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COURAGE THAT
LEADS,
EXPERIENCE
THAT GUIDES

WHO WE ARE

Federico Chalela Miembro del Equipo 2 Miembro del Equipo 3 Miembro del Equipo 4
ENERGY
POWERING
THE FUTURE

WHO ARE WE?

Chalela I Abogados was founded in 2014

We are a distinguished boutique law firm founded by Federico Chalela with a clear vision that has driven our 11 years of history.

María José Romero became a partner in 2024

Llega en 2023 con una misión: poner el derecho al servicio de la sostenibilidad. Ese año empezó a consolidar el área de Sostenibilidad Ambiental, haciendo realidad su propósito de liderar una práctica capaz de transformar positivamente los territorios y generar valor más allá del cumplimiento normativo.

In 2025, Alejandro Badel and María Holguín join the firm

Alejandro ingreso para fortalecer el área de hidrocarburos, centrado en la estructuración y negociación de transacciones nacionales e internacionales; María Holguín se incorpora para reforzar estratégicamente el área de práctica Corporativa, elevando la capacidad de la firma para manejar proyectos de alta complejidad transaccional y regulada.

With these four profiles at the helm

The firm has consolidated a team of multidisciplinary lawyers who are experts in the various practice areas. We have brought our expertise to more than 130 clients over these 11 years; we also represent entrepreneurs, foreign investors, sponsors, and projects in their local and cross-border legal challenges, with responsive and comprehensive advice.

WE ARE DRIVEN BY THE MYSTIQUE OF EXCELLENCE

We are a highly creative and multidisciplinary team that drives and supports the future of each process with a proprietary working method that simplifies the complex.

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Federico Chalela

MANAGING PARTNER

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Federico CHALELA

MANAGING PARTNER
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Federico has more than 16 years of experience and has focused his practice on projects, litigation, and corporate law for the oil and gas, energy, infrastructure, real estate, public utilities, and other regulated industries. He has specific experience in the structuring and implementation of transactions, day-to-day matters, and the resolution of commercial disputes, both domestic and cross-border.

Federico has been a member of highly regarded domestic and international law firms in Bogotá and New York City, and has held several in-house counsel positions in the oil and gas industry (covering upstream, midstream, and field operation commercial activities), and has represented a wide variety of domestic, multinational, multilateral, and quasi-governmental companies on a broad range of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings (including Rule 144A and Reg S), real estate, corporate financings and restructurings, industrial project financings, divestitures, domestic arbitration, and court litigation. He has a strong academic background in both civil law and common law traditions. He holds a specialization in Administrative Law and an LL.M. in Corporate Law from New York Law School. Federico has been a professor of Civil Law Obligations I, Property Law, and Commercial Law at Universidad del Rosario. He is also a member of the panel of arbitrators of the arbitration center of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce in the areas of Energy and Commercial Law.

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Maria José Romero

Partner / ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

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MARIA JOSÉ ROMERO

PARTNER / ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
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Attorney with more than 17 years of experience in the mining and energy sector in socio-environmental matters, natural resources, community relations, and support in prior consultation processes.

Master's degree in Environmental Management, Universidad de los Andes. Specialization in Administrative Law, Universidad Javeriana. Specialization in Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, Universidad Externado de Colombia. Assistant professor of the Master's programs in Environmental Management and in Development Management and Practice at the School of Management of Universidad de Los Andes, teaching the elective course Organizations and Global Issues (2021).

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Alejandro Badel

PARTNER / CORPORATE AND M&A

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Alejandro Badel

SOCIO / CORPORATIVO Y M&A
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Alejandro has more than 18 years of experience in the hydrocarbons industry (upstream, midstream, downstream), with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors. He has been an attorney with the National Hydrocarbons Agency, a member of recognized law firms, and has held management positions in the legal and commercial areas of multinational oil and gas companies.

His practice focuses on the structuring and negotiation of domestic and international transactions, asset management, the commercialization of hydrocarbons, advice on contractual and regulatory matters, competitive bidding processes, joint ventures, and due diligence processes.

Alejandro holds a law degree from the Pontifical Bolivarian University in Medellín and a specialization in Commercial Law from the Externado University of Colombia.

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María Holguín

PARTNER / CORPORATE AND M&A

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María Holguín

PARTNER / CORPORATE AND M&A
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Attorney with more than 20 years of experience in the hydrocarbons, air transport, media, and ST+I sectors. She has focused her practice on the support and advisory of boards of directors and other corporate bodies, as well as on the design of management, corporate governance, and decision-making models. She has led legal structuring processes in strategic projects involving energy transition, technological innovation, and the development of new businesses, as well as innovation initiatives and corporate venture capital.

