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zapata - José Zapata

José Zapata

Partner, Holland & Knight

Bio Current as of February 8, 2017

José Vicente Zapata Lugo is a partner in Holland & Knight’s Bogotá office with more than 20 years of experience in the natural resources sector. He focuses his practice on corporate and commercial matters with an emphasis on the environment, energy and natural resources.

Mr. Zapata Lugo primarily represents government organizations as well as electric, oil, gas, mining, agrochemical and industrial companies. In addition, he regularly advises clients in the structuring of foreign investment transactions, corporate reorganizations, and mergers and acquisitions as well as matters of environmental liability and judicial proceedings such as class action lawsuits.

Throughout his career, Mr. Zapata Lugo has served on various boards of directors and has headed numerous successful companies. He has represented clients in many of the largest transactions made in Colombia to date in the mining, oil and gas sectors, in addition to assisting a range of companies in obtaining mining and oil and gas concessions. Mr. Zapata Lugo has also lead key financing and structuring of transactions in the oil and gas, mining, automotive, agrochemical, food and infrastructure sectors.

Utilizing his extensive experience in contract negotiations, Mr. Zapata Lugo has assisted numerous government agencies both in defining the terms and conditions of regulations and in sensitive international judicial cases. In addition, he has served as legal counsel in the structuring of foreign investment transactions, and mergers and acquisitions, as well as in the reorganization of corporations in Colombia.

Mr. Zapata Lugo has participated in critical environmental liability cases and class action litigation in Colombia. Of particular importance is his participation in complex cases where communities and companies discuss their corresponding rights and in prior public consultations.

Beyond his law practice, Mr. Zapata Lugo has served as an adjunct professor of corporate responsibility, environmental liability and sustainable development at Universidad Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Universidad de Los Andes and Universidad Externado de Colombia.