The ‘highly specialised team’ at BCP Abogados specialises in criminal compliance, anti-corruption, money laundering prevention, and counterterrorism. The compliance unit is highly focused on the development and implementation of crime prevention strategies for companies and institutions, in accordance with Law No. 20,393 on the Criminal Liability of Legal Entities (as well as the recently-enacted Law No 21,595 on Economic Crimes, which extends said criminal liability). The group’s assistance extends to supporting companies until their compliance programmes have been comprehensively implemented. The firm, where compliance work makes up over 40% of its lawyers’ activities, is also well known for handling complex litigation, such as defending charges of economic crimes, tax crimes, official misconduct, contentious administrative cases and civil conflicts. The principal figures are founding partner Matias Balmaceda, a specialist in both criminal litigation and compliance work, as well as the design and implementation of companies’ crime prevention models; compliance practice director and complex criminal litigation expert Iván Millán, who ‘knows and handles criminal legislation in such a way that clients feel safe having him on board’. However, former senior associate and  compliance department head Antonia Bernales left the firm in April 2024.

‘Constituting one of the most prepared teams in Chile’, Carey's compliance and anti-corruption team is sought out by major companies to assist with corporate compliance matters, particularly in relation to anti-corruption measures and the criminal accountability of legal entities. The group’s specialisms cover policy formulation, compliance programmes, preventive models, due diligence processes, contractual clauses, and internal investigations; and its advice further encompasses international laws and regulations, particularly the US’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery Act.  In recent highlights, the team was mandated by ENAP to produce a comprehensive evaluation of its environmental and economic risks, in relation to the legislation on the criminal liability of legal entities (modified by Chile’s Law No 21,595 on Economic Crimes, which came into force in August 2023). The compliance practice of team head Guillermo Acuña, who is also a corporate and M&A co-leader, focuses on designing and implementing anti-corruption compliance programmes; conducting internal investigations; and advising on clients’ multi-jurisdictional exposure to bribery allegations. Providing key support, senior counsel Rodrigo Aldoney is an expert in criminal-related compliance work; and in the firm’s associate ranks, Pablo Albertz‘s workload covers criminal compliance, anti-corruption, money laundering prevention, corporate crime risk management, and white-collar crime-related litigation.

With ‘an excellent approach to the requirements of client organisations’, Albagli Zaliasnik‘s eight-strong group focuses on crime prevention work, as well as the strengthening of clients’ corporate culture and governance (including in relation to ethics). The practice routinely assists major companies with identifying contingencies and designing risk matrixes; and implements crime prevention models under both Law No 20,393 and the new Law No 21,595 on Economic Crimes in Chile, which came into effect in August 2023. In addition to advising on crime prevention models, the firm’s lawyers, who ‘show a constant commitment to the matters entrusted to them’, assist with consumer law, data protection and antitrust compliance programmes, along with labour law-related compliance and internal investigations. Clients also benefit from the firm’s digital platform ComplianceLatam, which comprises compliance officers, legal managers and auditors, and facilitates collaboration between major regional law firms. Recent mandates for the group include assisting both major food retailer SMU and American utility and power generation company AES Corporation with updating their compliance models. Following the May 2024 departure of practice director Francisca Franzani, the firm hired Yoab Bitran -formerly Latin America-head at LRN- to replace her in Septmeber 2024; he co-heads the practice with name partner Rodrigo Albagli, whose broad expertise includes corporate compliance work.

Delivering ‘a good level of technical knowledge’, BH Compliance‘s sizeable practice assists over 200 national and international companies with the monitoring of their compliance programmes. The group’s assistance covers various economic and environmental crimes, as well as international recommendations and guidelines. The ‘consistent and responsible’ department also advises on the US Department of Justice’s FCPA standards.  Recent mandates for the team include advising both Spanish multinational telecoms company Telefónica and British multinational mining company Anglo American with their compliance programmes. The main figures in the ‘serious, responsible and thorough’ practice are: Ramón Montero, who heads the firm’s certification and monitoring processes for companies’ compliance programmes, crime prevention models, corporate governance, and antitrust, competition and consumer protection compliance; legal and compliance director Francisco Bilbao; and CEO Susana Sierra, who is based in the firm’s Miami office. According to some clients, Montero and Bilbao, who ‘have extensive knowledge of compliance practice’ are ‘undisputed leaders in the compliance sector’, while sub-director Tomás Undurraga‘s experience includes participating in over 100 certification and recertification processes for companies. Undurraga’s notable achievements at the firm also include leading the development of an automated web platform, which allows companies to monitor compliance programmes throughout the region on a continuous basis.

Part of DLA Piper Chile's widely-respected corporate practice, the full-service regional player’s local compliance team assists with designing and implementing corporate compliance programmes, conducts criminal investigations, and advises on anti-corruption legislation, international sanctions, crime prevention, anti-money laundering and data protection compliance. Praised for its ‘practical legal knowledge, ability to adapt to new requirements and flexible billing’, the group also provides training to clients to help them identify potential risks and create tailored guides for their specific industry needs. The practice group recently experienced an increase in its workload, further to the publication of the amendment to Act 20,393 on Economic Crimes, which introduces new categories of offences, stricter penalties, and broader criminal liability for legal entities. The four-member compliance group is headed up by Mauricio Halpern (‘optimal availability and concern for the client’), who is experienced in developing and implementing regulatory compliance models, as well as assisting with the preparation of policies, procedures, reporting channels, risk matrixes, and control panels.  Halpern’s assistance also includes advises on best practices and market standards. May 2024 saw the team strengthened notably with the hire of former Albagli Zaliasnik practice director Francisca Franzani as a partner. Halpern and Franzani can also call on mid-level associate Andrea de la Vega who advises companies on regulatory compliance matters, in addition to acting in dispute resolution and civil litigation, such as defence-side consumer and customs law matters.

