Grupo Evans

Partners: Aurelio de Diego, Eugenio Evans, Jose Miguel Hernández, Cristóbal Illanes, Fernando Molina, Sebastián Yunge
Number of lawyers, engineers, and other professionals: 40
Contact: www.grupoevans.cl

Firm Overview:
Grupo Evans provides comprehensive and strategic legal advice in matters of economic regulations related to private investment, with particular emphasis in the areas of regulatory law, electrical, constitutional, environmental, administrative, corporate law, and tax, including litigation before the Supreme, Appeals, Constitutional, Environment, and First Instance courts.

Additionally, Grupo Evans has developed a practice area without precedence in Chilean law firms by integrating engineers with extensive experience in the development of investment projects, andhave been actively involved in the direction of some of the largest initiatives of the local energy industry.

In 2022 the firm launched its Green Hydrogen practice.

Main Areas of Practice:

• Energy

Processing of judicial and administrative concessions, including mining concessions, electricity, gas, fiscal property, public utility easements, and others.

Advice on the construction of power generation projects and their works (transmission lines, substations, gas pipelines, aqueducts, and others), as well as the strategic design and analysis of socio-environmental feasibility for their layouts.

Advice and litigation before the Panel of Electrical Experts. Due Diligence of energy generation, distribution, and transmission projects. Preparation of legal reports in support of the analysis and resolution of complex legal situations, conflict of rights, concessions, and technical-legal matters.

Advice on the participation in blocks tenders, and in transmission systems expansion.

Negotiations and execution of common electrical, civil, and commercial contracts in project development, such as electrical-connection agreements and use of third-party facilities; power and energy purchase agreements (PPA); private or open tenders, including analysis of commercial and technical bases in call for tenders, among others.

• Project Development, Environmental & Sustainability, Natural Resources

Advice to large projects in natural resources, especially renewable energy projects.

Support in environmental matters, indigenous rights, water rights, regulation of electricity, litigation, territorial negotiations with owners, administrative procedures, electric concessions and mining protection, including legal defence in administrative and judicial claims.

Green Hydrogen:
Comprehensive advice on the structuring and development of GH2 projects.

• Constitutional & Administrative Law

Advise to individuals and governmental agencies in highly complex issues involving to this practice. Administrative sanctioning law and defence before the Constitutional Court, preparation of legal reports and opinions. Advice on all regulated markets. and administrative matters, mining activities, energy projects, real estate development, environmental licensing and, in general, large infrastructure projects

• Litigation, Arbitration, Dispute & Resolution

Preventive strategic advice on dispute resolution, including assistance in mediation, negotiation or in technical assessment procedures. Administrative and legal dispute resolution to support the development of large investment projects.

Representation of clients in the power industry, mining, real estate, and large infrastructure projects, in national and international arbitration, before environmental courts, the Supreme and Appeals Courts, the Constitutional Court, in national and international arbitration and First Instance courts.

• Environment and Sustainability

Strategic advice on the granting of authorizations, and regulatory compliance as required by environmental and sectorial legislation for the development of all kinds of projects, including environmental audits. Advice on project design and development strategies. Due diligence and environmental compliance. Preparation of legal reports in support of the analysis and resolution of complex environmental matters, amongst others. Representation in procedures carried out through the Environmental Impact Assessment System, including proceedings before sectorial authorities. Litigation before environmental courts.

• Mining, Natural Resources, Water Rights

Comprehensive advice on mining concessions, regulatory issues, easements, strategic land issues, water rights, desalination, aqueducts, environmental issues, communities, energy, and compliance, among others. Actions and proceedings before the General Water Directorate (Dirección General de Aguas -DGA) for the authorization of transfers and adjustments of water rights, approval of hydraulic works. Development of desalination and water-reuse projects. Strategic analysis on water-supply feasibility for investment projects. Litigation and dispute resolution. Due diligence in hydraulic projects and water rights. Legal and technical reports.

• Corporate & M&A

Extensive support on corporate matters. Due diligence in M&A. Development of strategic corporate structures for foreign investors and domestic companies. Integral management in bankruptcy reorganizations and liquidations. Representation in corporate, civil or shareholder’s conflicts. Ongoing general advice to domestic and foreign companies.

• Urban Planning

Comprehensive advice on the structuring and development of urban projects. Analysis and resolution of complex urban and territorial matters.

• Tax

Preparation of tax efficiency design for foreign investors and domestic companies. Tax advice for the development of national and international operations, and in due diligence