Martínez Beltrán ends alliance with DLA Piper   

May 1, 2024

Martínez Quintero Mendoza González Laguado & De La Rosa - Colombian law firm Martínez Beltrán has announced the end of its cooperation agreement with DLA Piper and will no longer use its name as of 30 April.

The news comes shortly after the arrival of Darío Laguado from elite Colombian firm Brigard Urrutia as an M&A partner.

This new chapter for the firm, which is now named Martínez Quintero Mendoza González Laguado & De La Rosa following the split with DLA and the arrival of Darío, is also marked by the imminent opening of a new office in Madrid.

According to the Colombian firm "The relationship between both firms has always been, and remains, exceptionally positive and productive. Going forward, DLA Piper and Martínez Beltrán will continue to closely collaborate on client matters where appropriate, signifying the continuation of their strong working relationship to serve clients in the Colombian market. Both firms are committed to no disruption to client quality service during the transition".

After two decades of experience, the firm intends to continue strengthening its position as a leading independent law firm in Colombia, expanding its offering with a first-class team.

The firm’s Managing Partner, Camilo Martínez Beltrán, commented: "We have the passion and determination to make a profound impact on the market and to take the practice of law to new horizons in the Colombian market. We want to continue to be a benchmark in everything that makes us who we are: excellence, talent, innovation and efficiency, but now under Martínez Quintero Mendoza González Laguado & De La Rosa".

"The support and trust that we have received encourages us to reach our full potential. For our clients, the experience will continue to be exceptional. The only difference for them moving forward is that we will be even stronger and more competitive", he added.

This new phase, he explains, is "a natural evolution that strengthens and consolidates the firm’s independent identity. It is designed to better reflect the firm’s distinctive vision, personality and culture in the industry. The new name also reflects the unity of the partners". Martínez points out that "this unity has always been a fundamental pillar of our firm. All the partners have worked hand in hand on this project and we know that our unity makes us better and stronger. Hence our slogan: Together we go further".

The appointment of Darío Laguado as M&A partner has been one of the most important ones in the region in recent years. Previously, Darío headed the M&A department at Brigard Urrutia, where he developed his career for fourteen years after working for Sidley Austin in the United States.

Darío studied law at the Pontificia Universidad Javierana and the Universidad de Los Andes and holds a Master of Laws - LLM from Harvard Law School.

Camilo Martínez Beltrán says he is "excited" to see how Laguado’s arrival will contribute to the growth and excellence of the team.

In addition to the independence from DLA Piper and the star signing of Laguado, the firm is finalising details for the imminent opening of an office in Madrid, where it does not intend to compete with established firms, but to act as a strategic ally, working to channel European investment into Colombia and vice versa, and helping Spanish firms with their cases in Colombia.

The Madrid office will be headed by partner Felipe Quintero, who is already based in Madrid as Adjunct Professor - Comparative Corporate Law at the prestigious IE Law School in the Spanish capital.

Felipe was recently named Corporate and M&A (high-end) Lawyer of the Year by The Legal 500, which also honored his department as Corporate and M&A (high-end) Firm of the Year in its 2024 Colombia Awards, in addition to awarding Managing Partner Camilo Martíinez Beltrán as Dispute Resolution: Litigation Lawyer of the Year.

Commenting on the Madrid opening, Martínez says: "The objective of our presence in Madrid is to generate opportunities for our firm in Colombia with a first-class presence in Europe and to act as an ally to the firms with a presence in Spain. In the coming days we will provide more details on this project".

Felipe Quintero spent a large part of his career at Garrigues, where he worked for 13 years after working at the London office of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, before joining what was then DLA Piper Martínez Beltrán in Bogotá six years ago.

DLA Piper Martínez Beltrán has been consistently recommended in the rankings of leading UK benchmarking publications such as Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500, particularly in the areas of Banking and Finance, Corporate/M&A, Energy & Natural Resources, and Labour & Employment.

The firm has also been ranked by TTR Data as the leader in M&A by deal value in Colombia. In addition to the aforementioned awards from The Legal 500, the firm won the ITR Tax Award 2023 for International Tax Law Firm and the ITR World Tax 2024 recognition in Tax Litigation (Tier 1).

The full-service firm currently employs 150 professionals and has sustained double-digit growth in recent years, reaching US$18 million in 2023. The firm expects to increase its revenue to $20 million this year, coinciding with the start of this new phase of increased commitment to excellence and growth.