Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas’ projects group is ‘always willing to find a consensus and negotiate solutions’, according to some. Straddling the infrastructure, public law and finance teams, the multidisciplinary practice advises an array of lenders, developers, construction companies and government entities, among other stakeholders, on a range of tender processes, project finance, development matters and operational issues. Department head Pablo Jaramillo is recommended for his comprehensive projects focus, which intersects finance, development and administrative law. The group also draws on public law head Ximena Zuleta, transactional specialist Bernardo Cárdenas and banking and finance partner Felipe Alarcon, who joined in September 2023 from Brigard Urrutia. In February 2024, finance partner Catalina Pinilla left to join Governance Consultants.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘A professional and highly committed team, always willing to find a consensus and negotiate solutions. Relative to other firms, it has better response times and is more willing to be flexible and find creative solutions. It has a great ability to work with people of different cultures, nationalities and personalities.’
  • ‘Lawyers stand out for their quality of attention and response times. Great willingness to respond to lenders’ requests and find solutions that benefit everyone and improve the transaction.’
  • ‘The most outstanding partner we have worked with at Dentons is Pablo Jaramillo, who is always ready to respond to our requests. Although there is a team behind him, his leadership and presence are always notable. In addition to his in-depth knowledge of infrastructure, energy and gas.’
  • ‘It possesses deep knowledge about the different generations of projects in Colombia, including concession contracts at the national and regional level. Additionally, it provides solid support when preparing the documents that prove the suitability of the buyer/proposer before the project granting authority.’
  • ‘Lawyers’ methods and in-depth study of matters, as well as their communication with other teams of the firm, allows them to provide solid advice in transactions that involve regulated assets. Ximena Zuleta, in addition to her knowledge of the issues, permanently takes on a "hands-on" role.’
  • ‘DCC facilitates transactions; there is a clear identification of risks and a proactive and creative way of finding solutions. The deep knowledge that goes beyond recording standards or regulatory frameworks is evident, and it is felt that it understands the business and truly integrates with the client and its needs.’

Key clients

  • Puerto Bahía Colombia de Urabá
  • Puertos, Inversiones y Obras
  • Societé de Promotion et de Participation pour La Cooperation Economique (Proparco) and Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN)
  • Inter-American Development Bank

Work highlights

  • Advising Puerto Bahía Colombia de Urabá on the Puerto Antioquia project.
  • Advising Puertos Inversiones y Obras, as developer and sponsor, on the multipurpose port terminal in Urabá, Colombia.
  • Advising Societé de Promotion et de Participation pour La Cooperation Economique (Proparco) and Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN) on a structured finance transaction involving a public transport concessionaire.

Lawyers

Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Pablo Jaramillo