga specialises in both electricity and hydrocarbons work and led on a string of highlights during 2023/24, including advising Emerald Energy, a subsidiary of Sinochem Group, on regulatory and contractual matters. Other key contacts include of counsel Milton Fernando Montoya, whose practice spans the mining, energy and environmental law spheres; and public law partner Juan Casallas. The group also includes a pair of specialised senior counsels: Daniel Fajardo arrived from Engie in June 2023 and has a focus on energy transactions, while Estefanny Pardo specialises in environmental law litigation. Senior counsel Margarita Solorza left the firm in May 2024. Since publication, Claro Manuel Cotes has been promoted to counsel – effective as of February 2025.
Colombia > Environment
(Hall of Fame)Environmental law is a marquee practice for Holland & Knight’s Bogotá office and the team is widely revered for its full-spectrum coverage of the area. On the advisory front, the group’s expertise encompasses legal assessment for the construction of energy and natural resources projects, licensing procedures and environmental audits, among other matters. It also handles contentious work, with extensive experience in environmental sanctioning proceedings and constitutional law claims. A foremost expert for environmental law in Colombia, department head Jose Vicente Zapata acts for a broad mix of clients, including domestic and multinational companies in the energy, natural resources, manufacturing, infrastructure, and food and beverage sectors. Zapata was recently engaged by Shell EP Offshore Ventures (Colombia branch) to handle several constitutional claims filed against its offshore projects. Other key contacts include public law litigator Juan Casallas; associate María Camila Aponte, whose practice is dedicated to environmental law; and senior counsel Estefanny Pardo, who is noted for contentious work. Senior counsel Margarita Solorza left the firm in May 2024. Since publication, Aponte has been raised to counsel – effective as of February 2025.
Colombia > Corporate and M&A
According to clients, Holland & Knight ‘cares about understanding the business realities and contexts of the companies it advises’. The group continues to consolidate its position in the market following the firm’s May 2023 absorption of Cuberos Cortés Gutiérrez Abogados, and it added several new clients during 2023/24, including Opp Film Colombia and Boston Scientific. Arguably best known for its record in cross-border transactions, where it can link up with its wider international network, the team also handles domestic M&A and advisory matters. Executive office partner Enrique Gómez-Pinzón, who operates from Bogotá and Washington DC, steers the practice. Other recommended partners include Gustavo Cuberos, who contributes ‘seriousness and dynamism’; Julia Velásquez, who is ‘a great leader’; Alba Malagón, who specialises in corporate and finance deals; and transactional energy specialists José Vicente Zapata and Ines Elvira Vesga. Associates Natalia Cuberos, Diana Paola Serrano and Isabella Díaz are also noted.
Colombia > Public law
Holland & Knight’s public law practice is well versed across a broad range of infrastructure, constitutional and administrative law matters but it is arguably best known for its focus on public environmental law and energy-related work, where department co-head and natural resources specialist, José Vicente Zapata, is a key contact. The team is additionally co-led by Juan Casallas, who is an up-and-coming partner for dispute resolution involving constitutional and administrative law issues; and Edwin Cortés, who joined in May 2023 — following the firm’s absorption of Cuberos Cortés Gutiérrez — and specialises in infrastructure projects. Associate José Rengifo provides support on energy and infrastructure litigation.
Colombia > Dispute resolution > Litigation
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.
Colombia > Dispute resolution > Arbitration
Lawyers at Holland & Knight are ‘always very collaborative and fully available to solve problems’, according to clients. The firm’s May 2023 merger with Cuberos Cortés Gutiérrez Abogados saw the arrival of new contentious team head José Gutiérrez, who possesses broad dispute resolution experience, including in national and international arbitration proceedings. The group also draws on energy and natural resources specialist Jose Vicente Zapata; litigator Juan Casallas, who is noted for commercial and administrative law disputes; and senior counsel Lorena Martínez, who specialises in dispute resolution and real estate.
Lawyer Rankings
- Environment Colombia
- Hall of Fame Colombia > Environment
- Leading partners Colombia > Energy and natural resources
- Energy and natural resources Colombia
- Arbitration Colombia > Dispute resolution
- Litigation Colombia > Dispute resolution
- Public law Colombia
- Corporate and M&A Colombia