The large, specialised banking and finance team at Barros & Errázuriz has evolved from being primarily borrower-focused to representing predominantly lenders, as it does today, while maintaining an active borrower-facing practice. It particularly stands out for its energy and infrastructure project-finance expertise, and benefits notably from the firm’s ability to leverage the expertise of its real estate, energy, environmental and regulatory practices. The firm is also part of the Affinitas network, which facilitates the regular exchange of information on regional banking, finance and capital markets developments involving Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The department is co-led by project and corporate finance specialist Francisco De la Barra, and corporate and structured financing expert Enrique Barros. Also integral to the department are Bernardo Simian, whose broad practice covers financing and capital markets, and longstanding banking and finance lawyer Nicolás Balmaceda. The next line of key advisers features structured and corporate financing partner María Olga Rivera (who was raised to the partnership in March 2022), and Vicente Cordero, whose career includes several years working in New York. At senior associate level, both Valentina Villalobos and Nicole Ubal advise on project and corporate financing matters.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘The team that B&E deploys is very effective in advancing financing transactions.'
'Multidisciplinary and diverse, with great speed and flexibility to meet the client's requirements; and very strong and effective ay interacting with office teams from NY or the UK.'
'More flexible and faster than other firms, in addition to the fact that in general they are less confrontational with counterparts, conducting the process more effectively.’
‘They interact very well as a team, and are very quick to respond.'
'Demonstrates in-depth knowledge of their specific areas of work, as well as extensive accumulated experience in similar areas, which is very effective when negotiating with counterparties.’

Key clients

Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners
The Bank of Nova Scotia
BNP Paribas
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Banco BTG Pactual
Volta
Banco Security
Interchile

Work highlights

Advised CenturyLink Chile on its participation (as joint and several guarantor of a foreign entity) in both a credit agreement and an indenture agreement, which concerned the acquisition of Lumen's Latin American operations by Stonepeak Partners.
Advised The Bank of Nova Scotia, BNP Paribas and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation on the coordination and issuance of a green loan credit facility in favour of Global Infrastructure Partners.
Advised Banco BTG Pactual on both its acquisition of existing loans from operating companies of Anpac Group and the granting of additional financing to Hidroeléctrica San Andrés.