Biography: Mining

Mr Ortúzar was born in Santiago, Chile. He obtained his degree from Universidad Gabriela Mistral, (LLB, Juridical and Social Sciences, 1988). He attended a course at the Academy of American and International Law, Southwestern Legal Foundation, Dallas, TX (1992). Mr Ortúzar practised at the Baker & McKenzie Chicago and New York offices from 1996-1997.

He is currently the head of the mining practice group at Baker & McKenzie for the Santiago-Chile office and joint coordinator of the Latin America energy, mining, chemicals and infrastructure group with significant experience in the infrastructure sector.

He has led his team in counselling clients with respect to project financing in Chile for over 15 years.

His practice areas include major projects/project finance, mining and natural resources, merger & acquisitions, securities, telecommunications, capital markets, and insurance & pension funds. Mr Ortúzar has assisted several clients with respect to all aspects of proposed international joint ventures, project financing, foreign investments, corporate and commercial arrangements, major infrastructure projects, mining and telecoms. Mr Ortúzar represents mining clients in all phases of mining projects starting from 'green field' to 'brown field', including acquisition, financing, exploitation, operation and closing.

Mr Ortúzar has outstanding experience in mining and major projects in Chile and is certainly able to respond to the complexity and variety of legal issues usually related to such cases. Mr Ortúzar speaks Spanish and English.