José Ignacio Morán

Practice Areas

Environment and Natural Resources, Water Law, Mining, ESG, Community relations, Goverment relations, and Dispute Resolution.

Career

José Ignacio Morán is a partner of the Dentons' office in Santiago. He is the Global Mining & Natural Resources Sector Leader, and he is a member of the Global ESG Steering Committee.

José Ignacio's practice focuses on environmental and natural resources, specializing in water law. He has extensive experience in administrative proceedings and specialized litigation. Likewise, he provides strategic advice to various companies in their relationship with communities and indigenous people and makes sustainable investment decisions under the ESG criteria.

He advises a wide range of clients, including mining, energy, industrial and agricultural companies. In recent years, José Ignacio has assisted with environmental and natural resources issues in some of the large and most complex mining and energy projects in Chile, which involve an investment of more than US$20,000 million.

Before joining Dentons, he had a boutique law firm (Nieto Morán & Co.) specializing in natural resources, environment, and complex litigation.

Professional Memberships

Chilean Bar Association.

Member, Environmental Commission of the Chilean Bar Association, 2019 – Present

Founding Member of the Chilean Water Law Association, 2022- Present

Publications

Author, "Chile’s newly announced National Lithium Strategy – What miners need to know," Dentons Mining Law Blog, June 6, 2023

Co-author, "Green Energy: Latin America’s Next Big Natural Resources Opportunity?" The Guide to Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance, Latin Lawyer, December 2022

Co-author, "What the Mining Industry can learn from Chile’s Shift to Green Hydrogen," Mining Law Canada Blog, June 3, 2022

Co-author, “Regulation of glaciers in Chile; new bills and their possible impact on the mining industry,” Chile trends and developments, Chambers and Partners, London, United Kingdom, 2021

Co-author, “Mining Law Practice Guide: Chile,” Chambers and Partners, London, United Kingdom, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

Author, “Water Code: Challenges for a transversal and shared public policy,” Revista del Abogado N° 68, Colegio de Abogados de Chile, Santiago, Chile, 2016

Author, “Some difficulties that arise in the development of small hydroelectric plants,” Actas de Derecho de Aguas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, 2015

Author, “Water Legislation in Chile: The Need for Reform,” Practical Law. Multi-jurisdictional Guide, London, United Kingdom, 2014 – 2015

Co-author, “Mining Business: Chile Offers Economic Stability and a Clear Legal Framework,” Business and Law Journal, Hong Kong, China, 2012

Author, "Miner Waters," Justicia Ambiental, Santiago, Chile, 2011

Personal

The University of Sydney, 2013, LL.M. in Environmental Law.

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2009, JD.

Languages Spoken

Spanish and English.