Paulina Riquelme
Latin America Guide 2025
Band 1 : Environment
Band 1
About
Provided by Paulina Riquelme
Practice Areas
National and Comparative Environmental Law
Project and Permit Development
Environmental Litigation
Environmental Compliance
Regulatory Development and Regulatory Monitoring
Pollution Control and Circular Economy
National and International Chemical Agenda
Climate Change
Closure of Mining Works
Career
Paulina has more than 20 years of experience in the practice of environmental law. Along her career she has consolidated an extensive and recognized professional practice in a wide range of environmental law matters, including advice on investment projects regarding the environmental impact assessment system (SEIA), preventive environmental compliance strategies. defense in litigation and sanctioning administrative procedures, waste regulation, remediation of contaminated sites, corporate environmental issues and due diligence, emission compensations, among others.
In this context, Paulina has provided environmental legal advice to mining, energy, natural resources, aquaculture and sustainability projects. In addition, she has provided legal advice in the development of national environmental regulations and participating in legal discussions on environmental public policy issues.
Additionally, Paulina has experience in international environmental law, especially with regard to the numerous multilateral environmental agreements to which Chile is a Party.
She participated as a guest expert in the Presidential Commission of Experts for the reform of the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA).
Paulina is a member of the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Environment of Chile (MMA); Member of the roster of arbitrators of the Arbitration and Mediation Center of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (CAM); and advises on environmental regulatory issues to the National Mining Society (SONAMI).
Paulina began the development of her practice in environmental law and natural resources in 1999. As a Fulbright Scholar, she completed an LLM in Energy & Environmental Law, obtained with distinction at the University of Tulane. Currently, in addition to leading Eelaw, Paulina is part of the Teachers Counsil of the Master in Environmental Law of the Universidad del Desarrollo Law School, as well as part of the Teachers Counsil of the Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Law: "Management Instruments - New Trends", taught by the Universidad de Chile School of Law. Also, she is teaching Environmental law in the Construction Law Diploma of the Universidad Católica de Chile.
Professional Memberships
Member of the Roster of Arbitrators of the Arbitration and Mediation Center of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (CAM), Chile.
International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA).
Environmental Law Institute (ELI), Washington, D.C.
Society for Risk Analysis (SRA), Virginia, USA.
Chilean Association of Environmental Law (ACHIDAM).
Fulbright Alumni Association Santiago.
Chilean Bar Association.
Publications
Exhibitor. “Comments to the Law of Closure of Mining Operations”. VII Conference on Medium Mining - MEDMIN. Santiago, August 2109.
Co-author. “New Environmental Institutionality: Design criteria for regulatory development”. Legal News Magazine Nº23, January 2011, Universidad del Desarrollo.
Exhibitor. “First International Meeting of Environmental Law”, Mexico City, October 2002, name of the Presentation: “Panorama of Environmental Law in Chile”.
Co-author. "Proposals for the Regular Financing of Political Parties", Center for Public Studies, Working Paper No. 302, 2000.
Author. “The Sectorial Environmental Permits in the System of Environmental Impact Assessment”, Journal of Economic Administrative Law Vol. I Nº1, January-June 1999, p. 95-125, PUC Law School
Author, book review on Environmental Law entitled: "The Ecological Crime: Operational Manual", Chilean Law Magazine May-August 1999. PUC Law School.
Clients
Sociedad Nacional de Minería, Haldeman Mining Company (HMC), Minera HMC S.A., Cerro Negro Mining Company (www.cerronegro.cl), Grupo Minero Las Cenizas (MLC), Confederación de Producción y Comercio (CPC), Mitsubishi Corporation (MCI), Compañía Minera del Pacífico, KDM S.A. (www.kdm.cl), CEMIN Holding Minero, Minera Tres Valles (MTV), Lithium Chile, Mainstream Renewable Power, Battery Mineral Resources (BMR), Marimaca Copper Corp. , Andes Iron, CEIBO, among others.
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Languages Spoken
Spanish and English.
Chambers Review
Latin America
Head of department Paulina Riquelme is praised by market observers for her extensive environmental law expertise in Chile. She boasts long-standing experience in regulatory and environmental compliance work for major projects in Chile, especially in the mining sector.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Paulina Riquelme is a great lawyer. She has solid knowledge and great experience in the environmental law market."
"Paulina Riquelme is very professional and has extensive experience in environment law and its application."
"Paulina Riquelme is a great lawyer. She has solid knowledge and great experience in the environmental law market."
"Paulina Riquelme is very professional and has extensive experience in environment law and its application."
Discover other Lawyers at
Eelaw
Chile
Key Sectors
Provided by Eelaw
Energy and Utilities
Environmental and Waste
Resources and Mining