Most Highly Regarded Firms: Argentina 2008 - Environment
Environmental law is rapidly increasing in importance in Argentina. An ongoing conflict with Uruguay over papermills on the Uruguay River continues to shape the market and climate change is also finding its way into legislation, with alternative energy and bio-fuel production becoming more widespread. Government drives to improve water quality, reduce particulate matter and reduce greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase the need for specialist environmental knowledge in the legal sector. Water quality has been at the forefront: the Supreme Court ruled that there must be a clean-up of the rivers to help to reduce the human impact upon the environment.
Very few lawyers specialise exclusively in this field. Our research uncovered three lawyers with particular expertise in this area.
Guillermo Malm Green heads the Brons & Salas environmental law practice and is described by one source as "the most responsive lawyer in South America", while another said that they would "recommend him to clients without hesitation". His environmental work in the region focuses on compliance and litigation, with much of it related to the country's active mining industry.
Ignacio Randle from Estudio Randle is recommended in the environment, mining, and oil and gas chapters of this publication and is an expert in all three fields. He is described by one lawyer as being "young, forward-thinking and well known". He gained international recognition as the treasurer of the International Bar Association's energy, environment, natural resources and infrastructure law section in 2008.
Gabriel Macchiavello is head of the environment department at Rattagan Macchiavello Arocena & Peña Robirosa, where he leads a team of 13 full-time lawyers. Prior to setting up the firm in 2005 he had worked as head of the environmental law department at Allende & Brea, as well serving as corporate counsel to a number of large organisations. He is known to be "very successful in the industry" and works on a broad range of environmental issues.