Guerrero Olivos' five-strong specialist compliance group regularly works alongside the firm’s corporate governance, antitrust, environmental, tax, labour, regulatory, and banking and finance teams. The full-service practice’s principal areas are analysing business models, and implementing crime prevention models to ensure compliance with financial crime-related legislation. The group also assists with drafting internal codes of conduct and corporate regulations; and it is notably active in the energy, mining, financial services, and food and beverage sectors (among others). Recent mandates include the team’s assistance to Indura Air Products with the updating, drafting and implementation of a crime prevention model, as well as its advice to The Kraft Heinz Company on a compliance memorandum. It was also mandated by electricity producer and distributor AES Andes to assist with strengthening its compliance system. The group is headed up by Pedro Pellegrini, a governance expert who is experienced in internal codes, corporate regulations, training programmes, mitigation plans, and reporting to internal and external entities. Supporting Pellegrini at associate level, Joaquín Valenzuela is a criminal law expert and October 2023 recruit from Dal Pozzo Medina Abogados; Alejandra Leiton combines corporate governance expertise with competition law experience; and senior Juan José García is another key compliance team member.

Highly experienced in the creation and implementation of compliance programmes, HD Legal‘s six-strong team routinely assists with the detection and mitigation of criminal risks, such as corruption, financial crimes, illegal competition and tax crimes. The firm is also home to specialists in corporate criminal liability involving consumer violations, data protection, information security, labour law, and environmental issues. It additionally advises companies on the establishment of mechanisms that promote diversity and inclusion, including assistance with the incorporation of transsexual workers in companies. Of particular note, the firm’s sister organisation HD Compliance is a compliance consulting firm that certifies companies’ compliance programmes. Recent highlights include advising retirement fund managing company, Caja de Compensación de Asignación Familiar de los Andes, on updating its crime prevention model. The group also assisted Chilean public bank BancoEstado Microempresas with developing a protocol that established behaviour-related guidelines for the workplace. The practice is headed up by Rebeca Zamora, who has extensive experience in advising on the design and implementation of compliance programmes; and José Luis Honorato is an arbitration and dispute resolution specialist. At director level, the career of financial sector expert Carlos Frías includes working as a Moneda Asset Management general counsel and compliance manager.

The compliance practice at full-service law firm Prieto Abogados covers anti-bribery and anti-corruption due diligence processes, internal auditing procedures, training sessions and administrative sanctioning processes. The team, which ‘really understands its company clients’, also assists with drafting compliance policies, along with the design of internal compliance and crime prevention systems. In addition to the team's sector expertise in education, energy, food, TMT, real estate and private equity, clients further benefit from the group’s ability to leverage the firm’s notable specialisms in antitrust, criminal law, labour issues, and environmental and corporate law. Recent mandates include the group’s assistance to Desafío Levantemos Chile, a large non-profit organisation, with the implementation of its crime prevention system. The team is led by José Andrés Pascual (‘an extraordinary adviser who knows how to take care of clients’ interests’), who routinely advises on risk identification and assessment processes, along with the design, implementation and updating of crime prevention systems. In the associate group, Diego Madariaga and Fernando Rodríguez are both on hand to assist with internal investigations, while senior and criminal law leader María Jesús Becerra is a January 2024 hire from Parraguez Marín & del Río. Former associate Catalina Bruner departed the firm in July 2023.

The six-member team at full-service firm Barros & Errázuriz has extensive experience in designing compliance programmes in relation to anti-money laundering, anti-bribery, anti-corruption and counterterrorism. It additionally advises on the compliance aspects of financial regulation, antitrust, and labour and environmental law; and also assists with risk management issues, internal investigations, defence-side administrative investigations and enforcement actions. Javier Díaz is an expert in financial and capital markets regulation, while managing partner Cristián Barros is also actively involved in developing the firm’s compliance department. The senior associate to note, Francisco Vial Marín, advises publicly traded corporations, investment funds and fintech companies on compliance matters.

Full-service legal practice Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos fields a five-member team that routinely works alongside the firm’s labour, environmental, data privacy, antitrust, IP and tax groups on compliance matters. The team, which ‘stands out for its high level of commitment to clients’ requirements’, is notably active in relation to the mining, construction, healthcare, life sciences, technology, transport, and food and beverage sectors. Heading the practice, Jorge Boldt assists with the design and implementation of compliance models, as well as internal company investigations. In the associate team, Lorena Avendaño‘s experience covers compliance work in addition to litigation, arbitration and white-collar issues; and Simona Marquet also advises on compliance.

The eight-member team at Urenda, Rencoret, Orrego y Dörr assists with developing, adjusting and implementing internal corporate policies and codes, in order to comply with anti-corruption, competition, data protection, securities, labour, and environmental law regulations. For the firm’s international clients, the group regularly assists with adapting their compliance programmes (including those concerning the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and UK Bribery Act) to align with Chilean legislation. The practice is co-led by Nicholas Mocarquer and Rafael Rencoret, who both advise on compliance matters. The group further includes labour-related compliance practitioner Alberto Rencoret and Ignacio Urrutia, who assists with environmental law compliance.