Arrieta Mantilla & Asociados

Managing Partner: Carlos Gustavo Arrieta
Contacts: Carlos Gustavo Arrieta, Alvaro Mantilla Padilla
Number of partners worldwide: 6

Firm Overview:
Since 1998, Arrieta Mantilla & Asociados has been a specialised law firm in Bogotá, Colombia. It stands out for its team of professionals excelling in their fields of practice, all of whom have attended prestigious law schools in Colombia, and pursued higher education in particular legal matters in national and international top-rated schools. The firm provides legal assistance in specialised areas of private and public law to clients, such as local and multinational companies involved in the industrial, commercial and natural resource sectors, governmental agencies, investment banking, corporations and individuals. The members of Arrieta Mantilla & Asociados strive to provide their clients with a global approach to their specific needs, by delivering timely and accurate legal information and providing global support with the development of their projects in Colombia.

Main Areas of Practice:
Arrieta Mantilla & Asociados represents a wide range of clientele, including important capital investors in projects related to mining, oil, gas, telecommunications, and public services infrastructure. The most relevant practice areas are:

Infrastructure:
Arrieta Mantilla & Asociados is one of the leading law firms in Colombia to provide comprehensive legal assistance in the design, structure and execution of infrastructure projects financed with equity and/or indebtedness supported by the revenues of the project as such (project finance structures). It has acted as legal adviser for both national and international private-owned companies participating in infrastructure businesses, as well as governmental entities organising such infrastructure projects. Recently the firm has participated in the assessment of the largest infrastructure projects in Colombia in the road and highway, oil and gas and telecommunication industries.

Natural Resources, Mining & Energy:
Arrieta Mantilla & Asociados’ professionals are specialised in natural resources, mining and energy law, and offer a comprehensive legal counsel to the largest national and multinational companies with corporate presence in Colombia working in the mining, petroleum and natural gas industries. The legal counsel includes issues relating to environmental licences, state concession contracts, joint venture agreements, integrated operation agreements, infrastructure projects and assessment in the day to day operations of the respective businesses.

Public Contracting:
Acting as adviser to government entities, the firm provides general legal assistance in the structuring and execution of infrastructure and telecommunication projects. Likewise, it acts as legal counsel for privately owned companies in the participation of public bids and other selection procedures governed by state entities. The firm assists its clients in the definition, preparation and implementation of leveraging, guarantee and financial closings schemes, in the acquisition of the necessary administrative titles for the development of projects, and in general, in the totality of the required activities for the execution of the contract until liquidation. In addition to the above, the firm has actively assisted in tariff, regulatory, market and dispute resolution matters before authorities in charge of the regulation of public services.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation:
The firm has ample experience in the assessment of proceedings in national courts as well as national and international arbitration tribunals and the ICJ, successfully representing the Colombia Nation and some of the main public and private companies and entities in Colombia. Generally the controversies giving rise to the proceedings entail issues related to commercial and administrative matters. In addition to the above, members of the firm currently act as arbitrators in arbitration tribunals in the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá.

Contracts:
The firm is constantly involved in the assessment of many types of contracts for the development of businesses, some of which include foreign investments in Colombia in sectors such as the industrial, mining, port, road and highway infrastructure, energy, radio and television industries.

Corporate:
The firm has vast experience in the legal assessment of incorporation, administration and day to day operations of all type of companies, including the elaboration of the company by-laws, shareholder agreements and any further documents which guarantee the company’s efficient operation. The firm also acts as legal counsel for mergers, splits, acquisitions, statutory reforms, and corporate consulting in shareholders agreements.

Banking & Financial Law:
This is one of the firm’s main areas of practice, and they often participate in the negotiation and closings of local and foreign indebtedness and loan procedures, capital market transactions and the constitution of trusts for clients, including multilateral credit agencies, financial entities and privately owned corporations amongst others.

Languages:
Spanish, English, French

Clients:
The firm’s clients are major national and international multinational companies as well as several state entities.