Juan Carlos Bustamante > Bustamante Fabara > Quito, Ecuador > Lawyer Profile

Bustamante Fabara stands out for the breadth of its tax service offering, which covers tax planning and contentious matters before administrative bodies and judicial courts. On the advisory front, the group is adept in advising domestic and international clients – including private and publicly traded companies, and high-net-worth individuals – on tax structuring mandates, direct and indirect taxation issues, and transfer pricing. Practice head Diego Pino, who was promoted to partner in 2024, has extensive knowledge of tax planning and tax optimisation matters, as well as tax disputes. Juan Carlos Bustamante is noted for his strong track record in cross-border transactions. Sofía Gordillo brings together considerable expertise in both tax and corporate law, while director María Fernanda Saá focuses on domestic and international taxation mandates.

Bustamante Fabara is regularly retained by multinational companies in the oil and gas, mining and energy industries for assistance with regulatory matters, as well as the structuring, development and financing of projects. Rafael Valdivieso, who focuses on the downstream and upstream segments, handles a combination of contractual, project finance, and M&A matters. He jointly leads the team with Juan Carlos Bustamante, who is noted for his expertise in foreign investments and international arbitrations in the oil and gas sector. At associate level, key seniors include: Gustavo Almeida, who assists with regulatory, environmental, corporate and public law matters in the hydrocarbons and electricity segments; and Bruno Pesantes, an expert on mining issues. Since publication, both Almeida and Pesantes have been raised to practice directors – effective as of April 2025.