Garrigues continues to consolidate its offering in Latin America with the incorporation of lawyer Mario Ybar to head the antitrust practice in Chile.

42-year old Mario Ybar has spent his entire professional career at the National Economic Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalía Nacional Económica), having held various different positions during his fifteen-year stint with the Chilean antitrust authority, most notably as deputy national economic prosecutor (2015-2018) and acting national economic prosecutor (2018). Prior to this, he was head of the Mergers Division and deputy head of the Legal Division. Mario Ybar joins Garrigues following the end of the statutory period of ineligibility.

He qualified as a lawyer at Universidad de Chile and holds a master’s degree in antitrust law from University College London. Ybar also participated in the design and implementation of the concentration control regulations, in force since July 2017.

Javier Ybáñez, senior partner of Garrigues and partner in charge of the Latin American practice, views this new incorporation as a key hire for the firm: “We are very happy to welcome Mario to the team. It is a magnificent boost to our substantial antitrust practice and will enable us to enhance the support we offer to our clients, both in Chile and at regional level.”

Mario Ybar, in turn, stated he was very motivated to join Garrigues, “in light of the firm’s substantial antitrust practice, at both local and global level, as well as the challenge posed by moving into the private sector, after many years with the Chilean regulatory body.”

Garrigues boasts a solid antitrust team in Europe and Latin America. Coordinated by partner Susana Cabrera, it includes eminent industry lawyers, such as Miguel de la Calle, former Superintendent of Industry and Trade, in Bogotá; former European Commission officials José Luis Buendía and Luis Ortiz, at the Brussels and Madrid offices, respectively; and Luís Pinto Monteiro in Lisbon. The team works together to place all of the firm’s international experience at the service of our clients.