She has held management positions at domestic and international companies, and has been in-house counsel at public-sector companies in the hydrocarbons [and energy] sectors. Attorney from Universidad del Rosario with a Specialization in Private Economic Law from Universidad Nacional.

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Felipe Chalela

CONSULTANT

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Felipe Chalela

CONSULTANT
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Attorney with more than 20 years of experience across a wide variety of industries and sectors. He has been a member of Colombian law firms, and in-house counsel in senior and managerial roles for a major financial institution, for a consumer goods company, for a Colombia-based oilfield services company, and for an agro-industrial products company.

Felipe has focused his practice on corporate and commercial law, regulation of financial and capital (equity) markets, financial-law regulation, among others. His experience as in-house counsel (multinational) gives him a valuable ability to provide sound advice efficiently for complex day-to-day challenges, with a comprehensive yet pragmatic approach. He has served as Compliance Officer for SAGRILAFT and PTEE. Master's degree in Corporate Law of Colombia, Universidad Internacional de la Rioja. Specialization in Capital Markets Law, Universidad Javeriana.

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Cristina Fajardo

ASSOCIATE / DISPUTE RESOLUTION

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Cristina Fajardo

ASSOCIATE / DISPUTE RESOLUTION
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Cristina is Managing Associate of the Dispute Resolution practice at Chalela I Abogados.

Attorney from Universidad de los Andes and a specialist in Public Management and Administrative Institutions from the same university. She holds an LL.M. in International Litigation and Arbitration from University College London (UCL), London. Cristina has more than ten years of experience as party counsel in domestic and international court proceedings and arbitrations. She has focused her practice on mining and energy, infrastructure (road and port), construction, and mass passenger transit litigation. Before joining Chalela | Abogados, Cristina was part of the litigation and arbitration practice of leading domestic and international firms, advising a broad range of domestic and international clients on the resolution of their disputes. She has also been part of the defense team for public entities at the district and national levels in complex arbitrations arising out of concession and public works contracts. Cristina currently serves as a professor of Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms (ADR).

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Julián Fernández

ASSOCIATE / CORPORATE AND COMPLIANCE MATTERS

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Julián Fernández

ASSOCIATE / CORPORATE AND COMPLIANCE MATTERS
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Attorney with 5 years of experience, focused on commercial law, corporate matters, and litigation.

He has experience in corporate law, contract law, day-to-day corporate matters, incorporation and dissolution of companies, due diligence processes, M&A transactions, the structuring and negotiation of civil, commercial, and corporate contracts, as well as in litigation before the ordinary and administrative jurisdictions and before arbitration tribunals. In December 2018 he received a distinction from the Ministry of Education for his results on the Saber Pro 2017 state examination, scoring among the highest nationally in Law. He is currently pursuing a Specialization in Commercial Law at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.

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Laura Daniela Díaz

ASSOCIATE / PROJECTS

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Laura Daniela Díaz

ASSOCIATE / PROJECTS
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Attorney with experience in Project Structuring and Financing, Corporate Law, and Compliance.

She has experience in project structuring and financing, regulatory matters specific to the energy, oil, and gas industry, the review and analysis of industry-specific contracts, as well as in legal assistance and advice on day-to-day corporate matters. Laura is an attorney from Universidad del Rosario with academic distinction in Justice and Democracy.

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Laura Camila Bohada

ASSOCIATE / CORPORATE AND M&A

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Laura Camila Bohada

ASSOCIATE / CORPORATE AND COMPLIANCE MATTERS
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Attorney with notable experience in corporate, commercial, labor, and procedural law.

Laura is a graduate of the School of Jurisprudence of Universidad del Rosario, with distinction in Private Law and Criminal Law. She stands out in the drafting and performance of contracts, infrastructure consulting, and preparation of legal documents. Her experience includes advisory on corporate governance matters, where she has demonstrated her ability to provide timely and effective solutions, always with an interdisciplinary approach.

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Santiago Medina

ASSOCIATE / ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

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Santiago medina

ASSOCIATE / ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
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ATTORNEY WITH EXPERIENCE IN PRIVATE, CORPORATE, AND REGULATORY LAW.

Graduate of the School of Law, Political and Social Sciences of Universidad Nacional de Colombia. He has worked in various legal settings, including the drafting of legal documents at a private firm, academic research, and institutional practice in the financial sector. His time at the Colombian Financial Superintendence allowed him to develop skills in drafting judicial decisions on insurance law. He participated actively in a research seminar, with academic output on testamentary freedom. He is currently pursuing a Specialization in Private Economic Law at Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

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María Paula Lucena

ASSOCIATE / CORPORATE AND M&A

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María Paula Lucena

ASSOCIATE / CORPORATE AND M&A
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ATTORNEY WITH EXPERIENCE IN HUMAN RIGHTS, INTERNATIONAL LAW, AND PUBLIC LAW.

