Lawyers at infrastructure and public law boutique Arrieta Mantilla & Asociados are valued for their ‘capacity for analysis, creativity and consideration’, according to some. The group is distinguished by its focus on representing the full range of project stakeholders, including public-sector entities, concessionaires and construction companies, on the structuring, procurement and performance of contracts. It is particularly active in toll-road concessions, where it leverages a formidable record in handling projects across all five generations of Colombia’s road infrastructure initiatives. Among the names to note, senior partner Álvaro Mantilla is a go-to expert for public contracts and procurement matters, as well as complex project-related disputes. He is acting alongside fellow projects specialist, Álvaro Mantilla Sánchez, to advise Coviandina on its public-private partnership (PPP) contract with the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) regarding the road corridor connecting the southern part of Colombia with Bogotá. Administrative law partner Yady Villaquirán Castro also has a significant projects dimension to her practice and advised Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN) on the structuring of the Ranchería-San Juan del Cesar and Triángulo del Tolima irrigation districts. The group also includes senior associate Rodrigo Sánchez Pineda, who impresses with his ‘willingness to serve the client’s team’; and transport specialist Diana Marcela Díaz, an August 2023 hire from the Cámara Colombiana de la Infraestructura. Associate Julián González Torres departed in July 2023, as did Ramón Enrique Ramírez in January 2024.

Brigard Urrutia’s projects team stands out for its multidisciplinary approach, which ensures that it can turn its hand to any aspect of a project on behalf of any key stakeholder. Arguably best known for project finance prowess — where it can lean on recognised experts in the field, such as managing partner Carlos Fradique-Méndez — the team also brings extensive expertise in energy, public utilities, corporate transactions and dispute resolution, among other areas. Among its project finance highlights, high-profile finance specialist César Felipe Rodríguez advised AMP Capital Investors US and Enel Colombia on financing the acquisition of electric public transportation buses from BYD Auto Industry Company (China) to TransMilenio. In a non-finance matter, Carlos Umaña advised Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional on pre-feasibility studies connected to the reactivation of the Pacific Rail Corridor. Other senior contacts include managing partner Carlos Fradique-Méndez, who excels in project finance; Claudia Navarro, whose practice spans energy, infrastructure and public utilities; and banking and finance partner María Fernanda Diago. The department further benefits from a strong second line of non-partners, including director Mario Forero, who focuses on public procurement and administrative law; and senior associate Nicolás Alonso, who sits in the banking and financial services team. Senior associate Felipe Alarcon left in June 2023; while former director Julián Parra moved in house at ZEmobility in September 2024.

Durán & Osorio Abogados Asociados’ full-service projects practice is ‘unique due to its transversal knowledge of both financial and technical issues’, according to clients. The team’s close links with public-sector agencies is also a recurring theme among sources, with its working relationships with both ANI and private-sector stakeholders ensuring that ‘day-to-day issues are handled with greater ease and accuracy’. Widely recognised as a market leader, Álvaro Durán brings to bear enviable experience in pathfinder projects in the roads, airports, rail, TMT and utilities sectors, among others. Durán is acting alongside talented next-generation partner, Felipe Herrera, to advise International Finance Corporation and Panamá’s Ministry of Public Works on the structuring of the $300m East Panama Road PPP. Álvaro Gasca also possesses a strong record in pioneering infrastructure projects, with a focus on the transport, health, and cultural spheres; he advised ANI on the structuring of the La Dorada–Santa Marta rail freight project. Additional key contacts are senior partner Jorge Gabriel Taboada, who specialises in public law and PPPs; and Mauricio Llache, who joined from his own practice in December 2023. A deep pool of senior associates includes Daniela Mejía Alzate, whose practice spans public law and infrastructure; Sebastián Duque, who has a focus on the transport sector; Edgardo Maya, who is noted for contentious work; and Carlos Andrés Sarasti, who advises on projects and corporate law. Carlos Andrés Sánchez and senior associate Gigliana Rivero Ramirez  left the firm in July 2023.

Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría houses an interdisciplinary projects practice that draws on lawyers specialised in public procurement, public law, infrastructure and project finance, among other areas. The team is best known for its strong transactional offering, where it routinely advises local and international lenders, construction companies, sponsors, government entities and other stakeholders in project finance and development matters. However, it also highly regarded for its regulatory and contentious work, such as its recent successful representation of Grupo Aeroportuario del Caribe in its landmark arbitral dispute against ANI concerning Barranquilla Airport’s concession agreement, which represented the first judicial precedent in Colombia ordering the early termination of a transportation concession agreement due to force majeure circumstances. Pre-eminent public law and infrastructure specialist, Jorge Di Terlizzi, led on the Barranquilla Airport work and, in a further example of his impressive transport infrastructure credentials, he also advised Sociedad Aeroportuaria de la Costa on its unsolicited PPP proposal for the expansion of Rafael Núñez Cartagena Airport. The group additionally includes the ‘exceptional’ Juan Fernando Gaviria, who specialises in project and corporate financing; Carlos Padilla, who advises on the structuring and financing of projects across a broad scope of sectors, with an emphasis on major transport infrastructure; and Hernando Padilla, whose corporate and finance focus also encompasses projects. At associate level, Daniela Mejía supports on project finance-related issues. In February 2024, senior associate Camilo Forero left to join TransMilenio.

Castro Leiva Rendón Abogados’ firm-wide focus on infrastructure and public law pays dividends and it is routinely engaged by project sponsors and concessionaires to handle bidding, development and operational matters. The transport-focused group is primarily recognised for its record in the roads sector, where it has played a key role in Colombia’s fourth generation (4G) road infrastructure programme. That being said, its recent experience additionally spans airports, public transport and social infrastructure projects. Co-founding partners Marcela Castro and José Ignacio Leiva jointly lead the public law, and projects and infrastructure departments; together, they advised Doppelmayr Colombia on the selection process, conducted by IDU and TransMilenio, for the electromechanical component for an urban cable car transport system in Bogotá. Projects partner Natalia Uribe is also recommended.

Lawyers in Cuatrecasas’ projects team ‘don’t just scratch the surface, they dive into every aspect’, according to clients. The group houses a thriving project finance offering, where it is a popular choice to represent domestic and global lenders on financing large-scale infrastructure projects. The team additionally contributes extensive experience in acting for sponsors, concessionaires and others on project financing, development and maintenance matters. Manuel Quinche is a go-to finance specialist, whose sectoral projects expertise encompasses roads, ports, airports, public transport, energy, and telecoms, among other spheres. Quinche recently advised the lenders on the $642m refinancing of the 4G concession for the Pamplona-Cúcuta toll-road project. Other key names include Ana María Sánchez, whose practice spans infrastructure, energy and public law; finance partner Juan Carlos Puentes; and finance-focused Natalia Arango, who was promoted to the partnership in April 2024.

‘A team absolutely focused on client service’, Garrigues’ projects group handles the full scope of transactional and regulatory matters, but it is arguably best known for the strength of its project finance offering. The department is led jointly by infrastructure specialist Adriana Espinosa, who is ‘assertive in her analysis’, and up-and-coming project finance partner Francisco Noguera, who ‘always manages to bring transactions to a close’. Espinosa and Noguera paired up to advise the lenders (Ashmore, BlackRock and FDN) on a $215m refinancing for Concesión Transversal del Sisga, as concessionaire of the 4G toll-road project, Corredor Transversal del Sisga. A strong second line of non-partners includes counsel Iván Fierro (public law and infrastructure); senior Juan Ospina (public law and infrastructure); senior Mónica Rodríguez (banking and finance); and senior Nicolás Angulo (securities, banking and project finance).

The projects group at Gómez-Pinzón Abogados (GPA) impresses sources with its ‘commitment to excellence in client service’. Well versed across the full life cycle of project matters, from tenders through to operational issues, the team counts public-sector entities, banks, investment funds and construction companies among its key clients. Department head Paola Larrahondo is an increasingly prominent name for infrastructure and administrative law; she recently advised Empresa Metro de Bogotá on the construction and operation of Bogotá’s metro lines. Seasoned projects specialist, José Luis Suárez, contributes experience across the full range of infrastructure, public law and project finance; he advised VGMobility on the financing of a project for the provision of an electric bus fleet. Senior associates Juan Antonio Ucrós (infrastructure and administrative law) and Catalina Prieto (banking and finance and infrastructure) provide additional support.

