Chile’s Morales & Besa appoints 2 new partners

Valentina Morales heads the firm's labor and employment practice. She has focused her practice on labor, social security and immigration law, both in the private and public sectors, and has extensive experience in labor litigation.

Valentina graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. During 2014 she was an associate in the labor group of Morales & Besa, subsequently working as an in-house lawyer in two multinational companies and later on the government’s public labor board, where she held the positions of regional labor director of eastern Santiago, and head of the labor relations department

In 2022 she returned to Morales & Besa to lead the firm’s labor practice.

For his part, new partner Vicente Valdés has developed his entire career at Morales & Besa and his practice is focused on M&As, capital markets and corporate law. During his outstanding career, he has worked with national and foreign clients in the creation of joint ventures and in the sale, purchase and merger of companies, both in competitive and noncompetitive processes, across various industries. He has also advised investment funds and technology companies.

Vicente graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and holds an LL.M degree from the University of Virginia, U.S.A. He worked as a foreign associate with Dechert in the US from 2019 to 2020.

"We are very pleased with these appointments, they are in line with our strategy of continued growth, especially in areas so relevant for Chile nowadays. In addition, it consolidates the outstanding carriers of Valentina and Vicente, who have had a brilliant performance in Morales & Besa, leading the labor area in the case of Valentina, and participating in important M&A transactions, in the case of Vicente," said Macarena Laso, managing partner of Morales & Besa.

With these appointments, Morales & Besa adds a fifth female partner, of a total of 14 partners.