Cristián Ruiz

Practice Areas

Enviroment

Natural resources

Water rights

Administrative law

Career

Lawyer graduated from the Catholic University of Chile and has several studies of specialization in environmental law and administrative sanctioning law. He has extensive experience in environmental law, natural resources and administrative law, having worked, among other activities, in the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic.

Based on his ability to identify risks and design assertive legal strategies, he has participated in advisory services in matters of high operational criticality within the framework of the SEIA and has provided effective defense in sanctioning procedures before the SMA and in judicial procedures in environmental matters. Additionally, he develops academic activities in the area, being a professor of the Diploma of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Catholic University of Chile since 2019.

Professional Memberships

• Chilean Environmental Law Association (ACHIDAM)

• Energy and Resources Law Association (ERLaw)

• The Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law.

Publications

• “Environmental Auditing. Current perspective and possibilities of deepening”. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, “Temas de actualidad” (2015).

• “Legal nature of desalinated water. Justification of the current scenario under the current legal regime”. Universidad de Chile, “Proceedings of the VII, XIIIy XV Jornadas de derecho de minería” (2018).

• “Baseline and adaptive management as tools to face the challenge of climate change in environmental impact assessment,” Environmental Law Review No. 12 (2019).

• “Climate change in environmental impact assessment: baseline and adaptive management as tools to face the challenge.” Universidad de Chile, Revista de Derecho Ambiental N° 12 (2019).

Personal

I am characterized for being an analytical, creative professional who is fully committed to each matter, executing them with dedication and diligence.

I have built my profile based on almost 15 years of experience, which began with the litigation team of the Alblagli Zaliasnik Law Firm, and later enriched with a period in the public sector, when I did an internship in a public agency in Australia (ODPP, NSW) and then worked in the Office of the Attorney General of the Comptroller General of the Republic.

In that institution I got involved in actions derived from control in matters of national relevance -in legal and/or political terms- related to Environmental, Administrative and Urban Law; which allows me to incorporate within my scheme of analysis the nuances and particularities associated with management and public decision making.

Subsequently, I joined the environmental team of Carcelén, Desmadryl, Guzmán y Tapia, where I developed an outstanding professional practice in environmental law, regulation, natural resources law and administrative law, complementing my professional practice with specialization courses and academic activities.

In this area, I have provided strategic advice in the design and execution of projects submitted to the Environmental Impact Assessment System, as well as identifying risks and action plans in case of operational, administrative or judicial contingencies. I have also participated in the design and processing of Environmental Impact Studies and Statements, Relevance Consultations and sectorial permits. Likewise, I have developed the defense in sanctioning procedures followed before the Environmental Superintendence (discharges and compliance programs), as well as before other sectorial organisms. In these matters, I have provided legal advice in claims before the Committee of Ministers and in judicial appeals before the Environmental Courts, Courts of Appeals and the Supreme Court.

I also have experience developing due diligence and environmental audits and risk matrices associated with compliance with regulations and permits.