This full-service family firm is one of Quito's largest and has a well-regarded presence in the market. However, some believe that the firm's family model may prevent it from growing in the future....
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This full-service family firm is one of Quito's largest and has a well-regarded presence in the market. However, some believe that the firm's family model may prevent it from growing in the future. "Every three to four years, good lawyers are not kept in the firm because of the structure," notes a partner at a competing firm.
Nevertheless, with its roster of leading practitioners, Bustamante & Bustamante has positioned itself well to handle any potential disruption. One peer singles out Juan Carlos Bustamante as "possibly the finest lawyer in Ecuador", with another noting that Augustin Hurtado, although young in comparison with most of the market, is a "very good lawyer and he is earning a position".
Last year José Rafael Bustamante, one of the firm's senior partners and a "very well-known" lawyer in the marketplace according to peers, led a due diligence team advising the Mexican beverage and bottling company Arca in its takeover of the Ecuador Bottling Company (EBC). The multi-jurisdictional nature of the deal and its overall size made it one of the more important transactions in the country last year.
The firm also advises other international companies, including an ongoing relationship with the bath fixture company Edesa.
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