A new local force was created in October 2023, following the merger between Medellín’s Correa Merino Agudelo Abogados and Bogota-based corporate and competition boutique Serrano Martínez to form Serrano Martínez CMA. The combination of two entities with strong footholds in their respective local markets establishes a firm with strong national credentials and an improved capacity for large-scale matters, particularly in the corporate and M&A area, where both legacy practices had sizeable teams. It also maintains nationally recognised offerings in competition — where it ranks highly among Colombia’s leading firms — labour and employment, and real estate. Key names in Medellín include corporate and M&A co-head Camilo Merino, who recently acted as local counsel to the sole shareholder and founder of Endrock, and its subsidiary in Colombia, on the $17.1m sale of Endrock to Power Digital Marketing. Other recommended names operating from Medellín include real estate and litigation head Juan Esteban Agudelo, who is advising Almacenes Éxito on the expansion of the Centro Comercial Puerta del Norte shopping mall; labour and employment co-head Darío Ramírez; tax co-head Sebastián Correa Ruíz; associate director Sebastián Morales Agudelo (corporate and compliance); and senior associate Dayana Parra (labour and employment).

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Lawyers are busy professionals in the field, keeping technical knowledge at the forefront to facilitate M&A transactions and always providing effective alternatives that protect and solve negotiations.’

  • ‘I have direct contact with Camilo Merino. Camilo and his team of professionals are excellent human beings and adapt their way of working to what the client needs.’

  • ‘An excellent team with up-to-date knowledge that allows for legal support, but with a very good commercial focus. The team is always proactive and favours solutions with high added value.’
  • ‘Juan Esteban Agudelo maintains the highest professional level in the real estate sector, with excellent relationships and experience, which always allows for contributions focused on the best possible solution or generation of value.’
  • ‘The group provides us with support in our urban planning issues. Lawyers demonstrate knowledge and experience.’
  • ‘We believe this team knows the most about cadastral matters and urban planning law in Colombia. It has supported us with all the company’s real estate matters and it has done very well. It is a solid team with little turnover. It is fast and very precise.’
  • ‘Excellent knowledge of the labour sector. Punctual and decisive. An excellent team. It is a pleasure to work with the firm.’
  • ‘We have worked with Darío Ramírez Montoya, who is highly competent and knowledgeable about the law. He is a very available person.’