Posse Herrera Ruiz’s interdisciplinary practice draws together lawyers specialising in finance, infrastructure, administrative law, and energy and natural resources — among other areas — to provide ‘clear and concise courses of action’ on project-related matters. Names to note include infrastructure and public law partner Cristina Vásquez, who is commended for her ‘extensive experience in the infrastructure sector’; she recently paired up with corporate partner Gabriel Sánchez to act as local counsel to Odinsa on a strategic alliance with Macquarie Asset Management concerning airport infrastructure. The group also draws on banking and finance expert Mariana Posse; energy and natural resources specialist Alvaro José Rodríguez; finance and capital markets partner Jesús Albarrán; director Juan José Huertas, who focuses on finance and corporate law; and senior associate Catalina Posada, who supports on banking and finance work.

Baker McKenzie S.A.S. is distinguished by its extensive global platform and clients attest that the projects team ‘has access to resources that other law firms can’t manage to incorporate’. The cross-practice group handles a mix of infrastructure and energy-related work, with its recent experience spanning project development, project finance, corporate support and contentious matters. Project finance specialist Alejandro Mesa is a key contact and brings to bear experience in the energy, mining and infrastructure sectors. Also noted are newly promoted (July 2023) partner María Montejo, who advises on public procurement and infrastructure projects; and structured finance specialist Ricardo Trejos.

Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas’ projects group is ‘always willing to find a consensus and negotiate solutions’, according to some. Straddling the infrastructure, public law and finance teams, the multidisciplinary practice advises an array of lenders, developers, construction companies and government entities, among other stakeholders, on a range of tender processes, project finance, development matters and operational issues. Department head Pablo Jaramillo is recommended for his comprehensive projects focus, which intersects finance, development and administrative law. The group also draws on public law head Ximena Zuleta, transactional specialist Bernardo Cárdenas and banking and finance partner Felipe Alarcon, who joined in September 2023 from Brigard Urrutia. In February 2024, finance partner Catalina Pinilla left to join Governance Consultants.

As a boutique firm specialising in PPPs, Infraestructura Legal SAS is ‘composed of experts in public/private projects and public procurement’, according to some. The practice routinely represents private and public-sector clients on the planning and implementation of social and transport infrastructure projects, with its track record encompassing roads, airports, waterways and penitentiary facilities, among other projects. The group is led jointly by Francisco Suárez, a former Vice President of the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure; and Francisco Real, whose practice spans banking, procurement matters, administrative law and arbitration.

Martínez Quintero Mendoza González Laguado & de la Rosa, formerly DLA Piper Martínez Beltrán until its May 2024 disassociation from the DLA Piper network, stands out for its robust procurement and regulatory expertise. The team acts for clients across the industry — including construction companies, service providers and concessionaires, among others — and demonstrates ‘understanding of the dynamics between public and private stakeholders’. The department is led jointly by Olga Lucía Ramírez, who is a former Vice Minister of Infrastructure at the Ministry of Transportation; and banking and finance partner Sebastián Lora. At associate level, seniors Carlos Guzmán (banking and project finance) and Laura Carmona (infrastructure, projects and public law) provide key support.

Projects, public law and dispute resolution-focused firm, Rincón Castro Abogados, stands out for its comprehensive coverage of project-related matters, with experience across the market's contentious, transactional and regulatory segments. The team’s client roster strikes a balance between domestic and multinational construction companies and concessionaires, while its sectoral experience spans roads, airports, ports, mass transport and energy, among other infrastructure spheres. Led by department head Miguel Castro, who is commended for his ‘high degree of specialisation’, the group additionally draws on high-profile arbitration specialist Rafael Rincón. Also noted are senior associates Juan Camilo Artunduaga (infrastructure and public law) and Santiago Vernaza (dispute resolution and public law).

Muñoz Tamayo & Asociados’ projects team brings to bear extensive experience in large-scale privatisations, public tenders, project development and operational matters. The group is well versed in all major infrastructure asset classes, with significant recent activity in the roads, public transport, water and technology arenas. Diego Muñoz Tamayo heads the group and his broad practice takes in project finance, bidding processes and public-private partnerships. Financial services partner, Felipe Trías, is also a key contact.