Category: News

Affinitas spoke to José Villafuerte, asssociate of Miranda & Amado since 2014, about his recent experience in Chile, where he spent 6 months as secondee.

José was selected to participate in Affinitas secondment program, which took him to Santiago de Chile, working at Affinitas’ member firm in Chile, Barros & Errázuriz. He lived through some very significant and historic moments and came back with a wealth of impressions and experiences he will not soon forget.

– José, why did you decide to participate in this program?
Because I was motivated to grow professionally and personally and I knew that the experience of working abroad (and in a firm with the prestige that B&E has) would help me achieve both goals. Whenever I can, I challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone because only then can I be sure that I am growing, and I could not imagine a better way to do this than working abroad, adapting to a new way of working and new colleagues.

– What area did you work in? What kind of matters did you handle?
I was assigned to the Financing and Infrastructure team, where I participated in the advice for the structuring of financing, as well as in the preparation and negotiation of construction, operation and maintenance contracts and several contracts related to the business of clients in that area. I was also part certain M&A and Capital Markets, where I was involved in company acquisitions and issuance of debt instruments.

– What do you highlight from your professional experience during the secondment?
I believe that working at B&E has allowed me to be more versatile in the types of assignments I am given, due to the variety of issues I have been able to see during my stay and thanks to the great work of the lawyers at B&E in structuring the secondment program, who from the first day were concerned that I could participate in a broad range of legal matters, and had the confidence to assign me complex assignments.

I also appreciate the experience of working on infrastructure issues, which is a subject I do not normally deal with on a daily basis, but which, partly due to the structure of the B&E areas (and also thanks to the confidence of people like Nicolás Balmaceda, Francisco de la Barra and Maria Olga Rivera) I was able to see more closely and learn in practice.
And in your personal experience?

I lived through a significant moment in the history of Chile and, like the entire B&E team, I believe that this phenomenon has generated several questions to the ideas and preconceptions that we have rarely tried to revise or rethink from a different perspective than our own. It is disturbing to recognize that many of the ideas we assume to be true are in fact correct, only from the point of view of our privileges. I believe that the life experience I take with me from this period in Chile is invaluable for many reasons, for the quality of people who have received me and welcomed me with great affection, for the great friends I made at B&E and for the lessons learned from a society that does not -and will not- stop surprising me.

“I lived through a significant moment in the history of Chile and, like the entire B&E team, I believe that this phenomenon has generated several questions to the ideas and preconceptions that we have rarely tried to revise or rethink from a different perspective than our own.”

– Is there anything else you would like to mention?
Just a word of thanks to the entire B&E team and especially to the Finance and Infrastructure team. I have learned a lot from them, I admire a lot the great work they do and I will always be grateful for their friendship.

 

 

Affinitas’ international secondment program, which was founded in 2004 and formalized 10 years later, offers young lawyers a unique opportunity to spend a number of months working in one of the other member firms, gaining both personal and professional experiences of a lifetime in the process. Selected lawyers have 5-6 years of professional experience, demonstrate outstanding professionalism, and an advanced level of English.

For more information on Affinitas’ Secondment Program, please contact Ms. Natalia Chu: nchu@affinitaslegal.com

The end of 2019 also meant the end of Patricio Rivas’ secondment program in Colombia, and the end to a great professional and personal adventure that had started 6 months earlier.

Patricio got interested in Affinitas’ secondment program after hearing about the experience of one of his fellow associates at Affinitas’ member firm in Mexico, Mijares, Angoitia, Cortés y Fuentes. He made his interest known to the Partner in his practice group and found himself soon on his way to Gómez-Pinzon Abogados in Colombia.
Patricio worked alongside Victor Ayalde, Camilo Romero, Paula de la Calle and Santiago Blanco in the Antitrust team of the Firm.

Reflecting on his experience, Patricio shares some professional and personal highlights:

“I left Mexico City on the 2nd of July to work for a period of 6 months in the Intellectual Property and Competition practice of the Firm headed by Partner Mauricio Jaramillo. It was such a great experience to work in a completely different environment, it really changed my perspective on a lot of things”.

“Basically, I was involved in similar work than what I was used to at Mijares: merger control proceedings and investigations by Colombia’s competition authority, the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC). The substance of the work was actually quite similar. The most relevant differences that I found, were the different are the time frames and thresholds for notifiable transactions. It was really very rewarding to see corporate behavior and business transactions through this different perspective. I think it has enriched my approach to antitrust law, and will no doubt help me throughout my career”.

“On a personal level, I could not be more grateful to my new friends in Colombia. I met so many new people and travelled to fantastic places – I greatly recommend Cartagena, such a wonderful city.”

“During my time at Gómez-Pinzon I participated actively in the many social and corporate events that are being organized. I had the opportunity for instance to speak at the breakfast meeting of the M&A practice on non-compete clauses and other restrictive covenants that apply in M&A transactions.”

“One of my personal highlights was participating in the 2019 edition of Rock & Law, a musical ‘Battle of the Bands’ event, celebrating Pro Bono activities of law firms in Colombia. I played the guitar in our band for the occasion ‘No Hay Derecho’ – really great fun!

 

 

“Another stand-out event was Gomez-Pinzón’s own version of “Shark Tank” – a competition to stimulate innovation and creativity in the Firm. The event took place in September, when 5 different teams presented their innovation projects before the jury. It was great to see how two projects got actual funding to implement their proposals. It was a really fresh way to engage lawyers and business professionals in the Firm.”

“But in the end, it will be the human connections that will stay with me the longest. Building these international friendships is an ideal way to bring our firms closer and build an integrated platform to service international clients and cross border projects.”

Affinitas’ international secondment program, which was founded in 2004 and formalized 10 years later, offers young lawyers a unique opportunity to spend a number of months working in one of the other member firms, gaining both personal and professional experiences of a lifetime in the process. Selected lawyers have 5-6 years of professional experience, demonstrate outstanding professionalism, and an advanced level of English.

For more information on Affinitas’ Secondment Program, please contact Ms. Milagros García mgarcia@affinitaslegal.com.

New experiences and international perspectives in Affinitas’ secondment program.

On November 22nd, Paola Gamboa ended her 6-month stay in Peru, concluding a successful secondment facilitated by Affinitas, where she switched her Colombian law firm Gómez-Pinzón for Miranda & Amado, Affinitas’ member firm in Peru.
Photo. Paola Gamboa, Associate – Gómez-Pinzón

“I came to Miranda & Amando with really high expectations, which were far surpassed. I remain with the deepest feeling of gratitude, affection and admiration for the Firm. I had the opportunity to work on several high-profile projects with top lawyers, each and every one committed and with a high sense of ownership for the matters they worked on.”

Paola had the opportunity to work with Partner Enrique Felices in the Regulatory and Administrative Law practice group.

Affinitas’ international secondment program, which was founded in 2004 and formalized 10 years later, offers young lawyers a unique opportunity to spend a number of months working in one of the other member firms, gaining both personal and professional experiences of a lifetime in the process. Selected lawyers have 5-6 years of professional experience, demonstrate outstanding professionalism, and an advanced level of English.

“From my time at Miranda & Amado, I take many anecdotes and great friendships with me; they always made me feel at home. I thank each of the partners, lawyers and staff for the “good vibes” and the kindness. Many thanks to the whole team; my time in Peru has been invaluable”.

Paola looks back on her secondment with great satisfaction. “It is an experience that I highly recommend. Not only is at a great opportunity from a professional perspective. It’s the personal growth and development opportunities that stand out”.

For more information on Affinitas’ Secondment Program, please contact Ms. Milagros García mgarcia@affinitaslegal.com.