Eelaw

Managing Partner: Paulina Riquelme Pallamar

Number of partners: 1

Number of other lawyers: 15

Firm Overview

Eelaw is a highly specialized law firm focused on environment, energy, and natural resources. The firm has extensive experience in the legal analysis required for the development and implementation of projects, administrative proceedings, and the interpretation of environmental regulations. Eelaw delivers innovative, advanced legal services on issues related to the sustainable use of natural resources.

Eelaw is committed to the compatibility between economic activity and sustainable development. It supports its clients in achieving their objectives while ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and fostering positive relationships with communities and their surroundings.

The firm has been recognized nationally and internationally for the performance, work ethic, and results achieved by its legal team, and has been featured in leading global publications.

At Eelaw, attorneys view challenges as opportunities. They apply flexible, innovative, and personalized legal strategies, tailored to the specific needs of each client. The firm not only relies on Chilean law but also incorporates best international environmental practices, bringing advanced perspectives to the local legal landscape.

Main Areas of Practice

• Project Development and Permitting

Eelaw advises companies and associations from diverse industries, offering strategic regulatory and technical-environmental perspectives. The firm designs and implements strategies for environmental impact assessments, permit management, and successful project execution across all stages of the life cycle: construction, operation, and closure.

• Environmental Compliance

Eelaw helps clients anticipate and prevent regulatory risks by identifying compliance gaps and designing corrective measures. The firm works closely with consultants and in-house teams, providing training to managers and professionals and fostering a culture of environmental compliance.

• Environmental Impact Assessment and Water Resources

Eelaw supports clients in all proceedings before the Environmental Assessment Service (SEA), guiding projects through the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA) until obtaining the environmental qualification resolution, including administrative or judicial challenges. The firm also advises on regulatory developments in water resources, particularly reforms to the Water Code and processes related to the exploitation or management of water.

• Regulatory Monitoring, Development, and Trends

Eelaw actively contributes to the design of environmental policies and regulations. It has advised public agencies and private stakeholders in shaping new environmental frameworks and provides legal support to industry associations, such as the National Mining Society (SONAMI).

• Circular Economy / Climate Change / Pollution Control

Eelaw advises clients on compliance with environmental regulations, reporting obligations, and remediation frameworks for contaminated sites. Beyond compliance, the firm helps clients raise environmental standards and actively engages in international regulatory discussions, such as the Minamata Convention, where its team has recognized expertise.

• Environmental Litigation

Eelaw defends clients in environmental and sectoral sanctioning proceedings, particularly before the Superintendency of the Environment, where it advised on the first Compliance Program ever filed in Chile. The firm’s attorneys also represent clients before Environmental Courts, Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court.

www.eelaw.cl