PPU appoints 5 partners, director and counsel
Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría has announced the appointment, at regional level, of five new partners, one director and one counsel, effective 1 January 2025.
Manuela Cross and Santiago Cruz were elected as partners in Dispute Resolution (Santiago and Bogotá offices, respectively); Mario Fava in Projects, Engineering and Construction, and Constanza Rodríguez in Capital Markets (both from the Santiago office); and Verónica Vergaray in Antitrust (Lima office).
In addition, María Jesús Ibáñez was appointed head of Innovation and Technology and Mario Mozó, counsel in the Environment and Sustainable Development practice, both from the Santiago office.
Manuela Cross (pictured left)- Dispute Resolution Partner. Her professional practice focuses on the planning of negotiation and dispute resolution strategies in civil, commercial and environmental matters, both out of court and before ordinary, special and arbitration courts, both national and international. In these areas, he has advised national and foreign companies on energy, mining, natural resources, real estate, construction and consumer matters, among others. He is a member of the roster of young arbitrators of the Arbitration and Mediation Center of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (AJ-CAM) since 2020. He holds an LL.M. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He joined the firm in 2021.
Santiago Cruz (pictured centre, left)- Dispute Resolution Partner. His practice focuses on international and domestic arbitration, litigation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Santiago is highly specialised in constitutional actions and is an expert in sectors such as engineering and construction, oil and gas, mining, sale and distribution of goods, technology and social networks, among others. He is also a professor of international arbitration at the Universidad Javeriana. He has participated in commercial arbitrations as counsel, arbitrator and secretary, under the rules of several arbitral institutions, including the ICC and the Arbitration and Conciliation Centre of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce. He is an arbitrator for the Arbitration Centres of the Superintendency of Companies and the Chambers of Commerce of the cities of Cali and Bucaramanga, as well as secretary of the Arbitration Centre of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce. He has been with the firm since 2016.
Mario Fava (pictured centre)- Partner of Projects, Engineering and Construction. His practice focuses on Engineering, Construction and Strategic Project Contracting. He has extensive experience in infrastructure and natural resources projects, in the negotiation of various contracts such as, including the various underlying subcontracts, such as Major Equipment Purchase and Sale Agreements, Critical Inputs Purchase Agreements, such as Power Purchase Agreements, Water Supply Agreements, Gas Supply Agreements, and the transportation and/or tolling contracts required for the delivery of such products. He joined PPU in 2014.
Constanza Rodríguez (pictured centre, right) – Capital Markets Partner. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and corporate law. She has advised clients on IPOs, listing processes and corporate governance and financing issues. She worked as an international associate for Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados in Brazil, in the Capital Markets area. She rejoined the firm in 2023.
Verónica Vergaray (pictured right)- Competition Partner. Her professional practice focuses on matters related to consumer protection, advertising, unfair competition and free competition, as well as in the processing of sanctioning procedures before various state entities. She has been with the firm since 2016.
María Jesús Ibáñez – Director of Innovation and Technologies. Her professional practice focuses on innovation, technologies and international taxation. In this context, she has advised clients on international investment structuring, financing and reorganisations. María Jesús’ experience includes not only work in Chile, but also in the United States, where she worked as an International Tax Consultant and as a member of the Walgreens team after completing her LL.M. at the University of Chicago. María Jesús is Director of the University of Chicago Alumni Association, Executive Director of the Women in Taxes Chile Foundation, Member of the Civil Society Council of the Taxpayer Ombudsman’s Office, Member of the Tax Council of the National Chamber of Commerce and National Reporter for Chile for the International Bar Association.
Mario Mozó – Environmental and Sustainable Development Lawyer. His practice focuses on all types of matters associated with environmental law, specializing in the development, financing and transaction agreements associated with investment projects in various industries. He also has extensive experience in environmental litigation, both at the administrative and judicial level. He holds an LL.M from Stanford University (2019) and is currently a professor of the Master in Natural Resources and Environmental Law at the UFT, and of the Diploma in Environmental Law, Module of Civil Liability for Environmental Damage, at the Universidad de Los Andes.
