Holland & Knight names new executive partner in Bogotá

José Vicente will oversee the day-to-day management of the office while continuing to manage his leading energy practice, which focuses on corporate, contractual and commercial matters, with a strong focus on spin-offs, mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

He succeeds Enrique Gómez Pinzón, who served as executive partner of the office since its inception in 2012 and will now serve as executive partner emeritus and continue his corporate, M&A, finance and international arbitration practice.

“José has built an exceptional practice at Holland & Knight and is widely recognized as a leader in Colombia’s energy, natural resources and environmental sectors,” said Holland & Knight chair and CEO Bob Grammig.

“As he steps into this new role, we're confident José will lead our Bogotá office with a strong focus on strategic growth and collaboration while delivering practical solutions to our clients across Colombia, Latin America and beyond. We are deeply grateful to Enrique for the decisive role he played in shaping our presence in Latin America and supporting the office since its inception, with his leadership positioning it as one of the strongest and fastest‑growing international law practices in Colombia,” he added.

José Vicente has been with Holland & Knight for nearly 12 years and co-chairs the Firm's Venezuela focus team, a group of partners who assist clients with interests in the country. He has led regulatory matters related to the environment, energy and natural resources for many years. He has experience with corporate compliance matters, including the development of ethics programs, Sistema de Autocontrol y Gestión del Riesgo Integral de Lavado de Activos y Financiación del Terrorismo (SAGRILAFT) and knowledge management for effective regulatory compliance, as well as liability cases for contractual and non-contractual damages.

He earned his LLM degree in sustainable development and International Business Law from McGill University and his JD degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.

“I'm honored to step into the role of executive partner of Holland & Knight's Bogotá office,” José Vicente Zapata said. “Enrique’s dedication, strategic vision and commitment to building a premier international legal presence in Colombia have resulted in an exceptional, full‑service team and I’m proud to work alongside the nearly 70 talented lawyers who now make up this office. I look forward to continuing to strengthen our team’s offerings in advising Colombian companies and guiding international clients to navigate entry into the Colombian market.”

“I am proud to be succeeded by José who has my full support in his new role as leader of the Bogotá office,” said Enrique Gómez Pinzón. “I look forward to seeing him continue to build the team’s experience and strengthen our relationships across the region and internationally.”

Attorneys in Holland & Knight's Bogotá office provide first-rate counsel to companies doing inbound and outbound business in the region and abroad, with an emphasis on transactional matters and international disputes, including cross-border deals and international trade; mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures; oil, gas and mining projects; environmental assessments, liability concerns and compliance; taxation; labor law; intellectual property, trademark and patent registration; antitrust and consumer law; capital markets, venture capital and private equity investments; international licensing and franchising; project finance and foreign investment; complex corporate reorganizations and financial restructurings; litigation and arbitration; and international private wealth services.

Holland & Knight has one of the largest and most diverse Latin American practices among US law firms. The Latin America practice group includes more than 200 attorneys with in-depth experience in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity and financing transactions, and business disputes in and involving Latin America in commercial centers throughout the world.