Legacy Bustamante & Bustamante had strong roots in Ecuador's legal market and has long maintained close relations with other leading players abroad and locally. It took the next step in November 2021 when the firm merged with Quito-headquartered Fabara & Compañía, gaining a much sought-after Guayaquil office.
The combined firm now operates as Bustamante Fabara and is one of the country's largest, with over 90 lawyers. It has appointed María Rosa Fabara as managing partner, one of the few women in that role in the country's legal market. Bustamante & Bustamante’s former managing partner José Rafael Bustamante Espinosa is now the chairman of the merged entity.
Bustamante Fabara will keep a broad service offering. It combines Bustamante & Bustamante’s traditionally strong corporate and M&A and IP departments, as well as energy and mining know-how, with Fabara & Compañía’s capabilities in banking and finance. The latter team is also respected for its offering in M&A and IP, among other areas.
Alliances and networks
The firm is well connected globally as a member of Multilaw, the World Services Group, the International Trademark Association, the Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property and the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property.