Antonio Ortúzar, Jr.

Antonio Ortúzar, Jr.

Partner
Servicios Legales Baker McKenzie SpA

Biography

Antonio Ortuzar Jr. is head of the Mining Practice Group for the Santiago-Chile office and Joint Coordinator of the Latin America Energy, Mining, Chemicals and Infrastructure Group, for which he contributes his significant experience in the infrastructure sector. He has been consistently ranked in Chambers and Partners as a Tier 1 attorney for Energy and Natural Resources.

Practice Focus

Antonio has assisted several clients with respect to all aspects of proposed international joint ventures, project financing, foreign investments, corporate and commercial arrangements, major infrastructure projects, mining, energy and telecom. He has also advised on the issuance of bonds and placement of shares in the Chilean Stock Market, and ADR in the New York Stock Exchange. He has been involved in many infrastructure toll road and water projects in Chile for numerous clients since 1995.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Advised Mantos Copper in USD 3.3 billion merger agreement with Capstone Mining. This transaction was led in Chile by Antonio with his team in legal, corporate, mining, labor and tax matters, considering all aspects of the due diligence of Capstone's mining assets in Chile, mainly regarding the Santo Domingo project. Likewise, it was the legal counterpart in Chilean matters regarding the mining assets of Mantos Blancos and Mantoverde.
  • Advised Mantos Copper on the sale of a 30% stake of Mantoverde S.A. to Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, for USD 275 million. This operation, together with the financing for USD 571.6 million, will fully fund the Mantoverde Development Project (MVDP), for a total of USD 847 million.
  • Grupo Pochteca, a Mexican company specialized in the distribution of industrial products, in the acquisition of the Latin American operations of Ixom, a multinational company based in Australia. The operation involved the purchase of Ixom's operations, businesses and assets by Pochteca, which will expand its operations to Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Its operations will expand to the mining business and will consolidate the supply of chemical products.
  • Advised Quadra Mining (KGHM International) on the structuring, negotiation and closing of a  USD1 billion syndicated loan agreement with foreign financial institutions for  the development, construction and operation of an integrated mining, exploration, development and extraction project on the Sierra Gorda concessions
  • Advised HSBC Bank Plc. on  a USD507 million project finance deal for the public transportation system in Santiago.
  • Advised SK Corporation in a potential partnership with ENAP, a state-owned company dedicated to the exploration. We helped obtain one or more PPAs which will enable them to secure financing for the projects of development of two combined-cycle gas turbine power plants. This deal is part of the Chilean Government’s Energy Agenda.
  • Advised Rockwood Litio in a project to increase current production capacity of lithium carbonate at Planta La Negra by 20,000 tons per year, doubling its current capacity. 
  • Advised Sierra Gorda in a construction contract for a pipeline from water pumping stations in Mejillones, on the Chilean coast, to Sierra Gorda, in the Atacama Desert, for the transportation of seawater to the mining project. 
  • Advised Audley Capital Advisors with the purchase of a stake in Anglo American Norte S.A., with Orion Mine Finance as the main co-investor for an initial cash payment of USD 300 million and a number of future additional payments totaling up to USD 200 million.
  • Advised Sierra Gorda SCM on an agreement with Salfa Montajes S.A. for the construction and installation of wet and dry areas of the Sierra Gorda mine project processing plant. The contract awarded to Salfa Montajes exceeds USD350 million, and required the workforce equivalent of over 10 million hours in various specialties throughout construction.

Professional Honors

  • Legal 500 Latin America: Ranked Tier 1 in Energy & Natural Resources: Mining (2017-2021)
  • Legal 500 Latin America: Ranked as "Leading Individual"
  • Ranked Band 2 in Chambers & Partners (both Latin America and Global for Energy & Natural Resources (Mining) in Chile 2021
  • IFRL 1000: Ranked Tier 1 in Project Development - Mining
  • Who's Who Legal: Individually listed as "Recommended" in Mining
  • Latin Lawyer 250 - 2021 Edition: Baker & McKenzie Santiago office listed as highly recommended firm
  • Best Lawyers 2021 Edition: Recognized in Energy Law, Mining Law, Natural Resources Law, Project Finance and Development Practice
  • Latin Finance: Mining Financing of the Year - Mantoverde Copper Mine | Project & Infrastructure 2021

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Chilean Bar Association
  • Chilean-Australian Chamber of Commerce
  • Chilean-Canadian Chamber of Commerce
  • Chilean-USA Chamber of Commerce

Admissions

  • Chile (1989)

Education

  • Universidad Gabriela Mistral (LL.B.) (1988)

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Previous Offices

  • Chicago
  • New York
  • Special Mention, "Law Firm of the Year, Mining Practice Group," InterContinental Finance Magazine, 2011
  • Participant, 4th International Conference on Renewable Energy Investments and CDM, September 2009
  • Participant, 2nd China International Mining Seminar, March 2009
  • Presenter, "Taking Advantage of Chile’s Exploration Opportunities" and "Experience of Junior Mining Companies," Government of Chile’s Ministry of Mining, March 2009
  • Presenter, "Public Financing and Listing in Canada for Mining and Exploration Issuers in Seminar on the New Medium Mining Company," SONAMI National Mining Association, August 2008