Durán & Osorio Abogados Asociados

Durán & Osorio Abogados Asociados was founded in Bogota, DC, in 1995. Since then, the firm’s practice has been focused on assisting its clients in obtaining legally, socially and economically efficient solutions for complex problems. Our lawyers are used to an interdisciplinary workplace and have developed investigatory skills that go above and beyond the reach of conventional legal training.

D&O provides services, as a leading law firm in every phase of the projects cycle. We provide council to the government for structuring complex projects, and to private parties for participating in biding processes, contract negotiations and developing unsolicited proposals of PPPs. We also advise the financing of projects, and we provide legal support to owners during their project’s execution. Our knowledge of the market dynamics and the financial fundamentals that characterize the projects’ field allows us to deliver comprehensive, viable and efficient solutions to our clients.

The firm is highly recognized as a specialized legal and regulatory advisor in the fields of public law, utilities, TMT, energy and mining, corporate and commercial law and is deeply involved in litigation concerning disputes related to all its areas of practice.

Main areas of practice
Projects: D&O is a leading legal advisor in Colombia for  the design, structuring, implementation and execution of large-scale PPP projects for public transportation, roads, social infrastructure, airports, ports, venues, railways, water and sanitation, and electric transmission lines.

Since its inception, D&O has provided legal advice both to the Colombian government and to private clients in connection with the most ambitious and emblematic infrastructure projects in Colombia. In 1998 the firm provided legal advice to the District of Bogotá for the design of Transmilenio, its world-wide praised BRT system. se The firm was also responsible for structuring the El Dorado Airport concession, drafting the PPP contract for the fourth generation (4G) concession program, and structuring a large number of 4G concessions. Of late, D&O structured Bogotá’s first Metro Line, a PPP scheme for the West Commuter Rail of Bogotá (known as “Regiotram de Occidente”), Bogotá´s Hospital Infrastructure Program -the first social infrastructure PPP project in the country´s history- as well as two hospitals through turnkey construction contracts, among many other projects.

Currently D&O participates extensively in the projects field as legal counsel for several road building, BRT and railway projects.

TMT: Durán & Osorio is considered one of the leading advisors for telecommunications, media and technology. The firm’s experience extends over the last 20 years, since the beginning of the market liberalization of TMT networks and services in Colombia, until the recent introduction to internet based services. Moreover, the firm has consolidated its image as a law firm that combines both legal and regulatory awareness, all while demonstrating a deep understanding of the technical idiosyncrasies and financial requirements of the industry.

Among many other cases, Durán & Osorio had the mandate to structure and execute the merger process between Colombia Telecomunicaciones and Movistar, which is possibly the biggest merger in Colombian history. During the 2019-2020 period, the firm advised the Colombian ICT Ministry in the structuring and procuring of the new registry operator contract for the Colombian top-level domain .co, as well as in the current concession contract extension negotiation, the IANA .co transfer request and the auction of IMT radio spectrum in the 700, 1900 and 2500 MHz frequency bands.

Energy and extractive industries: The firm is widely recognized for its practice in the energy and mining sectors in Colombia. The firm was the main legal advisor for some of the most significant projects in the energy sector in the country, including the acquisition of the hydroelectric power plant of Caldas, the energy corporation of Quindío, the acquisition of Transelca and the acquisition of equity in the Guavio hydroelectric plant, and also assisted Ecopetrol in its first stock democratization process in 2007. Currently, D&O advises the National Mining Agency of Colombia, and also supports several private clients in the development of alternative energy projects.

Water and sanitation: D&O pioneered the development of public-private participation schemes for the water and sanitation sector in Colombia. The firm was the main legal advisor for the process to grant in concession the Tibitoc water treatment plant in 1997 -probably the first concession contract of this kind in Colombia in modern times- and has being providing legal support to private clients in this area since the first PPP agreements with Colombian municipalities in this sector were signed,  25 years ago .

Among the most relevant projects for which D&O was the main legal advisor in this sector are a PPP for the water supply and sewage system of Santa Marta, and a PPP for the construction, operation and maintenance of the Canoas wastewater treatment plant. Currently D&O provides council to large public and private utilities, and also to several operators of waste managing concessions.

Public law: Durán & Osorio is regarded as a trusted and praised advisor in several areas of public law, including public procurement, public finance, regulation, public governance and punitive procedures.

Our public law practice is supported by all the firm’s areas, which allows us to provide our private clients with highly specialized advice in their relations with the Colombian government and in procedures before governmental entities. The firm’s public law team is very experienced and successful in regulatory matters, public procurement procedures, public finance, and governance of state-owned enterprises and public agencies in Colombia.

Currently, D&O advises several governmental entities and private companies on all matters related to their applicable legal framework, including public contracting, tenders and auctions, internal regulations, governance, audit and control.

Dispute resolution: D&O has an exceptional and steady record representing clients in court litigation, arbitration procedures, and in administrative investigations carried out by regulatory bodies and agencies in Colombia such as Superintendency of Public Utilities. The firm represents several large national and foreign clients in litigation concerning disputes related to public utilities, infrastructure, transport projects, toll road concessions and mining concessions, during every stage of judicial and arbitral proceedings, and provides its clients with strategic views and advanced negotiation techniques. The firm’s dispute resolution team is very experienced and possess extensive knowledge of both public and private law.

Banking and finance: The firm has a sound knowledge of financial markets and its regulations, delivering effective, innovative and cost-efficient solutions in debt and equity related transactions tailored to each client’s needs. Of late, the firm devised a unique long-term public debt instrument as a part of the payment mechanism (TPEs) for the Bogotá’s first Metro Line project, that entailed the largest public debt note emission in Colombia´s financial market history.

Currently D&O is developing a debt note emission scheme for the for La Dorada – Chiriguaná project and provides legal counsel for funding the Bogot a´s bus rapid transit system -Transmilenio- extension to Soacha municipality.