Ms Carolina Posada > Posse Herrera Ruiz > Bogota, Colombia > Lawyer Profile

The ‘very committed, well-prepared and competitive team’ at Posse Herrera Ruiz handles a diverse mix of domestic and international arbitrations, with its work in the latter sphere encompassing both commercial and investor-state cases. In terms of its sector strengths, the team notched up key roles in a string of high-profile infrastructure and energy-related cases during 2023/24, while its recent industry experience also spans the mining, life sciences, real estate and defence sectors, among others. Firm co-founder Daniel Posse is hailed by clients as an ‘expert in litigation and arbitration inside and outside Colombia’; he recently represented JMalucelli Travelers Seguros in an arbitration concerning a performance bond issued in relation to construction work on the Cartagena-Barranquilla highway. Posse jointly heads the department together with fellow firm co-founder Carolina Posada, who represented South32 Investments in a International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) case against Colombia concerning its efforts to retroactively re-assess more than $180m in royalties already levied by the country. Rounding out the partner-level group are Juan Pablo Bonilla, who specialises in dispute resolution and insolvency; and Estefanía Ponce, who was promoted to partner in January 2024. A capable band of non-partners includes director María Isabel Osorio, who ‘rigorously manages the issues and timeframes’; senior associate Daniela Corchuelo, who has a strong recent record in infrastructure-related disputes; senior associate Laura Vengoechea, who contributes notable international expertise; and senior associate Alejandro Casas, who possesses significant in-house experience. In February 2024, associate Natalia Tobón left to go freelance. Since publication, Corchuelo has been promoted to the partnership – effective as of January 2025.

Lawyers in Posse Herrera Ruiz’s litigation group ‘understand the business and provide practical and legal solutions’. The team’s deep bench combines with its ability to marshal specialist sectoral support from across the wider full-service firm to mark it as a popular choice for high-stakes disputes, including cross-border cases. In a high-profile example of its reputation for complex matters, Grupo Nutresa turned to the practice for support on all litigation related to Grupo Gilinski’s attempted hostile takeover bid of Grupo Nutresa, Grupo Sura, and Grupo Argos, which resulted in a $4bn settlement plan. Department co-head Daniel Posse led the Nutresa litigation and is widely regarded as a market leader with clients valuing his ability to ‘propose creative alternatives’. Fellow co-head Carolina Posada is also highly recommended for her extensive experience across the full suite of dispute resolution processes; she is representing Frontera Energy Colombia in a breach-of-contract claim brought by Power Generation Technology, as well as in Frontera’s counterclaim. The sizeable team also draws on litigation partners Pablo Enrique Sierra and Juan Pablo Bonilla as well as competition specialist Jorge de los Ríos, who is noted for regulatory litigation. A formidably deep pool of associates includes senior Alejandro Casas, who supports on a mix of judicial and arbitral proceedings; senior Laura Vengoechea, who secured a string of second-chair roles on litigation cases during 2023/24; Pedro Miguel Álvarez, who was promoted to director in March 2024 and specialises in corporate and trust disputes; and intermediate Juan David Fiallo.

Posse Herrera Ruiz scores highly with clients for its ‘cutting-edge knowledge in contractual and insurance issues’, which ‘incorporates national and international regulatory awareness’. The multidisciplinary practice draws on the firm’s corporate, dispute resolution and regulatory teams, among others, to provide full-service support to insurance companies and insured entities on transactional matters, complex judicial and arbitral proceedings and regulatory compliance issues. The overarching department is co-led by corporate specialist Oscar Tutasaura and dispute resolution co-head Carolina Posada. Other key contacts include financial services partner Natalia Escobar; experienced counsel Diana Salazar; and senior associate Victoria Vargas, who provides ‘excellent legal advice and fast attention’.

Posse Herrera Ruiz’s interdisciplinary public law group strikes a balance between contentious and non-contentious work, with strong showings in projects, public procurement, regulatory compliance and administrative sanction proceedings. The department is led jointly by  Cristina Vásquez, who specialises in infrastructure, projects and public law; and Daniel Posse, who also heads the dispute resolution practice. Additional names with experience in this space include high-profile litigator Carolina Posada; transactional infrastructure partner José Alejandro Torres; and dispute resolution-focused associates Juan David Fiallo and Daniela Corchuelo.

Posse Herrera Ruiz houses a thriving Medellín platform that — with 13 dedicated lawyers — stands as one the largest local offerings among the country’s national, full-service firms. With on-site lawyers providing support on a mix of corporate, projects, international trade, dispute resolution, IP, labour, and banking and finance matters, the group additionally stands out for its ability to team up with specialists from across its national offices. Key longstanding local clients include Nutresa, UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones and Consorcio CCC Ituango, while it also serves multinational clients from its Medellín hub. Infrastructure specialist Cristina Vásquez heads the Medellín practice and is acting as part of the cross-office team advising Odinsa on its negotiations with Macquarie Asset Management to create a platform for highway assets. The team also draws on dispute resolution expert Carolina Posada and international trade and tax partner Juan Camilo De Bedout — both of whom operate from Bogotá and Medellín. Other key contacts include customs and international trade director María Paula Sánchez and fintech and funds head Julián Aguirre, who was promoted to director in May 2023. Former associate Natalia Tobón left to go freelance in February 2024.