Bustamante Fabara has a strong presence across Ecuador's energy and natural resources sectors. The team is well known for its transactional capabilities in the mining sector, often advising multinational mining clients with royalty and stream agreements, acquisitions and joint ventures. Its practice also extends to the hydrocarbons and renewables sectors, where it handles asset divestments, portfolio structuring and market entry matters. Practice head Rafael Valdivieso regularly advises leading mining multinationals and oil companies on transactional issues. Juan Carlos Bustamante leverages his corporate expertise to provide support on cross-border mandates. The names to note at director level are Gustavo Almeida, who brings to the table extensive regulatory and environmental compliance knowledge; and Bruno Pesantes, who focuses on energy and mining transactions.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

Gustavo Almeida: excellent human qualities, technical and specialized knowledge in the hydrocarbon industry.
They have in-depth knowledge of the hydrocarbon industry and compliance with service contracts and participation agreements. They present new ideas and contributions on how to improve the company's compliance with regulatory bodies, especially the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
Technical excellence combined with a deep understanding of clients' businesses. They grasp the commercial, financial, and reputational risks organizations face, resulting in clear, viable, and timely legal solutions. The lawyers are distinguished by their ability to anticipate risks and by their clear, accessible, and direct communication.
In my opinion, what makes Rafael, Gustavo, and Bruno stand out is their combination of experience, strategic focus, and excellent customer service. They distinguish themselves from other competitors by offering forward-looking strategic solutions, clear communication, and highly professional yet personalized service, which fosters great trust. Their best qualities are their regulatory knowledge, their ability to anticipate problems, their consistent follow-up, and the confidence they inspire in every interaction.
Great team. Very diligent and, above all, with a good eye for anticipating things.
A highly qualified team covering all aspects of the energy industry. They are very friendly, readily available, and possess extensive knowledge of emerging issues, not only in legal matters but also in commercial and dynamic areas.
The proximity and prompt response to the requests made, given the dynamics of the business in which we operate, are what Gustavo Almeida and Rafael Valdivieso rely on.
His extensive experience is evident when issuing legal opinions on complex legal issues. I always value and appreciate Gustavo Almeida's willingness to help, even when a response is requested within a short timeframe. Of course, respect and honesty are always valued, as has always been the case.
The team is made up of top-level professionals with years of experience and established practice, making them a great team and a fundamental support for clients.
One of the defining characteristics of Bustamante Fabara's Energy and Natural Resources team is its specialization. They boast such a strong team, covering all areas of energy and environmental law holistically.

Key clients

Royal Gold
COX Energy
CMOC Group Limited
SAGITTARIUS (Omega Energy and Feniix Energy)
Frontera Energy Corporation
EXPLORACIONES MINERAS ANDINAS ECUADOR EMSAEC
Amara NZero
WORLD KINECT CORPORATION (formerly WORLD FUEL SERVICES)
Enap Sipetrol
GENERADORA HIDROCOLIBRI
CONSTRUCTORA NACIONAL
Jiangxi Copper Investment Company
IXM Metals

Work highlights

Assisted Royal Gold with regulatory and mining due diligence and the structuring of royalty arrangements in Ecuador in connection with a cross-border precious metals royalties transaction valued at approximately $3.5bn.

Advised Jiangxi Copper on the due diligence and regulatory analysis for the acquisition of the Cascabel copper-gold project in Ecuador.

Advising COX Energy on the regulatory structuring and development of a large-scale renewable energy portfolio in Ecuador valued at approximately $700m.