Mr Cristóbal Eyzaguirre > Claro & Cia. > Santiago, Chile > Lawyer Profile

Claro & Cia.‘s 29-strong banking and financing practice has a strong market reputation for its advice to commercial and investment banks, private equity sponsors, strategic investors, issuers, and borrowers. Delivering ‘prompt, efficient attention with complete knowledge of the issues addressed’, the broad finance practice covers multi-lateral and cross-border financings, project finance and loans, as well as corporate finance, LBOs, working capital facilities and structured financing. In relation to projects, the team comprises experts in hydro, renewables, thermo-electric, combined-cycle power plants, transmission lines, and oil and gas pipelines; and its experience extends to assisting developers with financing, partnerships, and greenfield project-related regulatory issues. Large-value highlights include advising Sociedad Transmisora Metropolitana on a $1.1bn dual-currency secured syndicated acquisition loan to partially finance its $1.5bn acquisition of Enel Transmisión Chile. Focused on the energy, mining, pension, infrastructure and insurance sectors, Rodrigo Ochagavía has deep banking and finance experience; José Luis Ambrosy‘s practice includes brownfield and greenfield project financing; Jorge Martín is a renewable energy project expert; and Cristóbal Eyzaguirre is a banking law specialist. The practice also showcases project finance practitioner Ariel Mihovilovic; José María Eyzaguirre F, who focuses on cross-border transactions; and M&A head José María Eyzaguirre B, whose practice includes infrastructure project financing. Beyond the partnership, counsel Philippa Cooper (banking and finance, capital markets, project finance and M&A) and senior associate Carmen Luz Chavarría (project finance) provide primary support. Active intermediate associate Rafael Mackay is also noted.

‘On the front line of new legal developments and cutting-edge practices’, legal market stalwart Claro & Cia. is home to a 14-strong reorganisation and insolvency practice that acts for major companies on the restructuring and rescheduling of their liabilities, as well as the negotiation of payment and creditor agreements. On the creditor side, the team routinely assists with bankruptcy liquidation processes and reorganisation agreements. Highlights for the practice include its current representation of LATAM Airlines, in relation to the reorganisation of its business globally under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. It is also advising Citigroup Latinoamérica on Chilean bankruptcy and restructuring issues. The group’s key practitioners include civil and commercial litigation and arbitration expert, Nicolás Luco; M&A practice head José María Eyzaguirre B; Rodrigo Ochagavía, who regularly acts for creditors and debtors; and Felipe Larraín, an expert in M&A, business organisations and corporate finance, particularly in relation to cross-border mandates. The team also includes well-known litigator Cristóbal Eyzaguirre, whose broad practice includes restructuring work; bankruptcy specialist José Miguel Huerta; and Ariel Mihovilovic, who assists with both transactional and contentious matters.

According to some clients, full-service firm Claro & Cia. has ‘the best free competition team in Chile by far’. The 23-strong antitrust group is routinely mandated to lead high-profile cases involving horizontal and vertical integration, as well as collusion and price discrimination. It also plays key roles role in some of the market’s most significant merger control filings and settlement agreements. The practice further stands out for its expertise in cross-border matters. The department is co-led by Cristóbal Eyzaguirre, a widely-respected specialist in multi-front litigation and arbitration; and the ‘outstanding’ José Miguel Huerta, whose notable experience includes representing clients in Chile, the US and Europe in government proceedings and investigations into mergers and cartels. The practice also comprises Santiago Bravo, whose broad workload includes antitrust and economic regulation matters, in addition to litigation, arbitration, administrative law and insolvency; Álvaro Vives, an adviser on cartels, abuse of dominance and merger control; and counsel Juan Pablo Celis, who acts for clients in Chile (and other jurisdictions) in merger control and cartel-related government enforcement proceedings and investigations. Key growth for the practice includes the 2024 raising of litigation, arbitration and antitrust practitioner, Tomás Kreft (a former foreign associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP), to partner. Key associates include senior Felipe De Marinis, whose disputes practice takes in consumer protection law, international commerce, and antitrust and economic regulation.

Claro & Cia. is ‘clearly the leading Chilean team in the field and a go-to practice for local counsel acting in international arbitrations involving Chile’. The 34-strong dispute resolution practice specialises in both domestic and international arbitration proceedings, under the rules of The Centre for Arbitration and Mediation of the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada (CAM-CCBC), CAM Santiago, ICC, and ICSID. The team also acts under the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), and Lima Chamber of Commerce rules. A number of the firm’s lawyers are additionally on CAM Santiago’s arbitrator roster. Among the ‘excellent’ firm’s several experienced practitioners, current firm head Jose María Eyzaguirre G is a renowned litigator; Cristóbal Eyzaguirre is a complex litigation and arbitration specialist; Nicolás Luco has extensive experience in complex energy arbitrations; Felipe Ossa is ‘a highly experienced arbitration specialist’; and José Miguel Huerta acts in commercial arbitrations, along with litigation, antitrust and bankruptcy matters. The full-service firm further showcases Santiago Bravo and Álvaro Vives, who both focus on arbitration work, as well as litigation and antitrust. Senior associate Felipe De Marinis left hte firm in March 2024.

The teams assigned to cases by Claro & Cia. are ‘first class in all respects’. The full-service firm’s large, 34-strong litigation practice is widely respected for its expertise in local and transnational commercial litigation, as well as for its domestic and international arbitration credentials. The firm also maintains a robust white-collar crime practice. Recent highlights include representing Samsung Chile (Samsung) in multiple disputes against distributors that manage Samsung’s retail experience shops. Among the firm’s several experienced practitioners, current firm head abd senior partner José María Eyzaguirre G is a veteran litigator; practice head Cristóbal Eyzaguirre specialises in complex and multi-front litigation and arbitrations; Nicolás Luco has extensive experience in energy litigation before Chile’s courts; Felipe Ossa focuses on both arbitration and international litigation; and José Miguel Huerta is a litigation, antitrust, commercial arbitration and bankruptcy expert. The next line of experienced litigators includes Santiago Bravo, whose caseload covers litigation and arbitration, as well as antitrust matters; and civil, commercial, and constitutional litigator Álvaro Vives. At counsel level, Javier Rodríguez focuses on litigation and antitrust law, while Juan Pablo Celis‘ experience includes government enforcement proceedings. Notable growth for the practice includes the promotion of litigation, arbitration and antitrust practitioner Tomás Kreft to partner in early 2024. From the associate pool, senior Ricardo Pfaff‘s contentious practice takes in competition and bankruptcy litigation as well as commercial and civil matters; however, former fellow senior Felipe de Marinis left the firm in March 2024.