Ovalle & Bulnes Abogados

Senior Partner: Esteban Ovalle
Managing Partner: José Tomás Bulnes
Number of partners: 3 (Esteban Ovalle, José Tomás Bulnes and Oscar Lihn)

Firm Overview:
Founded in 2010, Ovalle Bulnes Abogados is a boutique firm exclusively dedicated to resolving high-complexity disputes, preventive analysis of legal contingencies, and alternative dispute resolution. The firm boasts a consolidated team of nationally and internationally renowned prestige, working together for over 14 years. The team stands out for providing each client with comprehensive, strategic, and personalized advisory services, with at least one of its partners involved in every case. The team possesses extensive and sophisticated experience in arbitration (domestic and international), civil and commercial litigation, construction, as well as highly relevant experience in administrative and insurance litigation. As one of the most recognized boutique firms in arbitration and litigation in Chile, the firm is present in some of the largest cases and providing services to the most important clients of our region.

Esteban Ovalle, the founding partner, was a partner at the litigation and arbitration department of the country's largest law firm (Carey), where he worked for 10 years. Partner José Tomás Bulnes is undoubtedly one of the finest litigators of his generation, earning significant recognition. He holds an LLM from University College London (UCL) (2015) and serves as an arbitrator at CAM Santiago, among other roles. Oscar Lihn, recently promoted as partner, also holds consistent recognition in several international publications. He previously worked in Herbert Smith Freehills (New York) in the field of international commercial arbitration and holds an LLM from Stanford University (USA).

Main Practice Areas: 

Arbitration 

In Arbitration the team is renowned for representing the following clients (among others):

1. AES ANDES and AES Corp., one of the main Chilean electric energy producing companies. The firm successfully represented both companies in an international commercial arbitration related to the construction of a hydroelectric plant in Chile. The amount in dispute was more than USD$150,000,000. (The firm work together with Claro y Cía. and with Hogan Lovells (Miami)).

2. Corporación del Cobre de Chile (Codelco), the world's largest copper mining company. Ovalle Bulnes is currently handling several of its most relevant and complex arbitration and litigation cases, for in total more than USD$300,000,000.

3. Sacyr, a key developer of complex infrastructure and service projects worldwide. The firm represented Sacyr in a USD$25,000,000 case against the Ministry of Public Works, due to conflicts arising from the construction of the Costanera Norte Central-Eastern Program, one of the most important infrastructures (road) works of recent decades in Chile. Currently, the firm represents Sacyr in another arbitration for more than USD$ 100,000,000.

4. Teck, one of the main mining companies in Canada with operations and projects in Canada, the United States, Chile and Peru in an arbitration for more than USD$30,000,000 initiated by a relevant subcontractor, for contracts signed under the Quebrada Blanca operation.

5. Vinci Construction Grands Projets (Agency in Chile): Vinci leads the joint venture responsible for the construction of the Santiago International Airport and is a global player in concessions and construction worldwide (operating in over 100 countries). The firm has represented Vinci since 2019 in their most significant arbitration proceedings against subcontractors involved in the construction and remodeling of the airport, the most important public work in Chile in recent decades. The firm has represented Vinci in at least five different arbitration proceedings, national and international, for in total more than USD$350,000,000.

6. Salfa Corp, in a USD$8,000,000 case against the Ministry of Public Works, for conflicts in the construction of a public highway in southern Chile.

7. Powerchina: Since 2021, we were retained to represent Powerchina in all the conflicts that arose during the construction of CEME1 Project, and currently in an ICC arbitration against Isotron.

8. Parque Arauco, that has hired the firm for its most important arbitrations during at least the past 8 years.

Litigation 

In Civil and Commercial litigation, the team is renowned for representing the following clients (among others):

1. Codelco: for more than 10 years, the firm has handled Codelco’s most relevant disputes, including various civil and commercial litigation cases, including four different proceedings concerning the construction of its corporate building.

2. Parque Arauco: The firm has represented the client for almost 10 years in their most relevant civil and commercial litigations, including over 40 cases under Consumer Rights regulations. Currently, the firm represents Parque Arauco in more than 150 litigation cases of several nature.

3. Siemens: A key player in the industry who hired the firm to represent them in a conflict over a supply contract.

4. Vinci Construction Grands Projets (Agency in Chile): Vinci leads the joint venture responsible for the construction of the Santiago International Airport and is a global player in concessions and construction worldwide (operating in over 100 countries). The firm has represented Vinci since 2019 in their most significant litigations against subcontractors and insurance companies involved in the construction and remodeling of the airport, the most important public work in Chile in recent decades.

5. Salfa Corp: In an USD$8,000,000 case against the Ministry of Public Works, concerning conflicts in the construction of a public road in southern Chile.

6. Consultora Tecnazul Cía.: A holding company in the construction industry based in Ecuador, that we represented in defending a favorable award of USD$17,000,000 obtained in an international commercial arbitration based in Santiago. The defeated party filed an annulment action before the Honorable Court of Appeals of Santiago, which was dismissed.

7. Macarena Schuster and Luisella Castaño as well as their families: The firm represented them for over 7 years in a lawsuit filed against the State of Chile before the Civil Courts of Chile regarding the CASA 212 airplane accident of the Chilean Air Force, which crashed near Juan Fernández Island (Chile). This case was won with a historic and multimillion-dollar ruling confirmed by the Supreme Court, awarding for each family the highest amount ever granted by the Supreme Court.

8. Jardín Infantil Mandarino: In the landmark trials arising from the death of a child in a school bus outside said kindergarten. This pro-bono case involved civil and insurance aspects, setting an innovative legal precedent.