Experience

Juan Eduardo Palma J. is the Managing Partner of the firm, having focused his career on arbitration and corporate law, as well as on insolvency and financial law matters.

His professional career has led him to become a reputed national arbitrator, being highlighted in that sense by the prestigious international publication Chambers & Partners as one of the most famous arbitrators in Chile.

Likewise, Mr. Palma has distinguished himself as an academic of the Chair of Commercial Law at the University of Chile, where he has taught classes to generations of lawyers for more than 40 years.

On the other hand, he has served as counselor of the Chilean Bar Association A.G., has been a member of the Board of important companies in the country, such as the former Banco BHIF, Canon Chile S.A. and Itochu Chile S.A., and actively participates in international associations of lawyers, having been also regional secretary for South America and president of Administration Commission of the Law Firm of the International Union of Lawyers.

University education

• Universidad de Chile, Faculty of Law, 1973. Montenegro Award of best graduate of its generation, 1973.
• Title of Lawyer granted by the Supreme Court of Justice, 1975.

Academic activities and publications

• Professor of Commercial Law, Faculty of Law of the Universidad de Chile, from 1974 to date.
• Montenegro Award of best graduate of its generation, Faculty of Law of the Universidad de Chile.
• Author of national and foreign publications: i.e. “Considerations on the principle of administrative legality”, Yearbook of Administrative Law, 1975-1976; “Investment in Chile”, International Investment Review, 2001; “Mergers & Acquisitions in Chile”, Mergers and Acquisitions Yearbook, 2001; International Financial Law Review; “Legal aspects related to privileged information in accordance with current Chilean legislation”, Commercial Law Magazine, 2010.
• Speaker in multiple seminars, Universidad de Chile.
• Speaker at national and foreign seminars.
• Part of the student exchange program of the James B. Conant High School, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States of America, 1968-1969.

Professional career

• Former director of the British Chilean Chamber of Commerce.
• Former director of Banco Bhif.
• Former counselor of the Chilean Bar Association.
• Partner at Vial and Palma Abogados.
• Senior Partner at Palma

Representative experience

• Represented Banco BBVA Chile and the banking union in the financing granted to Southern Cross Group for the acquisition of Petrobras Chile.
• Represented Banco Internacional and the bank union composed of Banco Consorcio and China Construction Bank in the financing granted to the Chilean company PSINet Chile S.A. for the financing of the austral fiber optic project that will provide fiber optics to the extreme south of Chile.
• Represented the sellers of LGS Chile in the sale of the company to Brinks Group.
• Represented Banco BBVA Chile and Itaú Corpbanca in the restructuring of the loans of Clínica Bupa S.A.
• Represented Banco Santander Chile and creditors’ union composed of Penta Vida and BTG Pactual Chile S.A. Life insurance company, in the financing granted to Grupo Anpac for the development of hydroelectric power stations throughout the country.
• Represented Banco Itaú Corpbanca in financing granted to NH Hotels Group for financing for Hotel NH Vitacura.
• Represented Banco Santander Chile and Banco BBVA Chile in the credit granted to the department store Chile Casa e Ideas.
• Represented Banco Internacional, Banco Security and Banco BTG Pactual in a syndicated credit granted to automotive company Chilena Autofín S.A.

Memberships

• Member of the Arbitrators, Mediation and Arbitration Center, Chamber of Commerce of Santiago.
• Member of the Chilean Bar Association A.G.
• Member of the National Arbitration Center.
• Member of the International Bar Association.
• Former Regional Secretary of South America, “Union Internationale des Avocats”, Section IV.
• Former President of the Administration Commission of Law Firms, “Union Internationale des Avocats” (UIA).
• Member of the Department of Commercial Law of the Faculty of Law of the University of Chile.

Languages

Spanish and English.