“Aware of the importance and relevance of constitutional rights in Ecuador, as well as the firm’s need to provide advice that ensures public and private sector activities adhere to the laws of the state, Heka Law welcomes Maria Cristina Serrano Crespo to its team as a partner,” the firm said in a statement.

Cristina is “widely recognized for both her professional talent and personal skills. Through this addition, Heka not only strengthens its service offering by including constitutional law, fundamental for the provision of legal services in Ecuador, but also adds an industry leader in this field”, Juan Andrés Gortaire, a partner at the firm, said.

Cristina has more than 10 years’ experience practicing constitutional and administrative law, advising national and international companies on complex procedures, both in the public and private sphere.

During her career she has handled constitutional law matters of great importance for Ecuador, principally actions for the protection of constitutional rights, habeas data, access to public information, as well as jurisdictional guarantees relating to the protection of constitutional and human rights, the firm said.

She also advises Ecuadorian and international clients in administrative procedures, and is in noted for her ability to litigate before the courts.

Commenting on her incorporation into the firm, Cristina said she admires the horizontal structure of the firm, “where all the partners work on projects together, with a clear business model and a real concept of working as a team, which all adds up to an excellent service for clients”.

A graduate in law from the Universidad del Azuay in Cuenca, Ecuador, where she was the top graduate of her class, Cristina combines her legal practice with lecturing at the same university, and supports non-profit organizations, which is part of the reason she decided to join Heka Law.

“I consider myself to be a lawyer who is passionate about social causes, as a result of which I have always been involved in social responsibility projects, and in Heka I see a firm whose mission is not just professional, but also social,” she said.

With offices in Quito and Cuenca, Heka Law operates in 10 practice areas and has a team of more than 30 lawyers.