Chilean law firm ACR Legal launches

“What brought us together was the type of firm in which we were projecting ourselves in the long term, and the team of lawyers with whom we wanted to develop that office, which led us to the level of conviction necessary to take the step," the founding partners said in a statement. The new firm offers legal services in the areas of corporate and M&A, venture capital, dispute resolution, and in energy, projects and infrastructure, as well as in labor law, banking and finance, and fintech.

The founding partners are Luis Felipe Arze, Fernando de Cárcer, Diego Rodríguez, Enzo Canales, Stephan Lührmann and Sebastián Barros, all former partners at CMS Carey y Allende.

Between them, they have participated in M&A transactions such as advising China Three Gorges in the acquisition of non-conventional renewable energy projects, and guiding Pacific Hydro and Solarpack in the development and purchase of a series of photovoltaic plants.

They also have experience in venture capital and participated in the exits of Pago Fácil, Lemontech and Trip Yeah, and the Series A financing rounds of Galgo and HealthAtom.

The decision to leave CMS Carey y Allende was different for each team member, according to the founding partners. "There is no perfect time to implement a decision of this nature, but on the other hand, there is never a better time than today," Diego Rodríguez says. What brought them together, he adds, "was the type of firm we were projecting ourselves into, and which brought us to the level of conviction necessary to take the step".

"We value and appreciate the great experience we gained in the performance of our roles within CMS. They are significant years of great learning, of building a solid professional and human relationship, in Chile and abroad and, undoubtedly, that will be a fundamental part of the seal that defines us today and that allows us to face this challenge with the necessary vision and innovation," according to a statement from the founding partners of ACR Legal. The new firm’s CEO is Carolina Sumar, and the firm defines itself as a "full-service firm, where our greatest potential and added value is in the generation of business", while implementing technological tools in the back office to be able to focus 100% on advising its clients.