Claro & Cía

Senior Partner: Sr José María Eyzaguirre B
Number of partners: 19 Number of lawyers: 77
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Firm Overview:
Founded in 1880, Claro & Cia. is one of the oldest, most prestigious full service law firms in Chile. The firm takes pride in representing clients in all civil and commercial fields and constantly strives to maintain the most stringent standards of professional achievement. Distinct areas include its M&A, banking and finance practices, along with its experience in global markets. The firm’s litigation and antitrust departments are widely known for their vibrant, well-established and ground-breaking practice. Aside from its major practice areas, the firm actively represents clients with interests in diverse areas such as admiralty and aviation, mining, bankruptcy and workouts, capital markets, corporate and commercial law, customs, mining, energy and natural resources, environmental law, insurance, IP and internet, international trade, labour and employment, immigration, tax and telecommunications, among others.

International surveys consistently give Claro & Cia. the highest ratings in most legal practice areas in Chile by several independent publications due to its premier service in the most complex business transactions and litigation with an innovative and quality-driven style. Chambers and Partners awarded the firm for Chilean Law Firm of the Year in 2015, 2012 and 2010. Claro & Cia. is the Chilean member of Lex Mundi, of the Ibero-American section of the Club de Abogados, of the Bomchil Group and a member of the IBA, IFA, AIPPI, ASIPI, TIAETL and ICC, all of which provide the firm with close links to major law firms around the world.

PRACTICE AREAS
Antitrust
Banking & Finance
Corporate
Energy & Public Utilities
Intellectual Property
Litigation & Arbitration
M&A
Mining, Natural Resources & Environmental
Tax
Securities & Financial Markets

Main Areas of Practice:

Antitrust:
The firm’s antitrust practice, besides providing general advice for business structuring, has been chair counsel in successful, high-profile cases involving horizontal and vertical integration, collusion, price discrimination, and other matters involving various industries. It has played an active role in some of the most prominent merger control filings and settlement agreements, with a close interaction with the antitrust authorities.

Banking & Finance:
The firm is also known for the design and structuring of sophisticated financial products and innovative banking transactions that have become standard in the Chilean market, comprising multi-lateral and cross-border financing and giving support to its clients in developing and implementing all types of project financing, loans and structured solutions. The firm’s services also cover insurance and reinsurance, including financial guarantees.

Corporate:
The firm advises on all corporate matters, including the negotiation of domestic and international agreements for the purchase and sale of goods, distribution strategies, imports and exports, and supply and EPC contracts, among others. The firm also advises clients on negotiations with third parties, individual and collective bargaining agreements, labour conflicts, union-related and social security matters and all aspects of Chilean employment law.

Energy & Public Utilities:
Besides its active and distinct role in increasingly frequent and complex regulatory litigation effecting the electricity market, the firm actively participates in projects for the construction of hydro, thermo-electric and combined-cycle power plants and oil and gas pipelines and assists developers in their financing, partnerships and regulatory needs with respect to green-field projects.

Intellectual Property:
The firm advises on patents, trademarks, copyright, software, internet, geographical indicators, confidential information and all other intellectual property rights and intangible assets that are subject to protection. The scope of services includes assisting in the registration and enforcement of such rights and assets, counselling and representing clients in related disputes, the drafting and negotiation of licensing and franchising agreements, as well as technology transfer in general.

Litigation & Arbitration:
The firm handles civil and commercial litigation, national and international arbitration, ADR and cases that demand an aggressive and efficient approach, including class actions (recently acknowledged by law), which, together with Claro’s new white-collar crime department, has earned the firm a unique reputation for successful, thoughtful, creative and devoted advice to its clients. The firm’s teams in this area are well-trained, with a practical approach and reputation for success, efficiency and ingenuity. As such, they are ranked as a leading Chilean litigation and arbitration practice.

M&A:
The firm is a market leader on tender offers and advises on all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, from due diligence, structuring and negotiation to the drafting and completion of the most complex acquisition agreements, including share and asset deals, cross-border mergers, takeovers and exchange offers of dual listed companies. M&A work represents a substantial part of the Claro’s practice.

Mining, Natural Resources & Environmental:
The firm represents mining companies at all stages of the mining process, and has advised on the inception and construction of some of the largest copper and gold projects in Chile, which, together with its experience in the non-metallic sector and hydrocarbon explorations, makes the firm an important player in the area.
The firm is also a market leader in advising clients in water resources, forestry, farming, sea farming, agriculture, wine and other industries. Environmental advice is provided for each such industry. The natural resources practice has been designed, like all work areas of the firm, to enable clients to accomplish their goals, minimise failures and stay out of trouble.

Tax:
The firm’s tax department helps clients in structuring complex transactions, tax litigation and approaching tax authorities so as to achieve the best economic result for their clients’ corporate, restructuring, tax-free reorganisation, M&A, financing, foreign investment and tax planning needs.

Securities & Financial Markets:
The firm is also known for the design and structuring of sophisticated securities transactions comprising multilateral financing and cross-border capital flows. It supports clients in developing and implementing all types of placements, and structuring OTC derivatives and related products.

International Work:
The firm has specialised experience in the planning and structuring of foreign investments in Chile, such as corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures aimed at various sectors of the Chilean economy, project finance and banking and finance in general. It has advised sellers, buyers, minority and majority shareholders and state and privately owned companies for sale. From a corporate perspective, it also handles sophisticated transactions involving mergers, spin-offs, associations, tender offers, reorganisations and other forms of restructuring.