Graduate of the School of Jurisprudence of Universidad del Rosario, with distinction in Private Law. She has provided advice and participated in strategic litigation in civil law, family law, and public law, and has spoken at academic forums. Her research work has focused on international economic law and international arbitration, with participation in research projects on the limits of States' regulatory capacity in those areas.

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Alejandro Silva

Associate / Corporate and M&A

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Alejandro Silva

ASSOCIATE / CORPORATE AND M&A
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Lawyer from Universidad de los Andes with a Diploma in Renewable Energies from the same university. He has developed expertise in infrastructure, energy, and public law, with experience in legal structuring of projects, due diligence, and review of concession and EPC contracts.

He has been part of the infrastructure and energy team at a law firm in Colombia, where he participated in the verification of material contracts for the financing of renewable energy projects, as well as in the legal structuring of hospital and educational infrastructure projects.

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Michelle lichtenberger

ASSOCIATE / DISPUTE RESOLUTION

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MICHELLE LICHTENBERGER

ASSOCIATE / DISPUTE RESOLUTION
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TRILINGUAL LAWYER (SPANISH, ENGLISH, GERMAN) WITH MORE THAN 6 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN CIVIL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND COMMERCIAL MATTERS, WITH EMPHASIS ON PROCEDURAL STRATEGY DESIGN, ACCOMPANIMENT AND REPRESENTATION IN DECLARATORY, SPECIAL, ENFORCEMENT AND FAMILY PROCEEDINGS, AS WELL AS IN ADMINISTRATIVE JUDICIAL REMEDIES AND TUTELA ACTIONS.

HAS EXPERIENCE IN INSOLVENCY, REORGANIZATION AND JUDICIAL INTERVENTION PROCEEDINGS FOR ILLEGAL FUNDRAISING OFFENSES. SHE HAS DEVELOPED HER PRACTICE WITH A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION, COMBINING HER INTERNATIONAL BACKGROUND WITH STRONG STRATEGIC AND REPRESENTATION CAPABILITIES. LLM IN INTERNATIONAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION. SPECIALIST IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LAW.

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Miguel Ángel Velasco

ASSOCIATE / DISPUTE RESOLUTION

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MIGUEL ÁNGEL VELASCO

ASSOCIATE / DISPUTE RESOLUTION
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LAWYER WITH EXPERIENCE IN LITIGATION, INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC ARBITRATION IN MATTERS RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SERVICES, ENERGY AND COMMERCIAL LAW.LAWYER WITH EXPERIENCE IN LITIGATION, INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC ARBITRATION IN MATTERS RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SERVICES, ENERGY AND COMMERCIAL LAW.

GRADUATE OF UNIVERSIDAD LIBRE. HE HAS SERVED AS COUNSEL IN THE AREA OF LITIGATION AND INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC ARBITRATION IN MATTERS RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SERVICES, ENERGY AND COMMERCIAL LAW. HE WAS AN INTERN IN THE AREA OF INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION AND CIVIL MATTERS FOR ECIJA - CENTRAL AMERICA AND RESEARCH ASSISTANT AT THE DELEGATED ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE CONCILIATION IN MATTERS RELATED TO LAW 80 OF 1993 AND ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS, AS WELL AS RESEARCHER FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND BUSINESS AREA OF THE KONRAD-ADENAUER FOUNDATION. MEMBER OF THE YOUTH ARBITRATION NETWORK. SENIOR MEMBER OF THE COLOMBIAN ASSOCIATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL PROCEDURAL LAW. SOCIAL - INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION TRAINER AT THE ARBITRATION AND CONCILIATION CENTER OF THE BOGOTÁ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

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Felipe Sarmiento

ASSOCIATE / DISPUTE RESOLUTION

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Felipe Sarmiento

ASSOCIATE / DISPUTE RESOLUTION
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Lawyer with experience in litigation, domestic and international arbitration, and dispute resolution, with a focus on infrastructure, energy, oil and gas, administrative law, and commercial law.

Felipe has experience representing domestic and international clients in judicial proceedings, arbitration, and complex disputes, particularly in the infrastructure, energy, and oil and gas sectors. He has been involved in domestic and international arbitration proceedings, as well as matters related to administrative law, public procurement, contract performance, royalties, and commercial disputes. In addition, he has advised energy companies on dispute prevention and resolution, as well as regulatory and contractual matters. He is currently pursuing an LL.M. at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), with a focus on international arbitration.

ADMINISTRATION

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Diana Muñoz

Administrative and Financial Director

Monica

Mónica Romero

Finance and Administration Manager

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Jenny Cañón

Administrative Assistant

Sergio Motta

Sergio Motta

Graphic Designer

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Dora Ballesteros

General Services

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