José Antonio Criales
Attorney at Law
Partner
José is a lawyer with over 25 years of experience, representing clients from Bolivia and around the world in matters as diverse as Corporate Law, Hydrocarbons, Energy, Construction and Arbitration. His practice is focused on complex matters, requiring extensive time and effort, in search for permanent and creative solutions
- Permanently from 1998 to 2003, he was counsel for YPFB in the negotiation of exporting gas agreements from Bolivia to Brazil, including gas sales and transportation agreements for the Bolivia-Brazil Pipeline
- Co-author of a number of laws in Bolivia, including the Securities Law (Law No. 1834), the Pensions Law (Law No. 1732) and the Insurance Law (Law No. 1883).
- Lawyer of the Republic of Bolivia in an investment arbitration initiated by Aguas del Tunari S.A. against Bolivia under rules of the International Centre for Disputes Resolution (ICDR), due to the termination of a water concession in the city of Cochabamba.
- He was member of the Board of Directors of different banks in Bolivia for more than 10 years.
- Advised Empresa Boliviana de Administracion S.A. (EBA) on sale to Tigre S.A. – Tubos e Conexões, of a controlling interest in Plasmar S.A., the largest plastics company in Bolivia.
- He participated in the elaboration of regulations for the Sectorial Regulatory System (SIRESE), in the areas of electricity, hydrocarbons, transportation and institutional development.
- Advised ENTEL S.A. for more than 10 years. These services included corporate and regulatory matters. ENTEL S.A. is the largest telecommunications company in Bolivia.
- He actively participated in the development of the securities and stock market in Bolivia, including drafting the Securities Market Law, the institutional development of the Bolsa Boliviana de Valores S.A. (Bolivian Stock Exchange S.A.), legal services to the main brokers in Bolivia, as well as the development of the Entidad de Depósito de Valores S.A. (EDV S.A.).
- Developed a due diligence for Petrobras S.A. in the purchase of an important participation in the Rio Grande Gas Compression Plant, as part of the Bolivia – Brazil pipeline.
- Advised NAFIBO SAM in the capitalization of a subordinated loan, to obtain the controlling shareholding of Banco Unión S.A.
- Advised the Ingelec Group in expanding its investments to a new engineering and construction company of electricity transmission lines in Chile (Inprolec).
- Advised the Ingelec Group in expanding its investments to a new engineering and construction company of electricity transmission lines in Brazil (Incomisa).
- Advised the Ingelec Group in expanding its investments to a new power generation plant in Los Guindos, Chile.
- Advised Tigre S.A. – Tubos e Conexões in purchase of controlling interests in Plástica S.A. and its related companies in Peru.
- Advised Tigre S.A. – Tubos e Conexões in the purchase of controlling interests in companies in Ecuador and Colombia.
- Advised the main exploration and production companies in Bolivia regarding the “hydrocarbons nationalization” conducted by the Bolivian Administration, including renegotiation of joint risk agreements and execution of new operation agreements. The services included potential dispute assessment in administrative, constitutional and international investment arbitration matters under bilateral investments protection treaties.
- Advised Transierra S.A. on closing GASYRG pipeline’s construction and services agreements, a 32-inch and 432 kilometers pipeline located in the South of Bolivia.
- Advised the Ingelec Group on a construction and transmission of electricity contract and a loan agreement with Minera San Cristóbal S.A., to supply energy to the largest mine in Bolivia.
- Advised the Ingelec Group on an EPC agreement to build the electricity transmission line for the Pascua Lama mining project in Chile, one of the largest gold mining projects in the world.
- Negotiated an EPC agreement for the Ingelec Group to provide electrification, instrumentation and telecommunications services to CB&I, in its LNG project in Quintero Bay, Chile.
- Provided legal services to ENTEL S.A. regarding complex commercial issues in the telecommunications field, such as the initial public offering of INTELSAT and creation of Nautilus Latin America Telecommunications Company.
- Participated in an arbitration process regarding to the construction of one of the largest gas pipelines in Bolivia, under arbitration rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
- Participated in an arbitration process for the owners of one of the main communications groups in Bolivia, under the arbitration rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
- Participated in an arbitration related to a construction contract, as a Chilean company lawyer, against a major Canadian mining company, in an arbitration process under the rules of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR).
- Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions
- General Practice
- Bank, Finance and Insurance Law
- Construction
- Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolutions
- Oil and Gas
- Energy
- Telecommunications
- Technology
- Public Concessions
- Spanish
- English
- Portuguese
- Law Degree from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, 1990.
- Master’s Studies in Economic Law from the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, La Paz, 2010
- Bolivia National Bar Association
- La Paz Bar Association
- Bolivia Public Register of Lawyers
- International Bar Association (I.B.A.)
- American Bar Association (A.B.A.)
- Inter American Bar Association (I.A.B.A.)