BUSTAMANTE FABARA

Managing Partner: María Rosa Fabara

Chairman of the Board: José Rafael Bustamante Espinosa

Partners: Jesús M. Beltrán, Juan Carlos Bustamante, José Rafael Bustamante C., Juan Felipe Bustamante, Francisco Bustamante Luna, Josemaría Bustamante, María Clara Bustamante, Hugo García Larriva, Ricardo Menéndez Ycaza, Diego Pino Roditti, Patricia Ponce, Diego Ramírez Mesec, Francisco Vacas Dávila, Rafael Valdivieso, Mariana Villagómez.

Number of lawyers worldwide: +125

Languages: Spanish, English

Firm Overview:

BUSTAMANTE FABARA, boasting a legal track record of more than 68 years, is renowned for setting the standard in legal services across Ecuador and Latin America. Its dynamic team, comprised of over 125 skilled multidisciplinary attorneys and a dedicated staff of more than 190 professionals, offers extensive and consistent legal and accounting solutions across 24 diverse practice areas. BUSTAMANTE FABARA prides itself on its global reach, catering to the needs of clients both in the local sphere and internationally, with a network of correspondents spanning the globe.

BUSTAMANTE FABARA is proud to be the sole full-service law firm in Ecuador that boasts equal gender representation in its management team. Although the roles of President and CEO are occupied by men, the positions of Managing Partner and Administrative Manager are held by women. Of its total collaborators, 24% are female Partners, 56% are female Directors, and 41% are female lawyers.

Main Practice Areas:

Banking and Finance:

We have vast experience in providing all legal services required by banks, financial institutions, and in the fiduciary and stock market fields. Our main areas of specialization include advising on drafting banking, investment, financing, and other contracts related to the activities of entities authorized to operate in these sectors, creating fiduciary structures, providing comprehensive advice on bond issuance and securitization processes, and more.

Competition:

This service focuses primarily on legal and economic advice, conducting due diligence to identify opportunities for improvement, and adapting the company's activities to the new legal regime in force in Ecuador since October 2011. It also includes advising on mergers, preparing mandatory notifications to the Superintendence of Economic Competition, and providing legal advice and representation in processes initiated by the Superintendence of Economic Competition

Corporate:

It constitutes one of the fundamental cores of the Firm's activity. It covers the entire spectrum of business, financial, and commercial transactions that a company must carry out in the normal course of its operations. The advice provided to companies is distinguished by the extensive real-world business experience of our lawyers. This experience enables the Firm to understand and address its clients’ needs and solve their problems comprehensively and efficiently.

Commercial:

The Firm handles various issues related to the drafting of contracts and contractual negotiation. The legal team has vast experience in designing contracts that best protect the interests of the clients. The experience of BUSTAMANTE FABARA includes advising on the commercial consequences of the stipulations of any contract, as well as the negotiation of final clauses.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution:

BUSTAMANTE FABARA has the necessary infrastructure and the experience of the professionals of the area, to initiate or to face judicial or arbitral actions before the diverse courts of Ecuador, in all the branches of the law.

Energy & Natural Resources:

For many years, the firm has been advising several multinational companies in the oil, mining, and energy sectors, meeting their legal needs before the respective regulatory bodies and defending their interests against public and private interference. The team carries out detailed monitoring of business opportunities, new projects, privatizations, and other developments that may arise throughout the ongoing liberalization process in these sectors in Ecuador.

Intellectual Property:

The firm has a division specialized in advising on and managing all aspects related to the protection of intellectual property rights and new technologies. In this regard, the firm is responsible for protecting the intellectual property rights of natural and legal persons, both national and foreign, in Ecuador and other countries.

Labour:

The firm covers essential labor relations, including employment contracts, individual and collective bargaining, labor organization formation, termination, and retirement advice. The department, comprising 17 legal experts, also specializes in Social Security, industrial safety, special labor regimes, labor litigation, and personnel selection.

Public Law, Public Procurement & Concessions:

BUSTAMANTE FABARA has established as one of its main objectives the achievement of the highest level of specialized legal advice demanded by the particular nature of relations with the Public Administration. We are aware that the possibility of carrying out the desired activities will frequently depend on the proper execution of this work. The firm is capable of providing its clients with the support they need to successfully manage their relations with public authorities and thus guarantee the best defense of their interests.

Real Estate:

The main objective of the Real Estate Division is to fully develop the concept of Real Estate Management, which encompasses comprehensive legal advice to ensure that all processes required for the implementation, development, and liquidation of a real estate project occur in a timely, organized, and efficient manner.

Tax:

The legal practice of the tax area has merged with the accounting and financial practice to offer our clients comprehensive advice. The professionals in the tax area include lawyers specialized in tax and business law, as well as financial accountants with expertise in accounting, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and transfer pricing.