Solange Villarroel

Practice Areas

Water law.

Permits.

Rights of way.

Career

Attorney from Universidad de Chile. Master of Laws – LL.M. in American Law, International Business Concentration from Boston University School of Law. Diploma in Social Management of Natural Resources from the Faculty of Social Sciences of Universidad de Chile. Diploma in Climate Change and Low Carbon Development from the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the same university. She joined VGC Abogados in 2014, where she has focused her practice on water law, permits, and natural resources. Currently, she is the director of the Natural Resources area. Previously, she was a research assistant at the Environmental Center of the Law School of Universidad de Chile, the "Center for International Sustainable Development Law," and the Center for Climate and Resilience Science (CR2).

Professional Memberships

Active member of the Chilean Bar Association.

Publications

Strategic Stakeholder Management in a Non-Conventional Renewable Energy Project: Lessons from the Chiloé Wind Project. Energy, Climate Change and Sustainability. A View from the Law. Environmental Law Center, Faculty of Law, University of Chile, Coordinator, Pilar Moraga Sariego. June 2013.

Diagnosis & Challenges of CDM from Different Levels of Governance: The Case of Chile, September 2010, Prepared for the 2nd UNITAR & Yale University Conference on Environmental Governance and Democracy, New Haven, USA.

Clean Development Mechanism: Diagnosis and Challenges, November 2009. In: The New Legal Framework for Climate Change. Ed. Pilar Moraga, Santiago, Chile, Environmental Law Center, Faculty of Law, University of Chile.

Institutional Reforms in the Clean Development Mechanism in View of a Post-Kyoto Agreement, November 2009, In The New Legal Framework for Climate Change. Ed. Pilar Moraga, Santiago, Chile, Environmental Law Center, Faculty of Law, University of Chile.

Patagonia Proposal, In: The Copenhagen Protocol on Climate Change, NIELSEN, Laura et al. Ed, DJOF Publishing, Copenhagen, March 2009.

Languages Spoken

Spanish and English.

Industry Sector Expertise

Energy

Mining

Agriculture.

Cement Industry.

Oil an gas.

Aquaculture.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Chile

Experience

Vergara, Galindo y Correa Abogados Santiago, Chile

Attorney in the Projects and Natural Resources Area June 2014-Present

• Preparation of legal memoranda, development of permit strategies, legal matrices, legal audits and due diligence for photovoltaic projects.

• Advisory services for environmental assessment of projects.

• Preparation of Appeals before the Committee of Ministers.

• Advisory services for the development of Closure Plans for mining projects.

• Participation in inspections by the Regional Health Authority and preparation of responses to Health Proceedings.

• Advisory services regarding obtaining health authorizations.

• Advisory services for processing applications for Onerous Use Concessions and Easements before the Ministry of National Assets.

• Processing of applications before the General Water Authority (Water Rights, Permits for Channel Modification and Major Hydraulic Works).

Columbia Global Center-Chile Santiago, Chile

Research Assistant April-May 2014

• Organization of the visit of Columbia University's Chaplain

Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2

Research Assistant in the Human Dimension Area Santiago, Chile

• Organization of the Climate Justice dialogue, in conjunction with the Climate Change office of the 2013 Ministry of Environment of the Government of Chile and the World Resources Institute (WRI)

Centre for International Sustainable Development Law & International Development

Law Organization (CISDL & IDLO) Montreal, Canada

Researcher 2011-2013

• Member of the delegation at the II Preparatory Meeting for Rio+20, New York, USA

• Researcher in the Human Rights Group.

Environmental Law Center, Faculty of Law, University of Chile Santiago, Chile

Research Assistant 2008-2013

• Author of a diagnostic and reform proposal for the Clean Development Mechanism in Chile.

• Assistant for the Energy, Environment and Regulation Program.

• Collaborator in the preparation of Valentina Durán's presentations to the Chilean Parliament regarding the creation of new environmental institutions.

General Coordinator of the IV and VI Environmental Law Conferences

• Organization of events with more than 400 attendees and 45 Chilean and foreign presenters.

• Coordination of the editing of books: Proceedings of the IV Environmental Law Conference and The New Legal Framework for Climate Change.

• Coordination of the installation and presentation of the Minimum Monument artwork by Brazilian sculptor Nele Azevedo.

Education